page_title: Geology of the Iberian Peninsula
section_title: Mining
hierarchical_section_title: Geology of the Iberian Peninsula / Economic geology / Mining
caption_attribution_description: Deutsch: Kalomel auf Cinnabarit - Fundort: Almaden, Spanien - Ausgestellt im Mineralogischen Museum Bonn English: Calomel on Cinnabarite - Fundort: Almaden, Spain - Exposed in the Mineralogical Museum, Bonn, Germany
context_page_description: The geology of the Iberian Peninsula consists of the study of the rock formations on the Iberian Peninsula, which includes Spain, Portugal, Andorra, and Gibraltar. The peninsula contains rocks from every geological period from the Ediacaran to the Quaternary, and many types of rock are represented. World-class mineral deposits are also found there.
  The core of the Iberian Peninsula consists of a Hercynian cratonic block known as the Iberian Massif. On the northeast this is bounded by The Pyrenean fold belt, and on the southeast it is bounded by the Betic Fold mountain chain. These two fold chains are part of the Alpine belt. To the west, the peninsula is delimited by the continental boundary formed by the opening of the Atlantic Ocean. The Hercynian Fold belt is mostly buried by Mesozoic and Cenozoic cover rocks to the east, but nevertheless outcrops through the Iberian Chain and the Catalan Coastal Ranges.
context_section_description: Mining has a long history in Spain. Copper mining has taken place at Rio Tinto for 5,000 years. The world's largest deposit of mercury is located Almadén, Spain, which has produced 250,000 tons.
  Mines at La Unión, Murcia produced lead, iron, silver, and zinc since Roman times but closed in 1991 due to depletion. Lead mines at Castulo near Linares, Jaén operated from ancient times until 1991. This is a part of the Linares–La Carolina mining district, where in the Bronze Age copper was mined. Roman mines operated at Arrayanes, La Cruz, and El Centenillo and Salas de Galiarda in Sierra Morena.
caption: Cinnabar (mercury ore) from Almadén, Spain
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