IRON-ORE IN INDIA
Iron-ore is the most important mineral on which hinges the economy of a country. Iron-ore is not
found in pure form in the earth's crust, rather it is often found mixed with lime, magnesium,
phosphorus, silica, sulphur, and copper.
Types of Iron-ores
There are four main types of iron-ores found in India. They are :
1. Haematite ore (red-ochre)
This is called oxide of iron. Its metallic content varies between 60 to 70 per cent. It is a
massive, hard, compact and lumpy ore reddish or coral-red in colour. It is mainly found
in the Dharwarian rocks. The main deposits of haematite ore are in Jharkhand (IronSeries), Odisha (Mayurbhanj), Chhattisgarh (Bailadila Dalli-Rajhara), Madhya Pradesh,
Karnataka (Kudermukh, Baba-Budan), Goa, Maharashtra, and Andhra Pradesh.
2. Magnetite
The magnetite ore is known as black ore. The metal content of magnetite varies between
60 to 65 per cent. The ore is either igneous or metamorphic. It is mainly found in the
Dharwar and Cuddapah Systems of Karnataka (Dharwar, Shimoga districts), Andhra
Pradesh (Bellary district), Tamil Nadu (Salem, Tiruchirapalli districts), and Kerala states.
3. Limonite
It is yellowish in colour and is known as the hydrated iron-oxide. It is inferior and
contains 35 to 50 per cent of metal. It is found in the iron-stone shales of the Damuda
Series in Raniganj coal fields, Mirzapur district of Uttar Pradesh, Garhwal region of
Uttarakhand, and the Kangra Valley of Himachal Pradesh.
4. Siderite
It is called as iron carbonate. Its iron content varies between 10 to 40 per cent. It is an
inferior variety of iron ore and not economically extractable at most of the places.