Where Is Gold Found?

Gold is one of the least abundant elements in the earth’s crust, making it an extremely precious commodity for individuals all over the world. Gold can be found all over the world, in many different nations, climates, and geographical situations including: North America, South America, and in Australia. Currently, most of the world’s gold comes from South Africa, as has been the case for the past 130 years or so.

In the past, gold rushes have been a huge boost to Australia’s economy and to the nation’s population. Edward Hargraves initiated the first Australian gold rush when, in 1851, he discovered a bit of gold at Bathurst in a waterhole. He named the place where he discovered the gold Ophir, and months later over a thousand gold prospectors looking to strike it rich had flooded to the area.

By 1852, New South Wales was the site of the discovery of 26 tons of gold, and hundreds of thousands of immigrants flocked to the nation. Australian output of gold continues to remain strong.

In 2010, it was reported in the press that Australia is the second-biggest gold mining nation in all the world, after China. 314 metric tons of gold were produced by Australia in 2009, and trends have shown gold production rising since that point.

China

Gold has been mined in China as far back as the Song Dynasty, around 1000 B.C.. However, gold production in China has not been nearly as high in volume as it was over the past couple of decades. As global production of gold continues to decline, it trends up every year in China.

Since the 1990s, joint ventures with other nations have allowed even small companies to share in some of the nation’s gold wealth. Reserves of gold in China make up only about seven percent of the world’s gold reserve, which is low compared with other nations who have been using sophisticated methods to mine for gold for many centuries.

New gold deposits continue to be discovered around China, allowing the nation’s production to flourish even as the world’s gold reserves begin to run dry elsewhere.

United States

Early in the history of the United States, gold production was relatively low, as few reserves were discovered. North Carolina’s Reed Farm was the home of the very first documented gold find.

Gold deposits discovered in California in the mid-1800s were known as the “Mother Lode” due to the 120-mile long zone of gold the area harbors. Production of gold in the United States has been steady since that period of time.

Today, most of the United States’ gold comes from the state of Nevada—in fact, more than 80 percent of the gold mined in the nation comes from Nevada mines. The Comstock Lode and the Eureka district were historically large gold production areas.

South Africa

In 1905, South Africa became the largest gold producer in the entire world, a position it has held for over 100 years. Thirty seven percent of export revenue in the nation comes from its gold production, although production has been dropping annually. In 1993, South Africa was producing upwards of 30 percent of the world’s gold, but today it has dropped to about 12 percent.

Unlike China, which holds only seven percent of the world’s gold reserves, South Africa is estimated to hold up to a whopping 40 percent. The largest area on the earth of unmined gold reserves is in the Witwatersrand basin region of South Africa. Johannesburg has long been the capital of gold production, but gold mines in areas such as Boksburg (home of the East Rand Mine) and Carletonville (home of the Tautona Mine) now account for most of South Africa’s gold production.