History
In the last 6,000 years, a little over 125,000 tons of gold has been mined. If you were to measure this out, it would form a cube measuring only about 62 feet (19 m) on each side. This cube could easily fit under the Eiffel Tower in Paris!
Gold is the oldest precious metal known to man, and is probably the first metal discovered by man. Gold and man's search for it gave birth to many civilizations. Archeological studies tell us that working with gold -- known as goldsmithing -- dates at least as far back as 4000 B.C. The Egyptians were one of the earliest gold miners and gold artists, followed by the Greeks, the Aztecs, and the Incas.
Modern gold production begun in Russia in the early 18th century, followed by the 1948 California Gold Rush, which was a turning point in the history of the gold mining industry. Almost half a million prospectors swarmed to California to mine gold, helping to open up the American West.
Other gold rushes followed, attracting miners seeking their fortune in South Africa, Australia, Canada, and the United States (Nevada, Colorado, South Dakota, and Alaska). By the beginning of the 20th century, world gold production averaged 400 tons each year.
About 90% of the world's gold has been excavated since 1848! And, while the period of rapid gold growth is over because of industry challenges-such as lower gold prices and stricter environmental controls, world-wide production is expected to remain fairly stable in the future.
Source courtesy of: http://en.wikipedia.org, http://www.gold.org
