How is there so much gold in Africa alone?

Sowmiya Sriram
How is there so much gold in Africa alone?

We are one of the leading countries in gold consumption internationally. But gold production in our country is nominal. Meanwhile, West Africa, which is considered an economically backward region, is rich in gold deposits. West Africa has been a famous gold mining center for centuries. It has been there since the time of the ancient ghana Empire. Due to its abundant gold deposits and thriving trade networks, the West African region is known as the land of gold. West Africa is a leader in gold production internationally. As of 2024, West Africa contributes approximately 10.8 percent of the world's total gold production. During a major tectonic event called the Ebernian Orogeny between 2.02 and 2.08 billion years ago, gold deposits were formed within the craton rocks of West Africa. Most of the gold production and deposits are found in the West African Craton.
A large part of West Africa is covered by a craton that covers parts of mali, ghana, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea, Senegal, and Mauritania. The gold deposits in ghana and mali are the richest compared to other countries in West Africa. ghana and mali currently account for more than 57 percent of the combined past production and resources of the West African sub-region. ghana is believed to have 1,000 tonnes of gold reserves. ghana produces 90 tonnes of gold every year. This is 7 percent of the world's production. In mali, gold production reached 67.7 tonnes in 2023. The country is estimated to have 800 tonnes of gold deposits. china and australia are the two largest gold producers in the world. In 2023, china mined 370 tonnes of gold. australia produced 310 tonnes of gold that year. It is noteworthy that gold deposits worth Rs. 80 thousand crores were discovered in the indus river region of Pakistan.
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