CLOSE WINDOW Gold doesn't grow on trees! All of the techniques used to find and extract gold have an impact on their location. See how gold mines around the world have changed the environment. South Africa North America Brazil Australia South Africa Photograph by James Stanfield South Africa holds the world's most productive and deepest gold mine. At nearly two and a half miles (four kilometers) deep, temperatures in the Western Deep Level can reach more than 100 degrees Fahrenheit (42 degrees Celsius). TOP   © 2000 National Geographic Society. All rights reserved.