A gold rush occurs when a discovery of gold is made that attracts people from a wide area. Because the miners know the rich seams will not last for long, they rush to the area to try their luck. That is why it is called a Gold Rush.

The nineteenth century was the main period of gold rushes. They occurred all over the world, in Australia, Brazil, Canada, South Africa, and the United States.

A few people became very rich, but most people spent more money on mining equipment, food and shelter than they ever got back.

The people who made the most money were usually the store keepers, saloon owners and others who set up makeshift towns for the miners.

However, the gold rushes were important because they added to the amount of gold in the world and increased trade. They also caused the migration of many people who later settled in the country where they had tried their luck at mining (for example Australia and California).

After the rushes were over, there was no point in staying in the remote mountain areas where the gold was mainly found. As people moved away, so the shops of the towns were abandoned and they fell into decay. Today they are often visited by tourists as 'ghost towns'.