Mining is defined as the extraction and concentration of metallic and nonmetallic minerals for use in a variety of human activities. As a distinctively human pursuit, the extraction and use of resources from the surface of the Earth is essential for most industrial production and the provision of a wide variety of materials. Geographers have long examined mining activities, primarily by focusing on the distribution of resources, the expansion of mining activities, the development of technologies to extract elements from the Earth, and the environmental and social impacts of mining operations.