The exploitation of mineral substances and rocks is almost as old as conscious human activity. While satisfying basic human needs, mining also has economic, social and sometimes political importance. The lecture describes the history of mining and follows its development up to modern times with particular attention paid to mineral mining in the Carpathian Basin and the current mineral resources of Hungary. An important part of the lecture presents trends in worldwide mineral extraction. The political changes of recent decades, the opening up of the world economy and distribution have greatly changed the production scale of mining products. Some countries have maintained their traditional market position, however, Western European countries which previously played a decisive role have lost out as a result of this process while developing countries outside Europe have profited. The lecture raises the current issues related to finding a desirable balance between mining and the protection and restoration of the environment, with special regard to the greenhouse effect and its relation to fuel consumption.

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