With falling costs of transport and communication, and with changes in the technology of mineral exploitation, there has been a tendency for mineral projects to become detached from the region in which they are located. Hence, the experiences of regional development brought about by turn-of-the-century mineral projects have lost much of their relevance as the 20th century draws to a close. The major regional development impact of contemporary mineral projects in outlying areas is of a fiscal nature. Such an impact is dependent on the regional authorities' ability and power to retain some of the fiscal revenue for the region, but policies to attain this objective raise both political and economic problems. The historical perspective offered should broaden the vista of policy makers and mineral investors, and provide them with a better understanding of the regional dilemmas posed by modern mineral projects.