The six mines from which the company gets most of its silver are : San Dimas, Penasquito, Barrick (made up of five parts), Yauliyacu, Zinkgruvan, Cozamin and Minto.
The village is famous for its mining industry started by the Belgian company Vieille Montagne in 1857, hence the name Zinkgruvan (literally "the zinc mine" in English).
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While some residents regard it as a unique feature of the town, it has been criticized for its Soviet-style architecture.