INDIAN GEOGRAPHY

Detailed explanation-1: -Antimony (Sb) is ubiquitous throughout the environment as a result of natural processes and human activities. In China, superlarge-, large and medium-sized Sb deposits are concentrated in the Guangxi (34.4%), Hunan (21.2%), Yunnan (12.2%) and Guizhou (10.2%) provinces.

Detailed explanation-2: -China’s Sb deposits occur in four belts. Most deposits are located in the Provinces of Jiangxi, Hunan, Guangdong, Guizhou, Guangxi and east Yunnan within the circum-West Pacific Sb belt which, together with Australian and Japan etc., constitutes the world’s most important area for Sb.

Detailed explanation-3: -As of 2022, China and Russia had the largest reserves of antimony worldwide, with total antimony reserves of approximately 350, 000 metric tons. Bolivia had the next largest antimony reserves, amounting to approximately 310, 000 metric tons.

Detailed explanation-4: -China’s antimony mine production amounted to approximately 60, 000 metric tons in 2022. Despite a nearly 50 percent decrease in production compared to 2015, China is still the leading producer of antimony in the world. Russia and Tajikistan were the second-and third-largest producers of antimony, respectively, in 2022.

Detailed explanation-5: -The only significant ore mineral of antimony, stibnite (Sb2S3), is widespread as an accessory mineral in gold-bearing quartz veins, particularly in veins that intersect the Silurian – Early Devonian Murrindindi Supergroup sedimentary rocks of the Melbourne Zone.