h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

On holiday just a couple of weeks ago, we visited a graphite mine in the very South-East of Germany, near the Czech border, which claimed to be the only graphite mine in the European Union. It was a fascinating visit and well organised, although going round the mine itself was no different for a non-expert from a visit to any other mine.

However, the manufacture of pencils was explained in great detail, and a large proportion of pencils are produced in nearby Nürnberg - Faber Castell, for example. The mine itself produces just the pure graphite, which is tiny weeny flocs of the black stuff, none bigger than 1-2 mm. The wood used for the pencils is an imported wood which has very fine and straight grain.

Graphite is also invaluable raw material as it has ideal properties for the manufacture of small mechanical parts (cog wheels etc), and various other items which becoming more and more in demand as technology progresses. So we were told.

Interesting! I suppose graphite is useful at that... conducts electricity too. Really fascinating molecular structure...

It isn't the only graphite mine in the EU (unless they are talking about actively working ones) - there is one in Cumbria UK
see http://www.pencils.co.uk (birthplace of the pencil - according to them)