Introduction
Iron ores are rocks and minerals from which iron can be extracted. Ores come in different colors, from different levels of iron oxidation, such as gray, yellow, purple, and red. If an ore is made up of more than about 60% of iron, it is called natural ore and can be put directly into iron making furnaces.
Around 98% of iron ore mined is used to make steel, making it one of the most important commodities along with oil. Because of its importance, iron ore is quite valuable and countries are motivated to mine their deposits to become wealthier. Luckily, iron is one of the most abundant elements in the earth; however, because iron is not generally found in the earth’s crust (its outermost layer), it can be expensive to mine.
Learn for yourself about iron production by country in the map and charts.
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