The foreign market's performance in this sector reflects the rising demands for granite and marble in developed countries, where they are used mainly in public building facades, in interior decorating and in the furniture industry. Its physical characteristics and myriad colors have made Brazilian granite the most prized in the world. Our granite reserves are probably the planet's largest. In spite of the size and diversity of both our granite and marble reserves, Brazil has a modest ranking in the international market. Furthermore, we have a tradition of selling raw materials to be processed abroad, mainly in Italy, and then resold in the world market.
Brazil is the seventh in the world ranking of gold production.
History of gold production in the world began in 1552, and Brazil was the world's main producer of gold in the eighteenth century. It is estimated that total production since the first discoveries has been in excess of 2500 tons. Since the second half of the seventies, research activities on gold have been intensified. Propitius geologic conditions for the occurrence of gold in Brazil show excellent prospects for growth in gold-mining, which has an estimated potential exceeding 30 thousand tons. A new cycle in gold-mining in Brazil is expected, once a constitutional amendment recently submitted to Congress passes, thus eliminating hindrances to foreign investment in the industry.