Shinkolobwe
Former mine in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
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Key Takeaways
- Shinkolobwe , or Kasolo , or Chinkolobew , or Shainkolobwe , was a radium and uranium mine in the Haut-Katanga Province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), located 20 km (12.
- 4 mi) south of Kambove, and about 145 km (90.
- The mine produced the most economical uranium ore in the world and was used for the Manhattan Project and subsequent nuclear weapons produced by the United States in the 1940s and 50s.
- The Shinkolobwe mine was officially closed in 2004.
- It is also slang for "a man who is easygoing on the surface but who becomes angry when provoked".
Shinkolobwe, or Kasolo, or Chinkolobew, or Shainkolobwe, was a radium and uranium mine in the Haut-Katanga Province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), located 20 km (12.4 mi) west of Likasi (formerly Jadotville), 20 km (12.4 mi) south of Kambove, and about 145 km (90.1 mi) northwest of Lubumbashi.
The mine produced the most economical uranium ore in the world and was used for the Manhattan Project and subsequent nuclear weapons produced by the United States in the 1940s and 50s. Before World War II, uranium extracted here was originally taken to Belgium to be processed; this supply was captured by the Wehrmacht in 1940 and subsequently used for the unsuccessful German nuclear program.
The Shinkolobwe mine was officially closed in 2004.
Toponym
The mine's name was taken from the long-gone nearby village of Shinkolobwe. It is also slang for "a man who is easygoing on the surface but who becomes angry when provoked".
Geology
The mineral deposits at Shinkolobwe were discovered in 1915 by the English geologist Robert Rich Sharp (1881–1960).
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