Coal

Coal is a fossil fuel extracted from the ground by deep mining, coal mining (open-pit mining or strip mining). It is a readily combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock. It is composed primarily of carbon and hydrocarbons, along with assorted other elements, including sulfur. Often associated with the Industrial Revolution, coal remains an enormously important fuel and is the most common source of electricity world-wide. In the United States, for example, the burning of coal generates over half the electricity consumed by the nation.

See also

• Major coal producing regions
• Major coal exporters
• Charcoal
• Coal mining techniques
• Clean coal
• Coal dust
• Coal-tar
• Coal Measure (stratigraphic unit)
• List of environment topics
• List of rocks
• Fluidized bed combustion
• Energy value of coal
• Granular material
• Future energy development
• Indian coal
• History of coal mining