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Quarrying was first used by early settlers in Britain for building stone and extracting metals for weapons, and continues as a primary industry that involves the extraction of rocks such as limestone and slate.
Advantages
- Quarrying creates jobs in areas where there are limited opportunities.
- There is a huge demand for the products of quarrying, such as building stone and cement. This is linked to the demand for new homes in the UK.
- Quarrying provides income to local councils through taxation.
- Good communications are needed for transporting the products of quarrying. As a result many remote rural areas benefit from improved access.
- It is an important part of the UK economy. Over 30,000 people are employed in quarrying itself and related industries.
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