This exclusive report looks at the main sources of decorative stone on the 17.075.400 km² territory of the Russian Federation, the leading quarrying and processing companies, imports, exports, the consumer market and future prospects. Author Yuri Sychov is Head of the Stone Dept. of yhe Federal Institute of Mineral Resources, and President of the Stone House Club in Moscow.
A Central Asian country of great natural beauty and proud nomadic traditions, Kyrgyzstan shares borders with Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and China. It is the farthest eastern Central Asian republic of the former Soviet Union. With an area of 198.500 km2 the landscape is rugged and mountainous - the average elevation is 2.750 m and almost 90% lies more than 1.500 m above sea level. Most of the 5 million or so population live in the valleys of the north and west. Agriculture (chiefly livestock farming) is the main activity.
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.
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.
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)
Canada’s production and consumption of dimensional stone are growing at a healthy rate. Paul Daniel has conducted a search across the world’s second largest country.
Paul Daniel
(Published on February 2007)
Pedro Oyhantçabal (a), Siegfried Siegismund (b), Karl-Jochen Stein (c), Jorge Spoturno (a)*
*(a) Depto. de Geología, Facultad de Ciencias Universidad de la República, Iguá 4225. (11400) Montevideo, Uruguay. E-mail: oyhantca@fcien.edu.uy - Tel: ++598 2 525 86 19. Fax: ++598 2 525 86 17
The biggest application of granite in most countries tends to be either in the construction industry or kitchen tops. Rare is the country where the biggest use of granite, measured in cubic metres or even value, is the tombstone industry. Poland is one such country.
Stone has been used to build churches and monuments in the three southern Caucasus republics since ancient times. Here we look at the decorative stones available today from quarries in Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan. Report by Paul Daniel.
Living next to big countries has always been rather tricky anywhere but this is especially true in the South Caucasus.
