THE MINERAL INDUSTRY OF THE FAR EAST AND SOUTH ASIA 1187 
 
 
Table 7.—Mongolia: Apparent imports of mineral commodities' 
(Metric tons unless otherwise specified) 
 
 
 
Commodity 
1977 
1978 
Principal sources, 1978 
METALS 
 
 
 
Aluminum metal including alloys, semimanufactures — Iron and steel
metal: 
Pig iron  
Rolled semimantifactures .,~              
Pipesandtubes                         
NONMETALS 
- - 
 
 
1,400 
14,100 
1,900 
21 
 
1,400 
30,200 
5,800 
All from Switzerland. 
 
All from U.S.S.R. Do. 
Mainlyfrom U.S.S.R. 
Cement thousand ton&,.,Clay products, refractory                
   Fertilizer
materials, manufactured: 
Nitrogenous, N content                   Phosphatic, P,05 content       
           
Salt                                  Sodium compounds, n.e.s.: 
Caustic soda                          Sodaash                           
  
Sulfuricacid                             
100 
23,329 
 
17,600 
7,700 
22,902 
 
700 
1,000 
200 
67 
22,315 
 
25,800 
18,900 
24,262 
 
100 
 
1,200 
U.S.S.R.60. 
All from U.S.S.R. 
 
U.S.S.R. 15,484. 
Mainly from U.S.S.R. 
Allfrom U.S.S.R. 
 
NA. 
 
All from U.S.S.R. 
MINERAL FUELS AND RELATED MATERIALS 
 
 
 
Coal: Anthracite and bituminous                
Petroleum: 
Crude thousand 42-gallon barrels. — 
 Refinery products do,, - - - 
Mineral tar and other coal-, petroleum-, or gas-derived crude chemicals 
                        
2800 
 
37 
3,280 
 
21,003 
2100 
 
42 
3,290 
 
21,008 
Do. 
 
Do. 
Mainly from U.S.S.R. 
 
All from U.S.S.R. 
 NA Not available. 
 ' Owing to the lack of official trade data published by Mongolia this table
should not be taken as a complete presentation of Mongolia's mineral imports,
with regard to either commodities or quantities. Unless otherwise specified,
data are compiled from the Statistical Yearbook of Members of the Council
for MutualEconomic Assistance, Moscow. 
 ' United Nations. World Trade Annual, Walker and Co., New York. 
 
 
 
NEPAL32 
 
 Nepal occupies the south slope of the high population density on arable
land, and Himalayan Mountains and forms a buffer a population increase of
2.5% per year that state along part of the China-India border. tends to offset
the gains the country makes Although the country has a considerable in economic
and industrial, development. potential for mineral development, it has Another
important limiting factor is lack of virtually no important mineral production.
basic infrastructure. There is no railroad The mining industry accounted
for approx- network and the road network is at best imately 0.01% of the
gross domestic product primitive. The Government has been work(GDP) in 1978
and the manufacturing sector ing steadily on expanding and upgrading accounted
for an additional 3.1%. Agricul- roads and a considerable mileage of motorture
accounts for nearly two-thirds of the able roads have been completed in recent
GDP and directly employs over 89% of the years. Opening of hitherto inaccessible
workforce. The farming throughout most of areas to motor vehicles will help
facilitate the country is on a local, household level mineral exploration
efforts. 
with small amounts of surplus foodgrains Despite the scarcity of major mining
operexported. ations, there has been some small-scale 
 The economic growth rate was nearly exploitation of several minerals during
hisstagnant over the last two years. GDP in toric times. Most of the ancient
Nepalese constant FY 1977's prices was $1,445 million weapons were made from
magnetite ore in FY 1976,'~ $1,470 million in FY 1977-78 mined in R~imechap
District and smelted and estimated at $1,531 million in FY 1978- locally.
Primitive copper mines have been 79. Per capita GDP in FY 1976-77 was $110
worked in several areas east of Kathmandu. and rose only to $112 by the end
of FY 1978- A few are still operating, including one at 
 79. Wapsa Khani in old Okhaldhunga District. 
 Total exports were $91 million in 1978-79, Each operation is totally manual
and can 
a small decline over that of 1976-77. Im- produce about 1,000 kilograms per
year of 
ports, however, increased significantly from copper metal for local fabrication
into do- 
$167 million in 1976-77 to $242 million in mestic utensils. Limestone, slate,
dimension 
1978-79. stone, and brick clays have all been locally 
 Two of the country's main problems were exploited in recent times.