In Uruguay, deposits of ferruginous manganese ore, reported to contain 80,500,000 tons, occur at Zapucay, in the Department of Rivera.
Europe.
—In the former empire of Austria-Hungary, the principal manganese district is near Dorna Vatra, in Bukowina. Here there are lenses of manganese carbonate and silicate in schists that have weathered to oxides near the surface. The deposits are owned by the Bukowina Greek Church. The average annual production from 1906 to 1912 was 13,600 tons. Other deposits are reported in Bohemia, Istria, Styria, Hungary and Bosnia. Since 1901, the production of Austria-Hungary has ranged from 18,000 to 25,000 tons annually.
In Belgium, near Chevron, in the Province of Liège, ferruginous manganese oxides have formed by the weathering of manganese and iron carbonates. Since 1901, the annual production in peace times has ranged from 2,000 to 15,000 tons.
In France, manganese occurs chiefly near Romaneche, in the Department of Saone and Loire, where several bodies of manganese oxides lie in a fault between sedimentary rocks and granite. The deposit has been known since 1823, and the production in 1901 was 9,500 tons. Other French deposits have been explored in the Departments of Hautes-Pyrenees, L’Ariege, L’Allier, L’Ande, and La Nievre. The annual production rather steadily declined from 22,000 tons in 1901 to 6,000 tons in 1913. The ownership of the French manganese deposits seems to be largely French, possibly aided by some English capital.
In Germany, manganese ore of the better type, containing over 30 per cent. of the metal, occurs in Sachsen-Gotha, Central Germany, in small veins of manganese and iron carbonates weathered near the surface to oxides. A similar grade of manganese ore occurs in small quantities at Hessen and Waldeck, in Rhenish Prussia.
Manganiferous iron ore, containing from 12 to 30 per cent. of manganese, occurs in Hessen-Nassau, Rhenish Prussia, where manganese and iron oxides form irregular flat lenses imbedded in clays derived from the weathering of underlying Devonian limestone. During the period 1907 to 1911, nine deposits yielded 262,000 to 283,000 tons annually.
Manganiferous iron ore (containing less than 12 per cent. manganese) is found at Siegerland and at Nassau, Rhenish Prussia. The veins are large and contain manganiferous siderite; they cut Devonian sediments. These deposits are largely owned by the principal iron works of Rhenish Prussia. During the period 1907 to 1911, the annual production ranged from 2,200,000 to 2,600,000 tons.
In Great Britain, the principal deposits are in North Wales. Veins of manganese carbonate and silicate, as well as interlayered lenses, are found. The material contains 20 to 36 per cent. manganese. Other deposits are recorded in Devonshire, Cornwall, and Shropshire. The maximum production of Great Britain of about 23,000 tons was attained in 1906, when two mines in North Wales yielded 19,300 tons.
Manganese occurs in Greece, in the western end of the island of Melos, where nodules and masses of manganese oxides are disseminated through beds of tuffs of Pliocene age. The maximum production of 15,000 tons was recorded in 1902. The output has since steadily declined to 550 tons in 1913. Manganese also occurs on the peninsula of Kassandra, which was formerly in European Turkey. A vein explored mainly for argentiferous galena yields manganese oxides from the surface zone. The maximum production of 52,000 tons was attained in 1902, steadily declining thereafter to 12,000 tons in 1910.