Copper
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Date
2009
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Abstract
Copper is the oldest industrial metal known to man and has contributed to the development of many civilizations in the world, including pre-colonial African communities in southern and central Africa, where copper metal was produced and traded on a wide scale centuries before the arrival of Europeans. Despite having produced 10.6 of world copper metal valued at 193 billion US dollars in the past 100 years, Namibia, Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo have functioned mainly as exporters of copper metal rather than as manufacturers of finished copper products. As a consequence, copper mining has not made a significant impact to the economic development of these countries despite the fact that copper has many varied industrial uses. Industrial plants that add value to the copper metal are required in order to enable Namibia, Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo to manufacture secondary and tertiary copper products, including cable wire for power transmission and generation, construction and telecommunication as well as electrical and electronic equipment
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Keywords
Copper, Copper ores, Copper mines and mining, Copper industry and trade, Copper industry and trade economic aspects