1.   It is high country, with some moderately good agricultural land and substantial deposits of lignite and nonferrous metals.

2.   Among decliners were makers of machines, plastics and nonferrous metals.

3.   Among manufacturers, the chemical, auto and nonferrous metals industries led orders in November.

4.   Companies that produce machinery, nonferrous metals, plastics and petroleum products all registered declines in April as consumer spending slowed.

5.   Industrial production was led by automobiles, nonferrous metals and electronics, MITI said.

6.   Otherwise, output was led by electronics equipment, including mainframe computers and semiconductors, and nonferrous metals.

7.   Production rose in every category except for nonferrous metals.

8.   Shares of companies that process nonferrous metals and other minerals into industrial materials dropped despite better-than-expected earnings.

9.   The company fired Yasuo Hamanaka, former head of its nonferrous metals department, on the same day it disclosed the losses.

10.   The most upbeat were the paper, electronics and nonferrous metals industries.