2.2.0.25falsefalse0201 - Disclosure - The Company and its operationstruefalsefalse1falsefalseUSDfalsefalse1/1/2010 - 12/31/2010 USD ($) USD ($) / shares $Jan-01-2010_Dec-31-2010http://www.sec.gov/CIK0000917851duration2010-01-01T00:00:002010-12-31T00:00:00USDStandardhttp://www.xbrl.org/2003/iso4217USDiso42170USDEPSDividehttp://www.xbrl.org/2003/iso4217USDiso4217http://www.xbrl.org/2003/instancesharesxbrli0USDUSD$2true0us-gaap_GeneralPoliciesAbstractus-gaaptruenadurationNo definition available.falsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalse1falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalsefalsefalseOtherxbrli:stringItemTypestringNo definition available.falsefalseThe Company and its operations [Abstract]3false0us-gaap_NatureOfOperationsus-gaaptruenadurationNo definition available.falsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalseverboselabel1falsefalsefalse00  <div align="left" style="font-family: Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif"> <div align="right" style="font-size: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt"> </div>   <div align="left"> </div> <div align="left" style="font-size: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt"><b></b> </div> <div align="left" style="font-size: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt"><b></b></div> <div style="margin-top: 12pt"> <table width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="font-size: 10pt; text-align: left"> <tr valign="top" style="font-size: 10pt; color: #000000; background: transparent"> <td width="3%" nowrap="nowrap" align="left"><b>1 </b></td> <td width="1%"> </td> <td><b>The Company and its operations</b></td> </tr> </table> </div> <div align="left" style="font-size: 10pt; margin-top: 6pt; margin-left: 4%">Vale S.A., (“Vale”, the “Company” or “we”) is a limited liability company incorporated in Brazil. Operations are carried out through Vale and our subsidiary companies, joint ventures and affiliates, and mainly consist of mining, basic metals production, fertilizers, logistics and steel activities. </div> <div align="left" style="font-size: 10pt; margin-top: 6pt; margin-left: 4%">At December 31, 2010, our principal consolidated operating subsidiaries are the following: </div> <div align="center"> <table style="font-size: 10pt; text-align: left" cellspacing="0" border="0" cellpadding="0" width="100%">  <tr valign="bottom"> <td width="42%"> </td> <td width="5%"> </td> <td width="3%"> </td> <td width="1%"> </td> <td width="3%"> </td> <td width="5%"> </td> <td width="3%"> </td> <td width="1%"> </td> <td width="3%"> </td> <td width="5%"> </td> <td width="7%"> </td> <td width="5%"> </td> <td width="7%"> </td> </tr> <tr style="font-size: 8pt" valign="bottom"> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td nowrap="nowrap" align="center" colspan="3"><b>% voting</b></td> <td> </td> <td nowrap="nowrap" align="center"> </td> <td> </td> <td nowrap="nowrap" align="center"> </td> </tr> <tr style="font-size: 8pt" valign="bottom"> <td nowrap="nowrap" align="left" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000"><b>Subsidiary</b></td> <td> </td> <td nowrap="nowrap" align="center" colspan="3" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000"><b>% ownership</b></td> <td> </td> <td nowrap="nowrap" align="center" colspan="3" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000"><b>capital</b></td> <td> </td> <td nowrap="nowrap" align="center" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000"><b>Location</b></td> <td> </td> <td nowrap="nowrap" align="center" style="border-bottom: 1px solid #000000"><b>Principal activity</b></td> </tr>   <tr valign="bottom" style="background: #cceeff"> <td> <div style="margin-left:15px; text-indent:-15px">Alumina do Norte do Brasil S.A. — Alunorte (*) </div></td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td align="right">57.03</td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td align="right">59.02</td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td align="center" valign="top">Brazil</td> <td> </td> <td align="center" valign="top">Alumina</td> </tr> <tr valign="bottom"> <td> <div style="margin-left:15px; text-indent:-15px">Alumínio Brasileiro S.A. — Albras (*) </div></td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td align="right">51.00</td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td align="right">51.00</td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td align="center" valign="top">Brazil</td> <td> </td> <td align="center" valign="top">Aluminum</td> </tr> <tr valign="bottom" style="background: #cceeff"> <td> <div style="margin-left:15px; text-indent:-15px">Compañia Minera Misky Mayo S.A.C. </div></td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td align="right">40.00</td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td align="right">51.00</td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td align="center" valign="top">Peru</td> <td> </td> <td align="center" valign="top">Fertilizer</td> </tr> <tr valign="bottom"> <td> <div style="margin-left:15px; text-indent:-15px">Ferrovia Centro-Atlântica S. A. </div></td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td align="right">99.99</td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td align="right">99.99</td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td align="center" valign="top">Brazil</td> <td> </td> <td align="center" valign="top">Logistics</td> </tr> <tr valign="bottom" style="background: #cceeff"> <td> <div style="margin-left:15px; text-indent:-15px">Ferrovia Norte Sul S.A. </div></td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td align="right">100.00</td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td align="right">100.00</td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td align="center" valign="top">Brazil</td> <td> </td> <td align="center" valign="top">Logistics</td> </tr> <tr valign="bottom"> <td> <div style="margin-left:15px; text-indent:-15px">Mineração Corumbá Reunidas S.A. </div></td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td align="right">100.00</td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td align="right">100.00</td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td align="center" valign="top">Brazil</td> <td> </td> <td align="center" valign="top">Iron ore</td> </tr> <tr valign="bottom" style="background: #cceeff"> <td> <div style="margin-left:15px; text-indent:-15px">PT International Nickel Indonesia Tbk </div></td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td align="right">59.14</td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td align="right">59.14</td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td align="center" valign="top">Indonesia</td> <td> </td> <td align="center" valign="top">Nickel</td> </tr> <tr valign="bottom"> <td> <div style="margin-left:15px; text-indent:-15px">Sociedad Contractual Minera Tres Valles </div></td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td align="right">90.00</td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td align="right">90.00</td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td align="center" valign="top">Chile</td> <td> </td> <td align="center" valign="top">Copper</td> </tr> <tr valign="bottom" style="background: #cceeff"> <td> <div style="margin-left:15px; text-indent:-15px">Urucum Mineração S.A. </div></td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td align="right">100.00</td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td align="right">100.00</td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td align="center" valign="top">Brazil</td> <td> </td> <td align="center" valign="top" nowrap="nowrap">Iron Ore and Manganese</td> </tr> <tr valign="bottom"> <td> <div style="margin-left:15px; text-indent:-15px">Vale Australia Pty Ltd. </div></td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td align="right">100.00</td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td align="right">100.00</td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td align="center" valign="top">Australia</td> <td> </td> <td align="center" valign="top">Coal</td> </tr> <tr valign="bottom" style="background: #cceeff"> <td> <div style="margin-left:15px; text-indent:-15px">Vale Austria Holdings GMBH </div></td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td align="right">100.00</td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td align="right">100.00</td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td align="center" valign="top">Austria</td> <td> </td> <td align="center" valign="top">Holding and Exploration</td> </tr> <tr valign="bottom"> <td> <div style="margin-left:15px; text-indent:-15px">Vale Canada Limited </div></td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td align="right">100.00</td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td align="right">100.00</td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td align="center" valign="top">Canada</td> <td> </td> <td align="center" valign="top">Nickel</td> </tr> <tr valign="bottom" style="background: #cceeff"> <td> <div style="margin-left:15px; text-indent:-15px">Vale Colombia Ltd. </div></td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td align="right">100.00</td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td align="right">100.00</td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td align="center" valign="top">Colombia</td> <td> </td> <td align="center" valign="top">Coal</td> </tr> <tr valign="bottom"> <td> <div style="margin-left:15px; text-indent:-15px">Vale Fertilizantes S.A </div></td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td align="right">78.92</td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td align="right">99.83</td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td align="center" valign="top">Brazil</td> <td> </td> <td align="center" valign="top">Fertilizer</td> </tr> <tr valign="bottom" style="background: #cceeff"> <td> <div style="margin-left:15px; text-indent:-15px">Vale Fosfatados S.A </div></td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td align="right">100.00</td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td align="right">100.00</td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td align="center" valign="top">Brazil</td> <td> </td> <td align="center" valign="top">Fertilizer</td> </tr> <tr valign="bottom"> <td> <div style="margin-left:15px; text-indent:-15px">Vale International S.A </div></td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td align="right">100.00</td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td align="right">100.00</td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td align="center" valign="top">Switzerland</td> <td> </td> <td align="center" valign="top">Trading</td> </tr> <tr valign="bottom" style="background: #cceeff"> <td> <div style="margin-left:15px; text-indent:-15px">Vale Manganês S.A. </div></td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td align="right">100.00</td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td align="right">100.00</td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td align="center" valign="top">Brazil</td> <td> </td> <td align="center" valign="top" nowrap="nowrap">Manganese and Ferroalloys</td> </tr> <tr valign="bottom"> <td> <div style="margin-left:15px; text-indent:-15px">Vale Nouvelle Caledonie SAS </div></td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td align="right">74.00</td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td align="right">74.00</td> <td> </td> <td> </td> <td align="center" valign="top" nowrap="nowrap">New Caledonia</td> <td> </td> <td align="center" valign="top">Nickel</td> </tr>  </table> </div> <div align="left"> <div style="font-size: 3pt; margin-top: 16pt; width: 18%; border-top: 1px solid #000000">  </div> </div> <table width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="font-size: 10pt; text-align: left"> <tr> <td width="3%"></td> <td width="1%"></td> <td width="96%"></td> </tr> <tr valign="top"> <td nowrap="nowrap" align="left">(*)</td> <td> </td> <td>Classified as current assets held for sale.</td> </tr> </table> </div>  <!-- Begin Block Tagged NotefalsefalsefalsefalsefalseOtherus-types:textBlockItemTypestringDescribes the nature of an entity's business, the major products or services it sells or provides and its principal markets, including the locations of those markets. If the entity operates in more than one business, the disclosure also indicates the relative importance of its operations in each business and the basis for the determination (for example, assets, revenues, or earnings). Disclosures about the nature of operations need not be quantified; relative importance could be conveyed by use of terms such as "predominately", "about equally", or "major and other". This element is also referred to as "Business Description".Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher AICPA -Name Statement of Position (SOP) -Number 94-6 -Paragraph 10 falsefalseThe Company and its operations12The Company and its operationsUnKnownUnKnownUnKnownUnKnownfalsetrue