Iberia, Hesperia or Hispanis, the various names by which ancient Spain was known, was famous for its natural resources, and in particular for the abundance and variety of its minera wealth. This attracted the attention of warring peoples and thus Spain became a battleground for the armies of Carthage and Rome. Even before this, however, the voyages of the Phoenicians to the 'pillars of Hercules' (as the Strait of Gibraltar was known) and beyond to the Casiterides Islands can be explaines by the existance of silver in Cartagena (Murcia) and Sierra Morena (Andalusia), of copper in Huelva (Andalusia) and of gold and tin in Galicia. Even at the beginning of the present century, Spain passessed some of the most important deposits of various minerals in the w world, and the eoconomic development of certain regions, such as the Basque provinces and Asturias, was founded on their mineral wealth. Today the situation has changed; nevertheless, Spain remains one of the richest mineral producing countries in Europe.

At present, Spanish mineral production is centred on non-energy production resources. In world standings, and taking into account exclusively the value of metallic and non-mettalic minerals and quarry products, Spain occuples ninth place internationally and first place among the European Community Countries. If we add energy producing products (coal, oil, gas and uranium) to this computation, Spains, slips back to 38th position in world rankings. If we consider only energy production products, Spain finds itself in 40th place. Hence, mining represents only 15 of the nation's Gross National product and employs only 85,000 people, distributed among 3,700 mining areas.

The variety in Spanish mineral production -excepting energy producing minerals- is extensive; almost every type of mineral is found in Spanish soil. However of a total of some one hundred productos mined only seventeen are produced in significant quantities, these are iron, pyrites, copper, lead, tin, mercury and wolfram (metallic minerals); and refractory argillite, bentonite, quartz, fluorous spar, glauberite, calcinated magnetite, sea and rock salt, and potassic and sepiolitic salts (nonmetallic minerals).

Although it is varied, the production of metallic minerals is unable to satisfy domestic demands. The situation of non-metallic minerals is marked by surplus and far exceeds the needs of the national market.