English: The Mountain Pass rare earth mine is an open-pit mine of rare earth elements (REEs) in southeastern California near the Nevada border. REEs are vital for the electronics industry, auto manufacturing, and a wide range of other high-tech products. The mine once supplied most of the world's rare earth elements until its closure in 2002. Since then, China has taken over as the leading supplier of REEs, producing over 96% of the world's supply. In 2008, Mountain Pass was purchased by a new operator, who plans to produce 20-25% of the world's REEs by 2014. The image was acquired March 28, 2010, covers an area of 17.3 x 18.5 km, and is located at 35.5 degrees north latitude, 115.5 degrees west longitude.