Contributions of geography to the study of mining in Latin America: a bibliometric analysis

Mining is an important economic activity in Latin America, and several countries in the region are among the world leaders in mining production. However, this sector faces several problems and challenges that can be analyzed from a geographical perspective. To date, there is no work that compiles and systematizes geographical research on the mining sector in Latin America. This paper aims to fill this knowledge gap through a bibliometric study on the subject. The methodology included a search for publications in Web of Science, data analysis using Bibiliometrix software, mapping the geographical distribution of scientific production using QGIS software, and a detailed review of the content of the documents. As a result, 138 publications in different languages (English, Portuguese and Spanish) were found, covering different topics such as mining cartography, geomorphology, tailings dams, environmental impacts, extractivism, socio-environmental conflicts and geological-mining heritage, among others. It is concluded that geographical research on mining in Latin America is both substantial and diverse. Moreover, bibliometrics is a useful tool to explore and systematize this body of research.