italy 2004 16 1 the mineral industry of by harold r newman has ample deposits industrial minerals but few other resources coal iron metallic and petroleum are not substantial was almost entirely dependent on imports to meet its energy needs country s heavy reliance foreign sources such as algeria libya made security diversification a top concern estimated 226 5 billion cubic meters natural gas reserves that located mainly in po valley offshore adriatic sea however were fourth largest european union eu us information agency 2005 been significant processor consumer imported raw materials regionally it produced amounts dimension stone feldspar marble pumice terms world production producer cement crude steel table is peninsula southern europe extends into central mediterranean northeast tunisia which includes islands sardinia sicily surface area 301 000 square kilometers km 2 gross domestic
