Pure manganese is a hard, brittle, silvery-gray metal that resembles iron, but unlike iron or steel, it is not magnetic. Ironically, it is named after magnes, the Latin word for magnet.

Mn-55 is its only naturally stable isotope, while all others are radioactive and decay quickly.

Seventeen thousand years ago, cave artists in France used pigments containing manganese dioxide.

Without manganese, plants could not complete photosynthesis or produce oxygen.

Most mined manganese ends up in steelmaking, where it acts as a deoxidizer and desulfurizer.

It is often alloyed with aluminum to increase the strength of beverage containers.

Manganese dioxide is also used in fertilizers and fungicides.

In the human body, it supports metabolism, bone formation, and antioxidant defense—but it can be highly toxic outside of trace amounts.

Today, most manganese mines are located in China, South Africa, Australia, and Gabon, the last of which hosts the world’s largest single mine. Deposits exist in the United States, but they are costly to extract and of relatively poor quality.

Manganese is also used in glassmaking to remove the green tint caused by iron impurities.