The leading silver mining countries are concentrated in the Americas
Silver mining began approximately 5,000 years ago in modern-day Turkey. Prior to the Spanish conquest of the Americas, the center of silver mining was in Spain. However, for over 500 years now, the Americas have been an important source of silver. Today, of the ten largest silver producing countries, four are located in South America, and Mexico, the largest producer, is located in North America.Among silver mining companies, Mexican mining company Fresnillo is the world’s largest based on production volume. Other leading primary silver producers include Polish KGHM Polska Miedz, Swiss-British Glencore, U.S. miner Newmont, and Codelco from Chile.