Science Fair Project Encyclopedia
Major coal producing regions
In the United States the Appalachian Mountains region is the major area of mining bituminous coal. There are also large fields of bituminous coal in the Midwest and along the Rocky Mountains. However, most of the coal that comes form the Western states are lower grade subituminous and lignite. One of the largest deposits of anthracite coal is in Northeastern Pennsylvania; around Scranton and Wilkes-Barre. Wyoming produces the most coal of any state, however Montana has the most coal reserves. Coal fields in Wales and other parts of the United Kingdom have also been major mining areas, however in the 1980's and 1990's there was a downturn in the mining industry there. The Alsace-Lorraine region in France, as well as parts of Germany, Poland, and Russia are major coal areas in Europe. China is the biggest producer of coal in the world.
References
- Goode's World Atlas
- Kentucky Educational Television site
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