Top 10 Diamond Producing Countries in Africa
Hello Displorers, welcome Back to another informative video and thanks for watching. In today’s video, we shall be looking at the top 10 diamond producing countries in Africa. Diamonds they say are a girl’s best friend and is very much cherished worldwide. Most of the world's natural gemquality diamonds are mined in countries where citizens do not purchase a lot of diamond jewelry. The leading consumers of diamond jewelry include the United States, India, China, the European Union, Japan, Hong Kong, and the Middle East with the United States consuming up to 40% alone. None of the largest consuming areas are important producers of natural gemquality diamonds. The ten largest diamond mines in the world by measurable reserves contain more than one billion carats of recoverable diamonds. Russia is home to half of the world's biggest diamond mines while Africa is home to about 40% of the world’s diamond reserve.
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Of the top 10 diamond producing countries in the world, 7 are African. Several have billiondollar diamond industries, selling diamonds on the international market at some of the highest dollarpercarat prices in the world. Diamonds are a vital source of foreign exchange for cashstrapped African countries and here are the top 10 diamond producing countries in Africa as of the time of recording this video.
10. Guinea – 292.707 Carats
Officially the Republic of Guinea, Gunea is a westcoastal country in West Africa. Guinea has a population of 12.4 million over an area of 245,857km2.Guinea has large reserves of diamonds, with 30 to 40 million carats of proven reserves as well as 500 million carats of probable reserves.The deposits are mainly located in the BanankoroSefadou area, in the east of the country.Guinea produced 160,000 carats of diamonds in 2014, almost half the 300,000 carats found in 2011. Between 2006 and 2012 Guinea twice exceeded estimated carat production. This boom in output forced the government to strengthen internal controls on diamond exports. Guinea is an active member of the Kimberley Process, an international initiative of certification for rough diamonds designed to promote transparency in the sector.
9. Tanzania – 385.652 Carats
Officially the United Republic of Tanzania, Tanzania is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region known for its vast wilderness. Diamonds in Tanzania are found mainly in the Williamson diamond mine, which is located south of the town Mwanza in northwest Tanzania. Petra Diamonds, through its subsidiary Williamson Diamonds Limited, holds 75% of the ownership rights over the mine, while the remaining 25% are owned by the Government of Tanzania.The 146 hectares mine was opened since 1940, and it is one of the largest mines of its kind. In 2015, the company produced 202,265 carats and plans to increase its production to 350,000 ca per annum in 2017. According to Petra Diamonds, the Williamson mine contains large diamond resources of approximately 38.1m ca. In 2019, the production of diamond reached 0.4 million carats making Tanzania the 8th highest diamond producer in Africa.
8. Sierra leone 741,568 carats
Sierra Leone, the 8th largest diamond producing country in Africa by volume, The country increased its diamond production by 19% in the first half of 2016, according to Sierra Leone newspaper Awoko. Diamond production in the first six months of 2016 was 359,080 carats valued at $101.9 million, compared to 290,380 carats valued at $60 million produced in the first six months of 2015. The country ended up producing 500,000 carats in 2015, good for $154,253,129. The price per carat fell a full $40 compared to 2015. Sierra Leone currently produces about 741.568 carats of Diamond per year .Diamond exports are still the country's largest contributor to its Gross Domestic Product . The major player in the diamond industry in Sierra Leone is Koidu Limited, a subsidiary of Octea Mining Company. Some of the diamond exports also come from artisanal or small scale miners.
7. Lesotho – 1.3 Million Carats
Officially the Kingdom of Lesotho, Lesotho is an enclaved country within the border of South Africa. Lesotho is just over 30,000 km2 in size and has a population of around 2 million people. In the Maluti mountains, 3000meters diamond deposits were discovered in the late 1950s. The uniqueness of the Lesotho diamonds is the reason for its reputation around the world. Lesotho is blessed with colorful type II diamonds, which are nitrogen free and highly sought. The main Lesotho mine is Letseng which is the highest dollarpercarat kimberlite diamond mine in the world. Some of the largest diamonds ever discovered were found here, with some stones estimated at 600 carats uncut. In the early 80s the