When you think of gold, many countries come to mind, including the United States, Canada, Russia and China. However, how much gold is there actually in these countries? This is a question that you need to answer if you want to be a smart investor.
United States
The United States is the world’s 4th largest gold producing country. It’s also one of the most gold consuming nations. Gold mining is a centuries-old business in the United States. Almost every state in the nation produces gold. But the most prolific producers are Nevada and Alaska.
Most of the gold produced by the United States is extracted from large, open-pit heap-leach mines in Nevada and Alaska. These states make up about three-fourths of the country’s total output.
However, some experts believe that the world has already reached its peak in terms of gold production. This will likely affect gold prices. Nevertheless, the United States has the biggest gold reserves.
While the United States isn’t the first place that people think to look for gold, it has a long history of mining the precious metal. For instance, a 16-pound gold nugget was discovered in North Carolina in 1799.
China
The United States may be the gold standard, but China has the gold. This isn’t because the country has the most gold per capita, but because it produces the most gold. Whether it’s the most gold in quantity, or the best quality, or the most gold in value is a matter of contention.
Gold production in China has been going strong for years. According to the USGS, China mined 455 metric tons in 2016. As a result, China is the world’s largest gold producer.
The gold mined in China is used in jewelry. Most of the gold mined in China stays within the Chinese border. Interestingly, gold production in the United States has slowed down, but it still ranks fourth on the list of the top gold producers.
Germany
Germany has the second largest gold reserves in the world. Its official gold holdings are 3,381 tonnes, according to the World Gold Council.
Most of the German gold reserves were acquired between the 1950s and 1970s. They were initially stored in central banks worldwide. The majority of these gold holdings were then transferred to overseas vaults. This occurred because of the Cold War.
However, the euro crisis has boosted interest in gold. As a result, more and more people have become interested in the gold reserves of the Bundesbank.
The gold held by the German central bank is the second largest in the world. The Bundesbank publishes a list of all its gold bars every three months. There are over 270,000 bars, representing about 11 percent of the country’s stock.
Russia
Russia is the world’s biggest gold buyer. Its stockpile is worth over $20 billion USD.
The country’s gold reserves have grown over the past decade and a half. They are now valued at $140 billion.
Gold has been a key part of international trade for thousands of years. In the past, national governments issued paper money denominated in gold. This was a legal claim to physical gold.
Russia is also a major gold producer, with a production of 330 tons per year. However, its presence in the gold sector has been accompanied by accusations of human rights violations.
Gold has been at the centre of Russia’s geopolitical strategy for some time now. After a series of Western sanctions were imposed on the country after the war in Ukraine, Russia began building up its gold reserves. These have been used as a way to diversify its investment portfolio and hedge against the fall in the price of oil.
South Africa
South Africa has some of the world’s largest gold, diamond and platinum reserves. It has been an important driver of growth in South Africa, albeit one that has a declining output in recent years.
Gold is an important industrial metal, primarily because of its critical functions in computers and spacecrafts. It also performs crucial functions in communications equipment, and it is an essential ingredient in jet aircraft engines. Platinum is used as a catalyst in various industrial processes.
The Union of South Africa was formed by a constitutional convention in Durban in 1908. During the eight years of “reconstruction,” it was shaped by centralized forces generated by mineral discoveries.
Gold was a major driving force in the early days of the union. Mining was a catalyst for development, and the influx of immigrants intensified capital investment. The gold industry also stimulated urbanization and intensified labour migration.
