Uranium mining is the process of extraction of
uranium ore from the ground. The worldwide production of uranium in 2012 amounted to 58,394
tonnes.
Kazakhstan,
Canada, and
Australia are the top three producers and together account for 64% of world uranium production. Other important uranium producing countries in excess of 1,000 tons per year are
Niger,
Namibia,
Russia,
Uzbekistan, the
United States,
China, and
Malawi.