Abstract: The coalfields and coal-mining geological conditions of the main coalproducing countries in the world are illustrated and compared in some detail.The coal geological conditions in China,which is largely controlled by the plate tectonic evolution of Eastern Asia from Late Palaeozoic to present,are more complex than those of the United States,India,Australia,Germany,Canada,South Africa,as well as the Moscow outskirts coalfield in Russia and the Lublin coalfield in Poland.In our country,the coalfields suited to be open-cutting are such less that the underground mining will be the main coal-mining way in the coming years.According to the currently technological standard of coal mining,all coalfields in the Southern China and Yunnan-Xizang coal provinces do not have the basic geological conditions to build huge coal mine,and the most coalfields in the Northeastern,Northern and Northwestern coal provinces of China,except the Ordos coal basin,will face with the major challenge for building large-scale modern coal mine with high output,optimum beneficial result and safety.