Of course, Sweden is east of Norway. It is the largest country of Northern Europe, and its beautiful mountain and ocean scenery would lead one to believe it is rich in natural resources. One thinking that would not be wrong. It is one of the wealthiest mining countries of Europe, and the Swedes have been digging minerals out of the ground for 6000 years.
Many of the buildings in Sweden have wall coatings in churches and castles due to copper. The Falun copper mine in Dalarna is rich with the pigment. The mine goes back to 1300. It has accounted for two-thirds of the entire continent's copper. That's a lot!
Iron ore, accounting for a whopping 92% of total production, comes from Sweden.
The north boasts 16 mines. Vasterbotten was the site of the first gold discovery. Boliden Mineral AG owns 6 of Sweden's mines. The Boliden Mine, which is no longer operating, was once Europe's biggest and richest gold mine. The field they exist in is Skelleftea field. This is in the area known as Boliden.
For those interested in recreational prospecting, prospectors can give panning a try on the southern side of Sweden. The streams near Kleva mine in Kleva Gruva, Holsbybrunn, now a tourist attraction, have attracted folks to good-sized placers. The Eman river in Smaland has provided some small gold nuggets.
See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norsj%C3%B6_Municipality
No comments:
Post a Comment