We call the outer part of the Earth, the place where we step, soil.
The soil is made up of different materials, depending on each region, as climatic variations, nature, vegetation, etc., interfere in its composition.
The formation of the Earth's soil was made through pieces of rock, which broke apart, as well as the remains of animals and plants in a state of decomposition.
The soil contains several layers, until reaching the Earth's core.
Underground we can find the hardest rocks and minerals that we use to manufacture various objects, which is called raw material.
The mining process in Brazil started at the end of the 17th century, when the pioneers of São Paulo discovered that these riches were present in our soil. The richest regions in minerals were Minas Gerais, Bahia, Goiás and Mato Grosso.
With these discoveries, ores from Brazil started to be sold abroad, and became a source of exploration for the Portuguese, who became very rich as a result.
Jewelry and household items are made with minerals
Among the main minerals, used as raw materials, we can find gold, silver and platinum, which are used in the manufacture of jewelry and artifacts used in medicine, such as the pins that make splicing of the bones.
If we look at the objects in our homes, we can identify that many of them are made of ores, such as aluminum (from pans and kitchen utensils) and iron (from tools and heavy machinery used in agriculture, city constructions, buildings, bridges, subways, etc., car manufacturing, etc.).
By Jussara de Barros
Pedagogue
