Geography of world metallurgy and the chemical industry
Metallurgy covers mining ore, enriching it and obtaining metals and alloys. Ferrous metallurgy makes pig iron and steel from iron ore and coking coal; in the past plants stood beside ore and coal deposits, but now ore and coal are moved by sea, so many plants lie at ports (Japan, Western Europe). In steel China is far ahead, followed by India, Japan, the USA, Russia and the Republic of Korea; iron ore comes mostly from Australia, Brazil, China, India and Russia. Non-ferrous metallurgy produces aluminium, copper, lead, zinc and others. Making aluminium needs a lot of electricity, so plants are built near cheap energy (hydropower, gas); although bauxite is mined in Australia, Guinea and Brazil, pure aluminium is made mostly in China, India, Russia, Canada and the UAE. Copper ore is abundant in Chile, Peru and DR Congo. The chemical industry makes fertilisers, plastics, synthetic fibres, medicines and acids; raw materials, water and energy matter for its location. Its main centres are East Asia (first of all China), the USA, Western Europe (Germany and others) and Russia.
“Where to build the plant?” debate: groups choose and justify a suitable location (raw materials, energy, port, consumers) for a steel plant and an aluminium plant.