Amazonia has the largest reserves of iron ore in the world. There are also significant deposits of bauxite, copper, gold, manganese and nickel, particularly in the Serra dos Carajas (Carajas Mountains).
A development program was set up in the early 1980s for this region of Amazonia to [V 008 / mine its minerals]. Charcoal is used in the smelting process for turning iron ore into pig iron and is provided by burning the surrounding forest. In the southeastern state of [M 002 / Minas Gerais], two thirds of the state's forests were consumed for pig iron production.
