China is coveting Afghanistan’s mineral endowment, which despite recent headlines, may not be as rich as advertised.

The Canadian Prairies may soon be known as much for their diverse mineral wealth including uranium, nickel and copper, as for their potash endowment and rolling hectares of grain.

The country's new government is also preparing legislation that will ban uranium mining.

The aid package from USAid worth $10 million is primarily aimed at development of Greenland's mining sector, tourism and education.

Environment officials and campaigners have called for a global moratorium on deep-sea mining and on issuing new exploration contracts unless marine ecosystems can be effectively protected.