This book, first published in 1984, examines the economics and political issues raised by foreign investment in mineral development. It is an attempt to identify, as far as possible, what occurs in and between countries when foreign investments are made in mineral development, concentrating on two main themes: on the nature of the transactions which constitute the process of foreign investment on the physical level - money and instruments of credit, objects, information and people as they cross national boundaries - and on the nature of the relationships which are created between foreign investors and governments in the countries where the investments are made.

The author argues that the nature of physical transactions plays a crucial role in determining the character of host country-foreign investor relations, and the policies and attitudes adopted by host country authorities exercise an important influence, in turn, on the physical effects of foreign investments. As such, the book constitutes a comprehensive overview of the economic and political factors involved in mining and its development.