- 2. Non ferrous minerals -
- They are the minerals which do not contain iron such as gold, silver etc.
Important metallic minerls
1. Iron
Iron is the most important mineral in the world. 
The ores are usually rich in iron oxides and vary in color from dark grey, bright yellow, or deep purple to rusty red. There are 4 different types of iron ores – Magnetite contains 75% iron, Haematite contains 70% iron, Limonite contains 60% iron and Siderite contains 40% iron. Iron is used to make steel. Steel is used to make kitchen utensils. Steel is the backbone of any industrialized country. China, Australia, Brazil, South Africa, USA etc. are the major producers of iron India produces only 4% of iron on the world. In India, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh are the major producers of iron
2. Manganese
Manganese is a grey white metal that breaks easily but is very hard. 
Manganese comes from the Latin word manganese meaning magnet. It is often found in minerals in combination
with iron. It is used in a wide variety of industries such as glass, batteries, paints etc. It is
also used to make alloys such as stainless steel and aluminium alloys. It is also used to make coins. China, Australia, South Africa and Gabon are important producers of manganese.
India produces only 4% of the manganese in the world. Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu are the major manganese producing states
3. Copper
Copper is a soft metal that has a bright metallic lustre. It is reddish orange in colour. 
It is malleable, ductile and a good conductor of heat and electricity. It is used to make wires, pipes, coins, utensils, etc. Alloys such as brass (copper + zinc) and bronze (copper + tin) are made using copper. The Democratic Republic of Congo, Australia, Chile and Peru are important producers of copper. Rajasthan (Khetri mines), Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh are the major copper producing states in India.
4. Silver
Silver is a soft and lustrous metal which is a good conductor of heat and electricity. 
It is also ductile and malleable. Most silver is produced as a byproduct of copper, gold, lead, and zinc refining. Silver is a precious metal which is used to make jewellery. Silver is also used to make coins. In medicine, silver is incorporated into wound dressings and used as an antibiotic coating in medical devices. Bolivia, China and Poland are important producers of silver. India produces about 2.3% of the world. Jharkhand, Karnataka and Rajasthan are the major silver producing states in India.
5. Gold
Gold is a soft, yellow coloured precious metal which is a good conductor of heat 
and electricity. It can be drawn into a wire of single-atom width, and can stretched considerably before it breaks. It is the most ductile and malleable of all elements. It is used to make ornaments, coins, medals etc. It gives economic security to a country in economic crisis. It has always been valued as it is a medium of foreign trade. China, Australia, USA, South Africa and Canada are the major producers of gold. Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh are the major gold producing states in India
6. Bauxite
Bauxite is a clay like substance that contains several minerals from which aluminium 
is extracted. Galluim can also be extracted from bauxite. It is mainly found near the surface of the earth. Bauxite is the lightest metal so it is used to make aircraft. It is also a good conductor of electricity, so it is used in electrical industry. Bauxite is also used to make coins. Australia, China and Brazil are the important producers of bauxite in the world. India produces about 8% of bauxite in the world. Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra are the major bauxite producing states in India
7. Uranium
Uranium is a hard silvery and radioactive metal. It is malleable, ductile and is the 
heaviest metal. It can be found in very small traces in rocks found on the surface of the Earth, waters, ocean waters, etc. Uranium is used in nuclear power plants as fuel and is also used by the army in specialized ammunition. Kazkistan, Canada and Australia are the important producers of uranium. India produces less that 1% of the world. In India, uranium is found in East Singhbhum in Jharkhand
Non-metallic minerals
Non metallic minerals do not contain any extractable metals. They are mainly found in sedimentary rocks. They do not have lustre or shine and are a bad conductors of heat and electricity.
Important non-metallic minerls
1. Limestone
Limestone is composed of calcium carbonate. It is generally white or grey in color.
Limestone is a raw material that is used as construction, agriculture and industrial materials. Limestone is generally used as a construction material. Limestone can be processed into many various forms such as brick, cement, filler, etc. It is used to make wall tiles, floor tiles, etc. It is also used for decorative purposes. It is also used in toothpastes and paints.China, USA, India and Russia are the major producers of limestone. In India Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Chhattisgarh. About 94%
of the total limestone produced in India is used in cement industry.
2. Mica
Mica is a soft, white, silver, grey, yellowish - brown or transparent coloured 
non metallic mineral. Mica is used in glass-making and electrical industries. It is also used in rubber industry and plastic industry.Mica is used in for decorative purposes as well. Mica is also used in cosmetics. Usually mica is consider to be lustrous but some of them appear pearly. There
are 37 different types of mica minerals.China, USA and South Korea are he important producers of mica. In India, mica mines are located in Hazaribagh in Jharkhand and Munger
in Bihar
3. Coal
Coal is a hard black mineral that is found below the earth's surface and is burnt to produce 
heat. It is a sedimentary rock that is formed from the decayed remains of plants and trees and it has a high percentage of carbon. It is a non renewable resource and a major conventional energy. It is also a fossil fuel. It is used for producing electricity, cooking, heating, etc. There are 4 different types of coal - anthracite contains 90% carbon, bituminous contains 65% carbon, lignite contains 40-60% carbon and peat contains very little carbon. China, USA, India and Australia are the major producers of coal. In India, Jharkhand, Odisha, MP and Chhattisgarh are the major producers.
4. Petroleum
Petroleum is the most important fuel in the world. It is also known as mineral oil, rock oil and 
crude oil. It is a black, greenish or brown liquid found in porous sedimentary rocks in the earth and is the product of plants and animals sank into ocean and buried in layers of sand and hardended into rocks. It is a fossil fuel. All vehicles need petrroleum to run smoothly. Petroleum is used to make paints, varnishes, grease, lubricating oils, detergents, fertilizers, cosmetics etc. It is a major conventional energy. Because of its wide use it is also called as black gold. Saudi Arabia, Russia and USA are the important producers of petroleum. India produces only 1% of the petroleum in the world. In India, Assam, Gujarat, Krishna Godavari basin and Bombay High are the petroleum producing places in India.
5. Natural Gas
Natural gas deposits are grally found with petroleum deposits. Natural gas is colourless 
odorless and explosive.This power resource is used for cooking in homes (LPG). It is also used as fuel in vehicles (CNG). India produces just over 1.5% of the whole world. Russia, USA, Qatar and Iran are the major producers of natural gas in he world. India produces just over 1.5% of the whole world. India has a large reserves of natural gas in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and Odisha
Mining
Mining is the process of taking out minerals d other substances from the earth. Minerals such as iron ore, uranium, bauxite natural gas petrolem, coal, etc. are mined. There are two types of mining -
- 1. Surface mining -
- In surface mining, the top layer of the soil is removed, large pits or holes
are dug and the rocks that lie underneath are extracted with the help of heavy machinery. These pits are called open cast mines or quarries. In surface mining, trees and other natural vegetation are destroyed. Surface mining is done to extravt minerals that are found close to the surface such as coal, mica, limestone, etc.
- 2. Underground mining -
- In underground mining, a shaft, which is long narrow passage, is dug vertically
deep
into the ground. People and machinery are then sent down through this shaft. Sometimes
after descending into the shaft tunnels are blasted into the earth with the help of dynamites. Then the men and the machines move about through these tunnels to take out things such as gold, copper, tin, lead, etc. Underground mining causes the sinking of the land, underground water pollution, etc.
Conservation of Minerals
- Minerals are non renewable resources so the get exhausted very quickly and take thousands of years to form
- But today, minerals are being used at a very fast rate
- Hence we must learn to conserve minerals
- We can save minerals by pracising to reduce, recycle and reuse
- Cycling or walking must be used to go short distances. For long distnce, public trnsport or car pool should be used. This can save petrol
- We must use alternate sources energy such as sun, water or air.