Which geographical conditions promote mining of coal and iron ore?
The GEOGRAPHICAL conditions that promote the mining of coal and iron ore are infrastructure and having an established market into which the coal and iron ore can be delivered. Coal may be mined opencast or by underground methods but since it is a BULK COMMODITY, it needs a sophisticated network of roads, rail-links and if exported, docks to take the coal to the location, perhaps a coal fired power station, where it is needed. Iron ore is generally mined open pit, though underground mining does occur. This also needs good rail links and good dock facilities when being exported (very often from distant parts of the world to Chinese ports – for example at Simandou in Guinea, West Africa). Where the steel works are more local, there may still be the need for good doick facilities as the produced steel may be exported. Where coal, iron ore and limestone have been found in close proximity to each other in the past, it has lead to the initial development of iron smelting works since each of t
