GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION
A generalized table of normal outputs is as follows:
Table 69.—Present Normal Output of Silver
| Country | By-product silver | Straight silver deposits | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Western Hemisphere: | |||
| Mexico and Central America | 12,000,000 | 60,000,000 | Tertiary |
| Peru and Bolivia | 10,000,000 | 5,000,000 | Tertiary |
| Chile | 2,000,000 | ... | Miscellaneous |
| United States | ... | 23,000,000 | Tertiary |
| United States lead ores | 24,000,000 | ... | Miscellaneous |
| United States copper ores | 23,000,000 | ... | Miscellaneous |
| Canada | ... | 21,000,000 | Pre-Cambrian |
| Canada | 4,000,000 | ... | Miscellaneous |
| Total Western Hemisphere | 75,000,000 | 109,000,000 | |
| Eastern Hemisphere: | |||
| Spain | ... | 4,500,000 | |
| Austria and Turkey | ... | 3,000,000 | |
| India | 5,000,000 | ... | Burma |
| Australia | 16,000,000 | ... | Broken Hill |
| Japan | 7,000,000 | ... | |
| Miscellaneous | 2,000,000 | 1,500,000 | |
| Total Eastern Hemisphere | 30,000,000 | 9,000,000 |
Summary
| Total output, ounces | Percentage of total output | |
|---|---|---|
| Rich silver mines | 118,000,000 | 53 |
| By-product silver | 105,000,000 | 47 |
| Total | 223,000,000 | 100 |
Mexico, the great center for rich silver mines, is now producing less than one-half of its normal output, due to the unsettled political and social conditions. In 1907 the Mexican production declined to 31,000,000 ounces, a loss of over 50 per cent. Consequently in 1917 the world’s silver output was only 170,000,000 ounces; and of this amount more than one-half was derived as a by-product in refining other metals.
A striking feature of the distribution of silver deposits is the large number of great producing areas in Mexico and the western United States. An argentiferous metallographic province is thus indicated; and is well shown in the following table:
Table 70.—Geographical Distribution of Silver Deposits, by Regions
| Region | Proportion from Rocky Mountain- Andes region | Normal output (ounces) | Percentage of world total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Rocky Mountain-Andes Region: | |||
| United States | 99 per cent. of total | 70,000,000 | ||
| Mexico | All | 70,000,000 | ||
| Central America | All | 2,000,000 | ||
| Peru and Bolivia | All | 15,000,000 | ||
| Chile | All | 2,000,000 | ||
| Canada | 16 per cent. of total | 4,000,000 | ||
| Total | ... | 163,000,000 | 73 | |
| 2. | Cobalt, Ontario | ... | 21,000,000 | 9.45 |
| 3. | India and Australia (2 mines) | ... | 21,000,000 | 9.45 |
| 4. | Japan | ... | 7,000,000 | 3.1 |
| 5. | Miscellaneous | ... | 11,000,000 | 5.0 |
| Total for world | ... | 223,000,000 | 100.00 | |