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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
World
Nick Miller

Is it a critical mineral or a Tolkien invention? Take the Guardian’s nerdiest quiz yet

Elijah Wood as Frodo Baggins in The Lord of the Rings
When it comes to critical mineral deposits, do you know what everybody is Tolkien about? Photograph: New Line/Sportsphoto/Allstar

Do you know your ores from your orcs? Are you more familiar with rare earths or with Middle-earth?

We’re hearing a lot about critical minerals at the moment but their names all sound as though they were made up by Tolkien.

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