A documentary crew travels to Mauritania to explore the country's gold mining industry. The crew visits the city of Chami, where miners buy equipment, and then heads to the gold mines, where they meet Moulay, a seasoned miner. The crew follows Moulay and other miners as they extract gold ore from the mines, often working in difficult and dangerous conditions. The gold is then taken to a refining city called Alchami, where it is processed into liquid gold using mercury. The crew is amazed by the wealth of gold and minerals in Mauritania and the resourcefulness of the miners. The documentary highlights the importance of the gold industry to Mauritania's economy and the challenges faced by the miners.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. Mauritania is the Islamic Republic of Mauritania.
2. Mauritania is an Arab country.
3. Mauritania is home to an underground city of gold.
4. The city of gold has branching tunnels for more than a thousand mines.
5. Gold was discovered in Mauritania by chance in 2016.
6. Gold mining in Mauritania is regulated by the state.
7. Mauritania exports fish, iron, copper, phosphate, and gold.
8. Iron is the most important source of mineral wealth in Mauritania.
9. The Sahara Desert extends across several countries, including Mauritania.
10. The Sahara Desert is the largest hot desert in the world.
11. The city of Chami in Mauritania is where prospectors buy their equipment.
12. Gold mining in Mauritania contributes to absorbing unemployment and reviving the national economy.
13. Gold mining in Mauritania is a significant source of revenue for the country.
14. The state of Mauritania has established a special institution to regulate gold mining.
15. Gold miners in Mauritania often work for 24 hours at a time and stay underground for several days.
16. The equipment used for gold mining in Mauritania is often primitive.
17. There are mosques in the gold mining areas where miners pray.
18. Miners in Mauritania do not start work until after they have prayed.
19. The refining process for gold in Mauritania involves using mercury to extract the gold from rocks.
20. The city of Alchami in Mauritania is a center for gold refining.
21. The gold refining process in Mauritania is often done in open-air factories.
22. The state of Mauritania forces gold miners to sell their gold to the state, but many prefer to sell on the black market.