La industria de la pizarra española en perspectiva histórica

The article analyses the birth and growth of the slate industry in Spain from a long-term perspective. It takes into account the limitations of the public statistics, the time series of production and employment that have been gathered since the early 20th century to the present day, and the stages of the long-term evolution of the slate sector, and inserting it within the international framework. From modest beginnings in the 16th century under royal patronage, the industry started its development at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. During the first third of the 20th century, the upward supply shows figures lower than the world market leaders. The gap was reduced in the 1960s when the slate industry was modernized, thanks to the French demand. Spain then became the international leader in the production and export of slate. KEY Classification-JEL: L72. N54. N53. O14