ABSTRACT
Mining in Brazil has a much more recent history than in the Old World but has had great importance at various times over the last three centuries. Because of its role in the international scenario or because of the importance of mineral extraction in the development of the country, some mines are considered cultural heritage at regional, national, and international levels. Six cases chosen throughout Brazil’s large territory, representing different periods of our history are here presented and discussed also in function of the existing tourism. These sites, and their respective main mineral resource, are Ouro Preto (state of Minas Gerais—gold), Diamantina (state of Minas Gerais—diamonds), Chapada Diamantina (state of Bahia—carbonados), Ametista do Sul (state of Rio Grande do Sul—amethyst), Pedro II (state of Piauí—noble opal), Currais Novos (state of Rio Grande do Norte—scheelite/tungsten), and Itu (state of Sâo Paulo—dimension stone). The offer in these places of different degrees of geoscientific information adequately presented to the general public proposes the development of geotourism as 118an aggregating factor in cultural, scientific, and educational tourism. The expectation is that this strategy will contribute to the protection of the mining heritage and the geoconservation of the sites.
