Amazon Gold

Miners shoot pool at a bar in a mining villageabout 80km from Apui in the Brazilian state of Amazonas, Feb. 1, 2007. Thousands of people have created the town, including prostitutes, bars and pharmacies, in a mobilization rivaling that of a military operation to dig for gold in the region, discovered in Dec. 2006. The environment is not much of a concern as trees are felled and pits are dug by people from all over Brazil and from all walks of life. Most simply say that some deforestation in the immense amazon it is the price to pay for Brazilians to exploit their nation's riches.(AustralFoto/Douglas Engle)

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Miners shoot pool at a bar in a mining villageabout 80km from Apui in the Brazilian state of Amazonas, Feb. 1, 2007. Thousands of people have created the town, including prostitutes, bars and pharmacies, in a mobilization rivaling that of a military operation to dig for gold in the region, discovered in Dec. 2006. The environment is not much of a concern as trees are felled and pits are dug by people from all over Brazil and from all walks of life. Most simply say that some deforestation in the immense amazon it is the price to pay for Brazilians to exploit their nation's riches.(AustralFoto/Douglas Engle)

gold mine amazon mineral mining forest deforest