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MiningWhat is the relative importance of mining to the national economy?QUESTION 6 •Venezuela’s gold and diamond production is low, compared to major producers, although Venezuelais an important producer of some metals.Venezuela’s heavy metal production includes gold, diamonds, iron ore, aluminum, and bauxite.Gold and diamonds are mined primarily in forests of the Guayana region, while bauxite and iron oreare mined outside of forests. An analysis of metal production data shows that:• Venezuela ranks low compared to other gold and diamond producers (see Figure 19).• Venezuela is an important producer of iron ore, bauxite, and aluminum, ranking among thetop fifteen producers globally for each metal (see Table 8). 78 TABLE 8Venezuela’s Gold and Diamond Production Compared to Other Major Producers, 1999FIGURE 19Sources: US Geological Survey, US Geological Survey Minerals Yearbook (Washington, DC: USGS, 1999); MEM,Dirección de Planificación y Economía Minera, Anuario Estadístico Minero (Caracas, Venezuela: MEM, 1999).Aluminum, Bauxite, and Iron Ore Production, 1999Metal Production - 1999 World Rank(thousand metric tons)Aluminum 570 10Bauxite 4,166 7Iron ore 14,051* 11* Gross weight.Source: I. Torres, “Minerals Yearbook-International, Venezuela Chapter, 1999” (Washington, DC: USGS).53