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  111A9b 
MI 
Foreword 
For 91 years, the Federal Government, through the medium of the Minerals
/ Yearbook or its predecessor volumes, has reported annually on mineral industry
activities. This edition of the Minerals Yearbook presents the record on
worldwide mineral industry performance during 1972. In addition to. statistical
data, the volumes provide sufficient background information to interpret
the year's developments. The content of the individual volumes is as follows:
 Volume I, Metals, Minerals, and Fuels, contains chapters on virtually all
metallic, nonmetallic, and mineral fuel commodities important to the domestic
economy. In addition, it includes a general review chapter on the mineral
industries, a statistical summary, and a chapter on technologic trends. 
 Volume II, Area Reports: Domestic, contains chapters on the mineral industry
of each of the 50 States, the U.S. island possessions in the Pacific Ocean
and the Caribbean Sea, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the Canal Zone.
This volume also has a statistical summary, identical to that in Volume I.
 Volume III, Area Reports: International, contains the latest available mineral
data on more than 130 foreign countries and discusses the importance of minerals
to the economies of these nations. A separate chapter reviews minerals in
general and their relationships to the world economy. 
 The Bureau of Mines continually strives to improve the value of the Yearbook
for its users, and toward that end, the constructive comments and suggestions
of readers will be welcomed. 
THOMAS V. FALKIE, Director.