Describe and explain the rise and fall of the mining industry.

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Economic Activity

Describe and explain the rise and fall of the mining industry.

Coal is mined in 50 countries and is the single largest fuel source for the generation of electricity world wide - over 23% of primary energy needs world wide are met by coal It is the safest fossil fuel to transport, store and use.

In 1998, fossil fuels were used to meet about 90 percent of global commercial-energy demand. In energy terms, oil makes the single largest contribution to world energy supply, at 40 percent, followed by coal at 26 percent and natural gas at about 24 percent. Non-renewable, fossil fuels take millions of years to form, so for all intents and purposes they are finite and, ultimately, exhaustible energy resources.

In the early 1900s, coal was the Britain's major fuel source, supplying almost 90 percent of its energy needs. Later, coal's importance declined, mainly because petroleum and natural gas were cleaner, more cost effective, and more efficient. However, at the present time, coal is the primary source used for electricity generation because it is now far cheaper than other fossil fuels, and because it is also more abundant.

Coal was (and