This map layer shows the amount of diamonds mined in thousand carats, classified in five categories for 2017.
Diamonds are made of carbon and are the hardest known minerals in the world. The value of a diamond is measured by the four 'c's: weight, measured in carat (1 carat equals 0.2 g), its colour, its clarity and, finally, its cut. Diamonds are valuable and easy to smuggle. This is why warring parties like to use them to buy weapons. The revenues allow warring parties to continue the conflict. To counter this problem, the Kimberley Process was initiated under the pressure of human rights organizations. Participating countries are obligated to stop the trade in diamonds—so-called conflict or blood diamonds—from regions hit by crises. Inhumane working conditions in many diamond mines, however, are not affected by the Process. In 2017, the global total of mined diamonds amounted to 150.855 million carats.
Share of diamond mining (per cent total) of the top five producing countries
The graph shows the world's five largest diamond mining countries' share of diamond production in global mining for 2017.
Sources: Kimberley 2018
© picture alliance / Anka Agency International
Conflict resource - Diamonds
Blood diamonds - hardly any key word is more to the point when describing the interrelation between war and resources. The term relates to civil wars in which rebels finance their bloody fight through the sale of diamonds.
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