Viktor Yushchenko´s election as President of the Ukraine was confirmed on January 20th 2005. He supports a deepening of his country´s frail democracy and improved contacts with the west whilst maintaining traditional ties with Russia. In October last year, an international decorative stone exhibition was held in Kiev, the capital city. Leading Italian companies took part. All aspects of the Ukrainian stone industry are analyzed in this report by Paul Daniel and Oleg Geleta.

Stone terminology is not exactly at the top of the agenda in the stone sector. However, standardization and globalization have increased awareness for communication needs and rapid change is now taken place in priorities.

Every year the Spanish Stone Federation (FDP) compiles a detailed report on the state of the natural stone industry of the country with a wide range of statistics on production, exports, imports, divided by different autonomous communities. The complete report related to the year 2004 is about 100 pages long, and more information can be obtained at telephone (+ 34) 91 388 14 67 or carmen.lopezbarrajon@fdp.es. Below we publish some of the more import statistics relating to foreign trade in natural stone.

The exports of ornamental rocks of Brazil broke the historical record of growth in 2004, reaching 600 million US Dollars, which meant an increase of almost 40% with respect to 2003. In tons, the exports figure was 1,840,434, which represented an increase of 20% on the previous year.

The share of exports of Brazilian stone out of the total exports of the country was of 0,62%, and is expected to reach 1%in 2006.

Everyone who visits the Crimea falls in love with the region. Impressions of this virtual paradise are, in the author´s opinion, based on three main constituents - the warm, bright blue sea, the picturesque mountains, and the famous white stone which is still quarried today. 

Eternity had only been interrupted. The Old Bridge in Mostar, which had been constructed in 1556, rose from the ashes in July 2004. This symbol for the bond between peoples and religions had been built under the assumption of everlastingness, but became a victim of the Bosnian war in 1993. This monument, which is also important regarding its architecture, was rebuilt under the direction of the UNESCO with the participation of the LGA (Regional Industrial Association) of Nuremberg (Germany)

Ester Nelly Castro, Graciela Castro, María Angélica Matar, Juan Carlos Perucca

In the province of San Juan there are important deposits of marbles which have an intermittent production since many decades, in three well defined districts:

- District San Juan Centre (Pie de Palo-La Laja)
- District San Juan Sur (Divisadero / Cieneguita)
- District San Juan East (Valle Fértil)

Hannu Luodes & Olavi Selonen

Introduction

The main types of natural stone produced in Finland are granite, schist, marble, and soapstone with focus on granite and soapstone. The two main granite production centres are the rapakivi granite areas in southwestern and in southeastern Finland, while soapstone is produced mainly in the municipality of Juuka in eastern Finland.

One of the most famous examples of Art Nouveau church architecture in Europe called «Am Steinhof» (literally: at the stone yard), a work of Otto Wagner (1841-1918), internationally renowned Austrian architect, is presently being restored in Vienna, the Austrian capital. Among other works, the entire facade, consisting of more than 2000 square meter of white Carrara marble slabs, had to be replaced over the last two years.

This text was elaborated by geologist Cid Chiodi Filho (cdchiodi@terra.com.br), Kistemann & Chiodi Assessoria e Projetos. The primary data about exports were obtained starting from consultation to the Base ALICE of MDIC (Ministry of Development, Industry and External Trade)

Worldwide, Brazil is the 5th largest country in territorial extent and the 6th in population. Endowed with vast natural resources, Brazil is one of the ten largest mineral producers of the world.