Granite is a visibly granular, plutonic rock.

Essentials are: quartz, orthoclase, plagioclase and biotite.
Accessories are: allanite, apatite, ilmenite, magnetite, pyrite, tourmaline, zircon.
Accidentals are: garnet, hornblende, muscovite, pyroxene.

The range of color is widespread, from nearly white to grey, pink and yellow. Mostly the color of the granite is caused by the colour of the contending feldspars.

Granite is the most common rock in Africa, Brazil, Canada, Russia, Scandinavia.

In the area of application of ASTM C 119 and GB/T 17670 also stones like basalt, gabbro, diorite etc. may be nominated as a granite , but the European Standard EN 12440 demands a scientific terminology for the denomination of natural stones, determined with a petrografic examination according to EN 12407 and 4.2 of pr EN 12670 .

Some sorts are:

African Red from South Africa (Potgietersrus, Northern Province)
Asa Branca from Brazil (Santa Quiteria, Ceara, Nordeste)
Baltic Brown from Finland (Savitaipale, near the border to Russia)
Barre Grey from the United States (Barre, Washington County, Vermont)
Capao Bonito from Brazil (Capao Bonito, Sao Paolo)
Dakota Red from the United States (Milbank, Grant County, South Dakota)
Eagle Red from Finland (Kotka)
Flossenbürg from Germany (Flossenbürg, Bayern)
G3582 from China (Shijing, Fujian province)
Jos Light Green from Nigeria (Jos, Plateau distict)
Kershaw from the United States (Kershaw County, South Carolina)
Lac du Bonnet from Canada (Lac du Bonnet, Manitoba)
Mondariz from Spain (Mondariz, Provincia de Pontevedra, Galicia)
Najran Red from Saudi Arabia (55km W from Najran, next the border to Yemen)
Ovadda Giallo from Italy (Ovodda, provincia di Nouro, Sardegna)
Polychrome from Canada (Bagotville, Quebec)
Quimbra Red from Sweden (Imbramala, Oskarshamn, Kalmar Län)
Rosa Porrino from Spain (Porrino, Pontevedra, Galicia)
Sato Red from India (Bangalore)
Tarn from France (Sidobre, Castres, Dept. Tarn)
Texas Red from the United States (Llano County, Texas)
Urner Granit from Switzerland (Gurtnellen, valley of the Reuss, Uri)
Vermillion from Canada (Docker Twp., Vermillion Bay, Ontario)
White Halayeb from Egypt (Abu Ghosun, Red Sea)
Yellow Fantasy from Nigeria (Abuja region)
Zahedan White from Iran (Zahedan, Sistan va Baluchestan)

Images

Granite Rojo Villar (Spain)

Granite Whitewater Classico, Canada (microphotograph)

Quarry Bianco Sardo (Italy)

Granite Rosa Porrino (Portugal)

Granite Giallo Venezia Fiorito (Brazil)

Granite Wall (Spain)

Quarry Bianco Sardo (Italy)

Granite Fily, Saudi Arabia (microphotograph)

Raw Blocks Bianco Sardo (Italy)

Spitting of granite with wedges

Granite Kapustino (Ukraine)

Granite Gris Bleu des Vosges, France (microphotograph)

Aplite dyke in granite

Granite Wall (France)

Basalt Dyke in Granite (France)

Granite Amazon Flower (Brazil)

Granite Baltic Brown (Finnnland)

Granite Blauenthal, Germany (microphotograph)

Granite with xenolithe (Spain)

Orbicular Granite Virvik (Finland)

Megalith (France)

Weathering of granite (France)

Weathering of granite, the so-called "Wollsackverwitterung" (France)

Weathering of granite, Portugal