Barrick Gold Corporation

In the world of mining, Barrick's name is golden. The company became the world's #1 gold producer (ahead of Newmont Mining and AngloGold Ashanti) after acquiring Placer Dome in 2006. Barrick churns out almost 8 million ounces of gold annually and has 140 million ounces in proved and probable reserves. More than a third of the company's production comes from its North American operations, which include the Goldstrike property, located in Nevada's Carlin Trend gold-producing region. Its properties outside of North America include projects in Tanzania, Peru, and Australia. The acquisition of Placer Dome brought significant copper mining operations; Barrick controls more than 6 billion pounds of copper reserves.