ABSTRACT
About 5 per cent by weight of the earth's crust is composed of iron. This chapter first describes the metal content of the different ores of iron such as haematite, magnetitie, and limonite. Iron-ore occurs in a variety of ways, from rounded nodules at the bottom of lakes to masses of great size and hardness penetrating deep into the earth's crust. The ores of igneous origin may be regarded as the primary source of the metal. The chapter then highlights the physical and chemical properties of the ores. The age, texture and chemical composition of iron-ores are reflected in the difficulties of mining and smelting. It also reviews the nature and extent of the ore deposits in the more important iron-producing countries and regions. These include the United Kingdom, the Eastern Europe, the Southern Euope, Soviet Union, India and Pakistan, Australia and New Zealand, Africa, America and Canada, and South America.
