Indian ores are transported to the shipping ports by rail for distances ranging from 56 miles for the Vizagapatam district to 783 miles for the Chindwara district, with the result that freight charges are heavy. The ports of export in order of tonnage handled are, Bombay, Mormugas, Calcutta, and Vizagapatam. The destination of exports in 1913 was as follows: United Kingdom, 36 per cent.; Belgium (largely to Germany), 26 per cent.; United States, 15 per cent.; France, 14 per cent.; Germany, 2 per cent.; others, 7 per cent.
In the Japanese Empire, in the islands of Mutsu, Echigo, Ugo, and Nato, are irregular lenticular bodies of rather pure manganese oxides that occur more or less parallel to the bedding of metamorphosed Paleozoic sediments. Below water level, the oxides grade into rhodonite and are probably derived from this mineral. The ore bodies are not large, but many are known and they are the source of a small but regular production. In the islands of Mutsu, Nogo, Hokkaido and Ugo many irregular but locally large deposits of manganese oxides are associated with highly altered volcanic tuffs and flows of Tertiary age. Most of the deposits in Japan seem to be owned by natives in small holdings. The maximum production of 18,076 tons is reported for 1913, but since 1900 the range has usually been from 5,000 to 15,000 tons.
In the Philippine Islands, manganese occurs on the islands of Ilocos Norte, Masbate, Bulacan, Pangasinan and Tarloc, largely as veinlets and boulders of oxides in weathered igneous rock. On Ilocos Norte a maximum production of 3,000 tons was attained in 1916.
Africa.
—On the Gold Coast of West Africa (a British colony), near Dagwin, are several deposits of manganese, the largest being 400 feet long and 70 feet wide. The concession is owned by a British exploration company. The deposit was discovered in 1914; and from the beginning of exploration in 1916 up to November 7, 1917, 28,465 tons had been shipped to England.
In the Belgian Congo, there is manganese ore in the valley of the Upper Fungwe River, and in southern Katanga. The deposits are too remote from the ocean to justify exploration, but are reported to be large. In the Union of South Africa (British) several manganese deposits are found along the sea coast, within 30 miles east and west of Capetown. Of the seven known deposits the largest is estimated to contain 15,000 tons. In Egypt, in the Sinai peninsula, are large manganiferous iron deposits as well as small manganese deposits, but none has been exploited. In Tunis, there are deposits reported to contain 4,000,000 to 5,000,000 tons of manganiferous iron ore, and also several manganese deposits which yielded 5,800 metric tons of manganese ore in 1917.
Although the known deposits of manganese in Africa are few and relatively unimportant, the continent offers an unusual prospect for the discovery of deposits that will contribute largely to the world’s supply. Inasmuch as the moist tropical climate of large areas favors extraordinary rock decay and surface concentration of manganese oxides, exploration will probably show the presence of many deposits, and where bedrock geological conditions are favorable, large bodies may be found.
Australasia.
—In Australia, there are deposits of manganese ore in New South Wales, in Queensland, in South Australia, and in Victoria.
In New Zealand, deposits of manganese ore occur in the Thames district, Auckland.