GEOLOGY AND S1INERAL RESOURCES. The table land is a very ancient and much altered block of the earth's crust, chiefly composed of Arch:Dean and Paleozoic rocks, for the most part of Cam brian, Silurian. and Devonian formation. (hi the north and south margins of the tableland two younger land masses were upheaved into lofty bordering ranges, the Pyrenean-Cantabrian on the north, and the Andalusian on the south. The Pyrenees are an example of a young folded mountain system built up of parallel belts usual ly in a northwest and southeast direction. The crust folds of the Andalusian system have a low outer zone of folded Mesozoic awl Tertiary strata and a lofty inner girdle, in which the Arch:ean and Paleozoic rocks rise high above the Mediter ranean. Spain had the reputation till the discovery of America of being the richest metal producing country in the world. It is the most metalliferous land of Europe, not except ing the Ural mining district. The rapid develop ment of milling has keen impeded by insufficient fuel and defective means of eommunieation; but the chief reason for the inferior condition of the mining industries is found in the lack of enter prise and skill among the Spaniards. Foreign capital and energy have brought about most of the development in recent years. and the greater part of the ore is exported to foreign countries in its raw state. The rich iron ore and the cop per ore go to England and Germany. and Span ish gold and silver ores are melted at Freiberg in Saxony. The great iron fields of North Spain have been chiefly tributary to Great Britain, whose iron-makers have imported from first to last about 100,000,000 tons of this ore, chiefly through the port of Bilbao. It is especially de sired in Great Britain and Germany because it is hematite of the hest steel grade. These mines
along the Bay of Biscay are now nearly exhausted. hut iron of excellent quality is also found in con siderable quantities in Andalusia, the Sierra Mo rena, and Leon. In 1903 a fresh source of oxide of iron ore, discovered S5 miles from Malaga, be gan to enter into commerce.
Nearly every province contains coal measures. the resources of the country being estimated at 13.000,000,000 tons. Coal is worked chiefly in Asturias, Leon, and Lerida, hut the amount mined is comparatively small and the railroads, even in the coal-produeing provinces, burn English coal. The quicksilver mines of Al maden are the richest in the world. Spain pro duces more lead than any other country of Eu rope, and lead-mining in recent years has given new life to Granada. most of it being obtained from the mines of the Alpujarras (q.v.) and those of Linares in Copper is found in in exhaustible quantities on the Bin Tinto. in South ern Spain, where mines have been worked by British and German capital since 1S73. The ore is also mined in Murcia, Oviedo. Ja(n. and Za mora. Salt is chiefly obtained by evaporation of sea water at Cadiz, Valencia, and the Balearic Islands, though Catalonia and New Castile abound in rock salt. Among the other important minerals are sulphur, soda, saltpetre, alum, graphite, and putter's clay. )Tineral springs are numerous, the best known being the thermal sul phur springs of Mombuy, in Catalonia. In 1001 there were in Spain 2291 productive mines em ploying 87,409 workmen. The output of raw mineral* in the same year was valued at $26, 960,32S. The quantities and values of the more important minerals produced in 1901 (the peseta being valued at 14.28 cents) were as follows: