copper mines located on the Tinto River near the town of Nerva (formerly Riotinto), in Huelva provincia (province), in the comunidad autónoma (autonomous community) of Andalusia, southwestern Spain. The mines (the name of which means “stained river” and refers to the pollution caused from mining activity) have been worked since Phoenician and Roman times and were leased to a Swede named Wolters in 1725 and to a British syndicate in 1872. They were returned to Spanish control in 1954 and were considered to be among the world's most valuable copper mines for many decades. Low copper prices caused the mines to close in 2002, but many of the mines were reopened in 2007. Much of the copper from the mines is transferred to chemical plants in Huelva province. The refined copper and other minerals are exported through the port in Huelva city.