Full resolution (JPEG) - On this page / på denna sida - I. Natural Resources of Sweden. By Gunnar Andersson
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MINERAL WEALTH.
5
vara has 740 mill, tons down to 300 meters, but magnetic investigation
gives 1 370 mill, tons down to 1 500 meters. Since, then, a large
quantity of the iron extracted abroad is extracted l’rom a mixture of
higli-and low-grade ores, it is readily seen how great a value the extensive
iron ore deposits of the country possess. Whether, therefore, the ores are
refined at home or not, one of the most important and easiest realizable
resources of nature, for a country rather cramped for lack of capital as
Sweden is at present, lies in its iron ores.
The remaining ores, on the contrary, are to a large extent of less value
although some of them do not lack significance from a private economic
point of view. The mine at Falun represented one of the richest copper
deposits in the world, from which riches, considerable for Swedish
conditions, streamed for centuries; these have been computed by various
investigators at a value of 600—1 000 millions of kronor; it is now worked
out, like numerous minor deposits. The same thing lias taken place with
the wealth of the mines which produced silver together with lead. The
case is somewhat better with the zinc-ore deposits, of which the largest,
Åmmeberg, yields ore to the value of about 2 million kronor per annum.
What value the radium (from the Silurian shales previously mentioned)
may prove itself to possess is as yet impossible to decide. No discoveries
of precious metals worth mining have been made in Sweden.
The ancient ore-country of the North thus proves itself to be an
iron-country with some few very large fields of immense value, by no means
an Eldorado, but a country where courage, foresight, and capital can
extract considerable wealth from the bowels of the mountains.
Stone and clay. The ancient mountains of Sweden contain great
quantities of hard and beautiful stone, which, thanks to the fact that builders
of modern times have attained to greater power over their materials, can
be widely used in building operations where strength and durability go
before cheapness. Stone for the erection of monuments of various kinds,
as well as for the paving of streets, etc., is today transported round tho
globe, if only the claims as to solidarity and taste can be satisfied. Yet
there are few - countries that can rival Sweden’s granites in satisfying
different tastes, and none surely are more favourably situated witli
respect to the facilities of export direct from harbour. The supply
is sufficient not alone for the country itself, but also for the rest of
the world for an infinite future. Sweden, therefore, has an undeniable
natural advantage over the majority of her rivals in the markets, a fact
which has been proved by developments.
In 1844 were founded the first granite quarries at Malmön near
Lysekil. Hardly seventy years have elapsed since .then: now in numerous
spots in Bohuslän and Blekinge, and on the coast of the län of Kalmar, and
in the interior of Götaland, granite and similar kinds of stone are being
quarried. In 1912, the exports from these places amounted in value to
13-5 millions of kronor.
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