ABSTRACT
The operations of mining corporations, international financial institutions, mineral purchasing companies and governments are critical factors explaining the spatial pattern of mineral production. This chapter focuses on the identification and analysis of the complex set of physical, economic and political variables which affect both the search for valued minerals and the extent to which any known mineral source is then exploited. Published data on the level and location of capital investment in mineral exploration are sketchy and global figures are non-existent. Another important element influencing the location of exploration was the availability and quality of geological information. There are essentially four types of investor currently involved in mineral search: national governments; private companies operating solely within one producer country; multinational corporations; and international financial or aid agencies. In the Soviet Union, for example, the priority given to search for different resource types, the scale of expenditure and its spatial distribution cannot be explained without considering the basic policy tenets.
