The Harmsworth Atlas 



The World's Commodities. 



Iron Ore 



[RON ORE, -Iron, perhaps the most widely distributed of all the 

 base metals, is derived as to two-thirds of the output, from the 

 United States, Germany and Great Britain, Of the annual world's 

 output, amounting to about 125 million tons, these three countries 

 produce over 82 million tons. The United States have by far the 

 greatest output (over 44 million tons). More than half the States 

 raise iron ore, but fully two-thirds of the production is concentrated 

 in the Lake Superior Region (in Minnesota, ilichigan, and Wiscon- 

 sin). The other chief iron-ore states in America are Alabama, New 

 York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Tennessee. 



In aermany, which has the second largest output of iron-ore, 

 the chief mining districts are in Lorraine, Luxemburg, the Siegen 

 district, and the Duchy of Nassau. In England, the Cleveland 

 district and Staffordshire are the chief iron-mining districts, and 

 Scotland raises over 800,000 tons. The world's output of iron-ore 

 has increased enormously within the last fifteen years. In i8go it 

 was 55,588,000 tons, in 1904, 92,310,000 tons, and, at the present 

 time, it is estimated to be 125,000,000 tons. Great Britain is more 

 dependent upon foreign [i.e., imported) ores than any other large 

 producer of iron. Six-sevenths of our iron-ore imports come fnjm 

 Spain and Norway — the iron mines in both countries being worked 

 almost entirely by British capital. Germany virtually controls tire 

 Swedish iron mines. Besides the countries shown in the accompany- 

 ing di^fgram of iron-ore production, Canada, Norway, Mexico, New- 

 foundland, Belgium, Algeria, India, and Japan are small producers, 

 but the resources of the first three named are being rapidly developed , 



In South America, Australia, South Africa, and China, important 

 iron-ore fields are known to exist, but they remain unexploited, 

 chiefly because they are mostly either difficult of access or cannot be 

 profitably worked in the face of European and American competition. 



PIG-IRON. — The production of pig-iron has enormously increased 

 in the last 40 years. In 1865 it was 9^ million tons, in 1900 over 40 

 million tons, and at the present time is estimated at over 55,000,000. 

 The United States (23 million tons), Germany (ii millions), and the 

 United Kingdom (g-J- millions), at present contribute four-fifths of 

 the world's supply of pig-iron. In 1S65 Great Britain produced more 

 than half of the world's iron ; in i8go the United States exceeded 

 Great Britain's output, and to-day produces 42 per cent, of all iron 

 made (actual tonnage, 22,992,380), while Great Britain's production 

 represents 18 per cent, only (9,592,737 tons). In the same time 

 Germany's share of the production has increased from 8 per cent, 

 to 20 per cent, or to 10,987,623 tons. 



France, Russia, and Belgium are the only other countries pro- 

 ducing more than one million tons of pig-iron per annum. Canada, 

 whose iron trade seems destined to become of immense value, had 

 an output of less than 500,000 tons in 1905, but is now producing on 

 a greater scale. Until a few years ago there were only 11 iron 

 making nations. The industry has since been established in Japan, 

 China, India, the Transvaal, Mexico and Bosnia. There are pros- 

 pects of the industry being started in the near future in Queens- 

 land and New South Wales, New Zealand, Natal, Chile and Pent, 

 and of its extension in India. 



THE world's annual PRODUCTION OF iRON ORE 



{ in tons) 



UNITED STATES 

 4-1059,197 



GERMANY 

 23444,073 



urjiTED KirjGDOm 



14^91,168 



SPAIM 



FRANCE 

 7,023.000 



17US51Afi FINLAND 

 5272^300 



SWtOEN 



AUSTRIA 

 17 L 9,2 1 



ITALY 

 4-09,460 



THE WORLDS ANNUAL PRODUCTION OF PIG IRON 



(in tons) 



UNITED STATES 

 22,992,3 SO 



GERMANY 

 10,3 97,623 



UNITtD KINGDOM 

 9,592737 



FRANCE 

 3,Oe8POO 



RUSSIA 



2, e 50,000 





BELGIUTVI 



1.310,CO0 



AUSTRIA 



SWEDEN 

 5?7300 



CAWADA 



Jieapoo 



JAPftN 



45epoo 



SPAIN , 



ANNUAL BRITISH IMPORTS OF IRON ORE. 



(in tons.) 



SPAIN 

 5,764,143. 



NORWAY 

 39Z,954, 



Greece: 



312,158. 



ALGERIA 

 294,556. 



FRANCE 

 191, 53L 



{a 



SWEDEN 

 191,12 3. 



CHITISH 



COLONIES Ss 

 12,900. 



OTKEB FOftf iGr; 



COUNTRIES 



ANNUAL BRITISH CONSUMPTION 



OF IRON ORE. 

 ( in tons) 



b. 



Home production /ji^\ Imported Ore 

 14,591,168. #^®\ 7.344,736. 



[l3,aOB exported) //^^^■^■Nn2.029re-e>iPO^^ 



TOTAL CONSUMPTION 



21,910,117. 



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