Before discussing the minerals of Venezuela we shall touch briefly on some of the predominant features of the topographical formation of the country, without, however, entering on a detailed description of the geologic aspects of the rocks and soil. The location of minerals is directly connected with geologic formations, and the findings of geologists should be consulted before we can take up the more intimate study of mineral ores for commercial and industrial purposes.
It has been stated that one of the most ancient land surfaces in the world is the Guayana Highlands, and from observation made on this point they may be said to offer many striking analogies to the western highlands of Scotland, which furnish such frequent opportunities for exalted poetical allusion in the writings of Robert Burns. The great, elevated platform, from which rises the peaks and mountain chains of Guayana appears everywhere to be composed of rock which during the process of integration and disintegration has preserved traces of a primitive land of long ages ago when living organisms, if there were any, had not reached such a stage in their development as to leave relics in the deposits of the time. The mountains are thought to be composed of similar rocks, gneisses, hornblendes, schists, and granite, all containing evidence of great antiquity in point of geologic time. This Guayana complex, as it is called, has been considered by geologists as more or less equivalent in age to the Lewisian gneiss of Scotland and therefore one of the oldest members of the Archaean system.
While in all probability northern Venezuela has no rocks quite as ancient as those of Guayana, the geological history of this part of the country has been much more eventful and the number of earthquakes suggest that even now the form of the earth's crust in this region is undergoing comparatively violent changes. As is commonly the case, to find the oldest rocks one must search the hills. The masses of gneiss, silvery mica, schist, marble, etc., which form the highest part of much of the mountain region, were first studied by Mr. G. P. Wall in the Caribbean Hills in 1860 and named by him the Caribbean Series. The silvery mica flakes of this region are sometimes mistaken for the precious metal and many valueless specimens have been offered for sale as silver to credulous fortune hunters.
The mineral wealth of Venezuela although not as extensively developed as conditions would seem to invite, is without doubt of very great extent, especially in the states of Bolívar and Yuruari. The principal mineral resources consist of gold, silver, copper, iron, zinc, lead, quicksilver, asphalt, petroleum, coal, sulphur and precious stones. There exists hardly any known mineral product that is not found in some part of the vast territory of Venezuela.
GOLD
The yellow lure that drew the early European venturers to the West is still one of the principal sources of wealth in Venezuela. Since the Conquest gold has always been one of the chief attractions offered by Venezuela to prospectors and capitalists. In 1904 Venezuela occupied fifth place in the production of gold in the American Republics and it is acknowledged that the evidence obtained in the various expeditions in search of this precious metal indicates that gold exists in greater quantities than statistics tend to show. The greatest output is in the region of Yuruari, which includes "El Callao." Lack of experience and carelessness of management on the part of early companies have led to the shutting down of mine after mine when once the accessible ore of the vein was exhausted, or lost by faulting. Among the earlier mines, the Callao was perhaps the most famous, though at all times the mining industry in this region has been hampered by the cost and difficulty of transportation, a drawback only to be removed through the construction by the government either of macadamized roads or railroads, at the outset preferably the former. There are rich veins in all the mountainous lands between the Yaracuy River and the cities of San Felipe, Nirgua, and Barcelona. Near Carúpano large mines are being exploited by New York capitalists, who have been able to extract seven ounces per ton out of the ore mined; besides these there are also mines in the vicinity which contain rich deposits of silver, copper and lead.
The value, in average years, of Venezuelan gold production since 1896 has been:
| 1896 | $948,500 |
| 1897 | 1,057,400 |
| 1898 | 1,089,300 |
| 1899 | 593,500 |
| 1900 | 321,200 |
| 1901 | 321,200 |
| 1902 | 433,800 |
| 1903 | 600,000 |
| 1915 | 1,280,217 |
| 1916 | 1,479,218 |
| 1917 | 898,431 |