conglomerado

Conglomerado is a term used in Spanish with two principal meanings: in geology and in business.

In geology, a conglomerate is a clastic sedimentary rock composed of rounded clasts that are larger than about 2 millimeters, embedded in a finer matrix. The clasts, or grains, are typically pebbles to cobbles and can be made of various rock types. The cement binding the clasts may be calcite, silica, or iron oxide. Conglomerates commonly form in high-energy environments such as rivers, alluvial fans, or storm-dominated shores, where rapid transport rounds and abrades the fragments before lithification. They can be clast-supported or matrix-supported. They are distinguished from breccias, which contain angular fragments and lack significant rounding.

In business, a conglomerate is a large corporation that owns a collection of subsidiary companies operating in different industries. This diversification can reduce risk and provide access to capital, but it can also create governance challenges and reduce strategic focus. Conglomerates may be structured as holding companies or as more integrated corporate groups. Critics argue that they can be inefficient due to management complexity and misallocation of resources. Notable examples include Berkshire Hathaway (United States) and Samsung Group (South Korea), among others that have pursued expansion through acquisitions.