Traces of the mining industry

Mining industry is the most developed branch of Armenian economy as well as it is more than the half of Armenia's exported products. Armenia is a country with high manufacture of molybdenum. The metal-molybdenum factory of Zangezur has a big reserve of molybdenum which is focused on Kajaran's mine territory. Armenia is plenty of copper and gold, owns small mines of lead, silver and zynk, as well as basalt, diatomite, granite, gypsum, limestone and perlite. In spite of 2008^th international financial crisis the mining industry and its income in Armenia for 2009 unexpectedly raised.

The reason was the increase of gold’s, copper’s and other precious metals' price in international stock market. In 2006 the mine of Kajaran was sold to a german company for 123.000.000$, which is a funny sum for a territory with such big reserves and potential, of course. The decision was justified this way: the international price of molybdenum will decrease in future, so only it's sale might give some profit. After just a year the german company had an income of 135.000.000$. As I have already mentioned Armenia is rich of precious metals and stones, exports the 7% of world's molybdenum, but there are two major problems.

1.      None of the upper mentioned mines belong to Armenia, no income from the profit. Armenia has sold its ground, which is the property of citizens. The taxes cover only a small part of the caused damage and inconvenience.

2.      Mines and their activities bear tailings, disasters and viruses. Tailings get covered by soil, then become gardens, which soon becomes our food.

The mining industry has become a unique environmental retribution.