g8 FLORIDA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY SIXTH ANNUAL REPORT. 



Society Group and a French possession, there were shipped during 

 19 1 2, 17,207 tons. This rock is mined by a French Company, 

 Compagnie Francaise des Phosphates de L'Oceanie, and grades as 

 high as 81 per cent tricalcium phosphate, iron and aluminum one- 

 half per cent. 



ISLANDS OF THE INDIAN OCEAN. 



Christmas Island — Christmas Island, which lies south of Java, 

 in the Indian Ocean, has in recent years become an important phos- 

 phate producer. The rock is of high grade with low content of iron. 

 The deposits are worked by an English company, the Christmas 

 Island Phosphate Company. The amount shipped during 191 3 was 

 150,005 tons. ^'■i'l 



ISLANDS OF THE CARIBBEAN SEA. 



The islands of Curacao and Aruba and Little Curacao, belong- 

 ing to the Netherlands, lying in the Caribbean Sea, off the coast 

 of Venezuela, contain phosphate deposits. The amount of rock 

 shipped by the Aruba Phosphate Company during 19 12 was 20,262 

 tons. This rock grades 70 to 75 per cent tricalcium phosphate; 

 iron and aluminum 3/^ to 4^ per cent. The phosphate on this 

 island is obtained mostly from subterranean caves. The phosphates 

 of Santa Barbara in the southern part of Curacao, the mining of 

 which has been recently renewed^ grade 80 to 86 per cent trical- 

 cium phosphate. The grant to exploit the deposits on Little Cura- 

 cao is held by an American Company. During 191 1 about 2,000 

 tons, grading 50 per cent tricalcium phosphate, was shipped from 

 this island. 



Exact figures as to the production of phosphate rock for many 

 of the foreign countries are not yet available. However, from the 

 data that have been given, it is evident that the world production 

 of phosphate during 19 13 approximates six and one-half million 

 tons. 



