WORLD'S SUPPLY OF COPPER 



253 



century that chemists recognized the elementary character 

 of copper. 



Copper is found either native or combined with cuprite 

 (the red oxide); tenorite, (the black oxide); chalcocite (sul- 

 phide); malachite (green copper carbonate); chalcopyrite 

 (copper and iron sulphide), and bornite (black copper and 

 iron sulphide). It is found also in many other minerals, 

 atacamite, bournonite, and enargite among them. Sea water 

 contains copper, as does seaweed. The metal is found also in 

 the blood of animals, in eggs, in flowers and in plants. 



Copper is widely distributed over the world, but the 

 countries that are the chief sources of supply are the United 

 States, Spain, Germany, Japan, AustraUa, Mexico and ChiU. 

 The following table shows the growth of the world's produc- 

 tion of copper since 1800: 



[Long tons.] 



IHOl to 1810.. 



1811 to 1830.. 



1S21 to 1880.. 



1831 to 1840. 



1841 to 1850.. 



18.^1 to 18(30., 



1861 to 1870., 



1871 to 1880. 



1881 to 1890. 



1891 to 1900. 



Increase of 

 average 

 annual 



production 



500 

 3,900 

 8,340 

 7,260 

 21,599 

 39,300 

 28,900 

 108,439 

 133,550 



Up to the period from 1895 to 1898 the United States 

 was rapidly gaining over all other countries. From 1887 

 to 1894 practically all the increase in the world's production 

 of copper came from the United States. During the years 

 from 1895 to 1898 the United States outranked all other 

 countries. During the last period, closed by the census year 

 1902, the production of the United States maintained its 

 rate of growth, but mining in other countries took on a new 

 life under the stimulus of high prices, and the increase in 

 their output nearly reached that of the United States. 



Among all the copper producing countries the United 

 States is supreme, for within its boundaries is produced 

 nearly two thirds of the world's supply. Next comes Spain 

 with an output of about ten per cent of the total output. 



