China, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and artisanal
During a 42-fold increase in China''s cobalt refinery production from 1999 through 2005, the country that historically mined most of the world''s cobalt—the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)—had just begun to rise from a socioeconomic collapse and two African wars over its territory and resources () fore these crises, DRC copper–cobalt mines were industrial (also