Industry, mining and energy sources

1. SECONDARY SECTOR IN SPAIN

2. MINING
Spain had important mining
resources in the past. In the 19th
century Spain exported almost all
its production. This led to the
exhaustion of the best mines.
Nowadays the mining production
is insufficient and the industries
have to import minerals from
other countries. There are mines
of coal, copper, lead, mercury,
iron, wolfram, sulfur and
industrial rocks, such as marble,
granite and slate.
http://elpais.com/especiales/2015/vuelta-a-la-mina/

3. Riotinto copper mine
Retortillo uranium mine in Salamanca
Potash mine near Manresa

4. Spain doesn´t have enough
energy resources. The country
has to import fossil minerals
(coal, oil and natural gas) to
satisfy the needs of industries,
transport and domestic
consumption.

5. MINING AND ENERGY SOURCES IN SPAIN

6. The available energy resources are:
o Coal: used in thermal power
stations.
o Nuclear power: there are nuclear
power stations working at
present, but many people
consider that nuclear power is
not safe and there are problems
with the elimination of nuclear
wastes.
o Hydroelectric power: there are
hydroelectric power stations in
the largest rivers (Duero, Tajo,
Guadiana and Ebro).
Hydraulic power stations
Nuclear power stations

7. o Renewable energy
sources: Spain is an
important power in
renewable energy
sources, especially
solar and wind
power.

8. Renewable energy sources in 2012
http://www.energias-renovables.com/articulo/las-renovables-produ
Renewable energy sources produced 37.1% of
the electricity in Spain in 2015

9. INDUSTRY
The Industrial Revolution in Spain was
delayed with respect to the rest of
Europe. At the end of the 19th
century the
industrialized areas were Catalonia, the
Basque Provinces, Madrid and some
isolated areas of Andalusia. There were
some important difficulties:
-lack of energy resources, raw materials
and technology
-The Civil War and the first period of the
dictatorship interrupted the economic
development of the country.
The industrial development took off in
the 60s, with the creation of
development poles financed by the
government.

10. In the 80s and 90s the Spanish
industry suffered a process of
reconversion. Many old-
fashioned industries had to
close, other industries had to
modernize and the
government gave subsidies to
other industries in order to
give work to the workers who
had lost their jobs.

11. Nowadays Spain is one of the most
industrialized countries in the world. The
Spanish industries are modern, they use
the newest technologies and workers are
qualified. The main problem is
delocalization. Several industries have
moved to other countries, where the
production costs are cheaper.

12. The main industrial regions in Spain
are Catalonia, Madrid, the Basque
country and the Valencian
Community. There are also some
industrial cities, such as Zaragoza,
Seville, Valladolid, Vigo, Gijón,
Málaga…These industrial areas form
two industrial axes:
- Ebro axe: it includes the
industrial regions of Catalonia,
Aragon, La Rioja, Navarre and
the Basque Country.
- Mediterranean axe: it connects
the industrial regions of
Catalonia, the Valencian
Community and Murcia.
MAIN INDUSTRIAL REGIONS