Mining is the extraction (removal) of minerals and metals from earth.  Manganese, tantalum, cassiterite, copper, tin, nickel, bauxite (aluminum ore), iron ore, gold, silver, and diamonds are just some examples of what is mined. Minerals and metals are very valuable commodities.  For example, manganese is a key component of low-cost stainless steel.  It is also used to de-color glass (removing greenish hues), but in higher concentrations, it actually makes lavender-colored glass.  Tantalum is used in cell phones, pagers, and lap-tops.  Cooper and tin are used to make pipes, cookware, etc.  And gold, silver, and diamonds are used to make jewelry. Mining is generally very destructive to the environment.  It is one of the main causes of deforestation.  In order to mine, trees and vegetation are cleared and burned.  With the ground completely bare, large scale mining operations use huge bulldozers and excavators to extract the metals and minerals from the soil.  In order to amalgamate (cluster) the extractions, they use chemicals such as cyanide, mercury, or methylmercury.