MN mining has a long history, beginning with the native peoples of Minnesota. The first European settlers to arrive in Minnesota found native people already mining the area’s iron ore.

Today, taconite mining is a major industry in Minnesota, responsible for $3 billion in annual sales and thousands of jobs. In 2016, the state of Minnesota approved a new 20-year lease for the state’s largest taconite mine, owned by Cleveland-Cliffs. However, taconite is not all that has been mined in MN.

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Gold is a valuable metal that has been used for centuries to make jewelry, coins, and other objects. Today, gold is still popular for these same purposes, but it also has a number of other uses.

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Economies across the globe have always held gold in high regard. Even though gold mining did not have workplace technologies and the safety regulations modern companies have, they were still present in the majority of countries before the advent of flight or sailing. Throughout the ages, pirates, monarchs, and merchants have always been on the lookout for the next gold score they could attain.

When was gold discovered and why is it held in such high regard? Although some materials today are more valuable than gold, nothing can beat out gold in prestige, versatility, and aesthetic value–and its number of industrial uses.

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