Countries and their Natural Resources: The Natural Wealth of Countries
Thus, most countries have a particular natural resource(s) (biological and geological sources) that meet human needs and as such, have an economic value whereby it can be exploited and used by that country or in trade with other countries. The list below shows each country’s nature resources or its natural wealth. Labels: Geography, Physical Geography
Natural resources are naturally occurring (renewable and nonrenewable) substances of the environment that are considered valuable in their natural form. Nonrenewable includes for example fossil fuel (coal and oil) and renewable can be unconditionally renewable (e.g. solar, geothermal, tidal or wind energy) and conditionally renewable (e.g. fish, cattle, forest goods, vines). These are naturally occurring materials from the environment that have value in serving human needs and therefore have economic value. These material source of wealth are primary factors of production and the availability of particular natural resources gives that country a comparative advantage in trade.
Some of these natural resources (material source of wealth) are: timber (forest),
natural gas, petroleum (oil), coal, barites, copper, chromite, sulfur, talc, lead, zinc, iron ore, precious and semi-precious stones, salt, fresh water, seeds, grains, fruits, animals (e.g fish, shrimp and cattle), sand and gravel all occurs in a natural state and has economic value. It is important to note also that natural resources can have "noneconomic" value such as being; ecological, recreational (scenic beauty), educational or aesthetic value in nature, apart from those that could be classified under economic value. Afghanistan natural gas, petroleum, coal, copper, chromite, talc, barites, sulfur, lead, zinc, iron ore, salt, precious and semiprecious stones Albania petroleum, natural gas, coal, chromium, copper, timber, nickel, hydro-power Algeria petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, phosphates, uranium, lead, zinc American Samoa pumice, pumicite Andorra hydro-power, mineral water, timber, iron ore, lead Angola petroleum, diamonds, iron ore, phosphates, copper, feldspar, gold, bauxite, uranium Anguilla salt, fish, lobster Antarctica iron ore, chromium, copper, gold, nickel, platinum and other minerals,
and coal and hydrocarbons have been found in small noncommercial quantities; not presently exploited; krill, finfish, and crab have been taken by commercial fisheries Antigua and Barbuda Has a pleasant climate and fosters tourism Arctic Ocean sand and gravel aggregates, placer deposits, polymetallic nodules, oil and gas fields, fish, marine mammals (seals and whales) Argentina fertile plains of the Pampas, lead, zinc, tin, copper, iron ore, manganese, petroleum, uranium Armenia small deposits of gold, copper, molybdenum, zinc, alumina Aruba Negligible; white sandy beaches Ashmore and Cartier Islands fish Atlantic Ocean oil and gas fields, fish, marine mammals (seals and whales), sand and gravel aggregates, placer deposits, polymetallic nodules, precious stones Australia bauxite, coal, iron ore, copper, tin, gold, silver, uranium, nickel,
tungsten, mineral sands, lead, zinc, diamonds, natural gas, petroleum Austria iron ore, oil, timber, magnesite, lead, coal, lignite, copper, hydropower Azerbaijan petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, nonferrous metals, alumina Bahamas, The salt, aragonite, timber, arable land Bahrain oil, associated and non-associated natural gas, fish, pearls Baker Island guano (deposits worked until 1891), terrestrial and aquatic wildlife Bangladesh natural gas, arable land, timber, coal Barbados petroleum, fish, natural gas Bassas da India none Belarus forests, peat deposits, small quantities of oil and natural gas, granite, dolomitic limestone, marl, chalk, sand, gravel, clay Belgium coal, natural gas Belize arable land potential, timber, fish, hydro-power Benin small offshore oil deposits, limestone, marble, timber Bermuda limestone, pleasant climate fostering tourism Bhutan timber, hydro-power, gypsum, calcium carbide Bolivia tin, natural gas, petroleum, zinc, tungsten, antimony, silver, iron, lead, gold, timber, hydro-power Bosnia and Herzegovina coal, iron, bauxite, manganese, forests, copper, chromium, lead, zinc, hydro-power Botswana diamonds, copper, nickel, salt, soda ash, potash, coal, iron ore, silver Bouvet
Island none Brazil bauxite, gold, iron ore, manganese, nickel, phosphates, platinum, tin, uranium, petroleum, hydro-power, timber British Indian Ocean Territory coconuts, fish, sugarcane British Virgin Islands Negligible Brunei petroleum, natural gas, timber Bulgaria bauxite, copper, lead, zinc, coal, timber, arable land Burkina Faso manganese, limestone, marble; small deposits of gold, antimony, copper, nickel, bauxite, lead, phosphates, zinc, silver Burma petroleum, timber, tin, antimony, zinc, copper, tungsten, lead, coal, some marble, limestone, precious stones, natural gas, hydro-power Burundi nickel, uranium, rare earth oxides, peat, cobalt, copper, platinum (not yet exploited), vanadium, arable land, hydro-power Cambodia timber, gemstones, some iron ore, manganese, phosphates, hydro-power potential Cameroon petroleum, bauxite, iron ore, timber, hydro-power Canada iron ore, nickel, zinc, copper, gold, lead, molybdenum, potash, diamonds, silver, fish, timber, wildlife, coal, petroleum, natural gas, hydro-power Cape Verde salt, basalt rock, limestone, kaolin, fish Cayman Islands fish, climate and beaches that foster tourism Central African Republic diamonds, uranium, timber, gold, oil, hydro-power Chad petroleum (unexploited but exploration under way), uranium, natron, kaolin, fish (Lake Chad) Chile copper, timber, iron ore, nitrates, precious metals, molybdenum, hydro-power China coal, iron ore, petroleum, natural gas, mercury, tin, tungsten, antimony, manganese, molybdenum, vanadium, magnetite, aluminum, lead, zinc, uranium, hydro-power potential (world's largest) Christmas Island phosphate, beaches Clipperton Island fish Cocos (Keeling) Islands fish Colombia petroleum, natural gas, coal, iron ore, nickel, gold, copper, emeralds, hydro-power Comoros Negligible Congo, Democratic Republic of the cobalt, copper, cadmium, petroleum, industrial and gem diamonds, gold, silver, zinc, manganese, tin, germanium, uranium, radium, bauxite, iron ore, coal, hydro-power, timber Congo, Republic of the petroleum, timber, potash, lead, zinc, uranium, copper, phosphates, natural gas, hydro-power Cook Islands Negligible Coral Sea Islands Negligible Costa Rica hydro-power Cote d'Ivoire petroleum, natural gas, diamonds, manganese, iron ore, cobalt, bauxite, copper, hydro-power Croatia oil, some coal, bauxite, low-grade iron ore, calcium, natural asphalt, silica, mica, clays, salt, hydro-power Cuba cobalt, nickel, iron ore, copper, manganese, salt, timber, silica, petroleum, arable land Cyprus copper, pyrites, asbestos, gypsum, timber, salt, marble, clay earth
pigment Czech Republic hard coal, soft coal, kaolin, clay, graphite, timber Denmark petroleum, natural gas, fish, salt, limestone, stone, gravel and sand Djibouti geothermal areas Dominica timber, hydro-power, arable land Dominican Republic nickel, bauxite, gold, silver
East Timor gold, petroleum, natural gas, manganese, marble Ecuador petroleum, fish, timber, hydro-power Egypt petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, phosphates, manganese, limestone, gypsum, talc, asbestos, lead, zinc El Salvador hydro-power, geothermal power, petroleum, arable land Equatorial Guinea oil, petroleum, timber, small unexploited deposits of gold, manganese, uranium, titanium, iron ore Eritrea gold, potash, zinc, copper, salt, possibly oil and natural gas, fish Estonia oil shale, peat, phosphorite, clay, limestone, sand, dolomite, arable land, sea mud Ethiopia small reserves of gold, platinum, copper, potash, natural gas, hydro-power Europa Island Negligible Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) fish, squid, wildlife, calcified seaweed, sphagnum moss Faroe Islands fish, whales, hydro-power Fiji timber, fish, gold, copper, offshore oil potential, hydro-power Finland timber, copper, zinc, iron ore, silver France coal, iron ore, bauxite, zinc, potash, timber, fish French Guiana bauxite, timber, gold (widely scattered), cinnabar, kaolin, fish French Polynesia timber, fish, cobalt, hydro-power French Southern and Antarctic Lands fish, crayfish Gabon petroleum, manganese, uranium, gold, timber, iron ore, hydro-power Gambia,
The fish Gaza
Strip arable land, natural gas Georgia forests, hydro-power, manganese deposits, iron ore, copper, minor coal and oil deposits; coastal climate and soils allow for important tea and citrus growth Germany iron ore, coal, potash, timber, lignite, uranium, copper, natural gas, salt, nickel, arable land Ghana gold, timber, industrial diamonds, bauxite, manganese, fish, rubber, hydro-power Gibraltar Negligible Glorioso Islands guano, coconuts Greece bauxite, lignite, magnesite, petroleum, marble, hydro-power potential Greenland zinc, lead, iron ore, coal, molybdenum, gold, platinum, uranium, fish, seals, whales, hydro-power, possible oil and gas
Grenada timber, tropical fruit, deepwater harbors
Guadeloupe cultivable land, beaches and climate that foster tourism Guam fishing (largely undeveloped), tourism (especially from Japan) Guatemala petroleum, nickel, rare woods, fish, chicle, hydropower Guernsey cropland Guinea bauxite, iron ore, diamonds, gold, uranium, hydropower, fish Guinea-Bissau fish, timber, phosphates, bauxite, unexploited deposits of petroleum Guyana bauxite, gold, diamonds, hardwood timber, shrimp, fish Haiti bauxite, copper, calcium carbonate, gold, marble, hydropower Heard Island and McDonald Islands fish Holy See (Vatican City) none Honduras timber, gold, silver, copper, lead, zinc, iron ore, antimony, coal, fish, hydropower Hong Kong outstanding deepwater harbor, feldspar Howland Island guano (deposits worked until late 1800s), terrestrial and aquatic wildlife Hungary bauxite, coal, natural gas, fertile soils, arable land Iceland fish, hydropower, geothermal power, diatomite
India coal (fourth-largest reserves in the world), iron ore, manganese, mica, bauxite, titanium ore, chromite, natural gas, diamonds, petroleum, limestone, arable land Indian
Ocean oil and gas fields, fish, shrimp, sand and gravel aggregates, placer deposits, polymetallic nodules Indonesia petroleum, tin, natural gas, nickel, timber, bauxite, copper, fertile soils, coal, gold, silver Iran petroleum, natural gas, coal, chromium, copper, iron ore, lead, manganese, zinc, sulfur Iraq petroleum, natural gas, phosphates, sulfur
Ireland zinc, lead, natural gas, barite, copper, gypsum, limestone, dolomite, peat, silver Israel timber, potash, copper ore, natural gas, phosphate rock, magnesium bromide, clays, sand Italy mercury, potash, marble, sulfur, natural gas and crude oil reserves, fish, coal, arable land Jamaica bauxite, gypsum, limestone Jan Mayen none Japan negligible mineral resources, fish Jarvis Island guano (deposits worked until late 1800s), terrestrial and aquatic wildlife Jersey arable land Johnston Atoll guano deposits worked until depletion about 1890, terrestrial and aquatic wildlife Jordan phosphates, potash, shale oil Juan de Nova Island guano deposits and other fertilizers Kazakhstan major deposits of petroleum, natural gas, coal, iron ore, manganese, chrome ore, nickel, cobalt, copper, molybdenum, lead, zinc, bauxite, gold, uranium Kenya gold, limestone, soda ash, salt, rubies, fluorspar, garnets, wildlife, hydropower Kingman Reef terrestrial and aquatic wildlife
Kiribati phosphate (production discontinued in 1979) Korea, North coal, lead, tungsten, zinc, graphite, magnesite, iron ore, copper, gold, pyrites, salt, fluorspar, hydropower Korea, South coal, tungsten, graphite, molybdenum, lead, hydropower potential Kuwait petroleum, fish, shrimp, natural gas Kyrgyzstan abundant hydropower; significant deposits of gold and rare earth metals; locally exploitable coal, oil, and natural gas; other deposits of nepheline, mercury, bismuth, lead, and zinc Laos timber, hydropower, gypsum, tin, gold, gemstones Latvia peat, limestone, dolomite, amber, hydropower, wood, arable land Lebanon limestone, iron ore, salt, water-surplus state in a water-deficit region, arable land Lesotho water, agricultural and grazing land, some diamonds and other minerals Liberia iron ore, timber, diamonds, gold, hydropower Libya petroleum, natural gas, gypsum Liechtenstein hydroelectric potential, arable land Lithuania peat, arable land Luxembourg arable land, iron ore (no longer exploited), Macau Negligible Macedonia,
The Former Yugoslav Republic of chromium, lead, zinc, manganese, tungsten, nickel, low-grade iron ore, asbestos, sulfur, timber, arable land Madagascar graphite, chromite, coal, bauxite, salt, quartz, tar sands, semiprecious stones, mica, fish, hydropower Malawi limestone, arable land, hydropower, unexploited deposits of uranium, coal, and bauxite Malaysia tin, petroleum, timber, copper, iron ore, natural gas, bauxite Maldives fish Mali gold, phosphates, kaolin, salt, limestone, uranium, hydropower mineral deposits unexploited: bauxite, iron ore, manganese, tin, and copper Malta limestone, salt, arable land Man, Isle of none Marshall Islands coconut products, marine products, deep seabed minerals Martinique coastal scenery and beaches, cultivable land
Mauritania iron ore, gypsum, copper, phosphate, diamonds, gold, oil, fish Mauritius arable land, fish Mayotte Negligible Mexico petroleum, silver, copper, gold, lead, zinc, natural gas, timber Micronesia
Federated States of, forests, marine products, deep-seabed minerals Midway Islands wildlife, terrestrial and aquatic
Moldova lignite, phosphorites, gypsum, arable land, limestone Monaco none Mongolia oil, coal, copper, molybdenum, tungsten, phosphates, tin, nickel, zinc, wolfram, fluorspar, gold, silver, iron, phosphate Montserrat Neglible Morocco phosphates, iron ore, manganese, lead, zinc, fish, salt Mozambique coal, titanium, natural gas, hydropower, tantalum, graphite Namibia diamonds, copper, uranium, gold, lead, tin, lithium, cadmium, zinc, salt, vanadium, natural gas, hydropower, fish (with the possiblity exist for: oil, coal, and iron ore) Nauru phosphates, fish Navassa
Island guano Nepal quartz, water, timber, hydropower, scenic beauty, small deposits of lignite, copper, cobalt, iron ore Netherlands natural gas, petroleum, arable land
Netherlands Antilles phosphates (Curacao only), salt (Bonaire only) New Caledonia nickel, chrome, iron, cobalt, manganese, silver, gold,
lead, copper New Zealand natural gas, iron ore, sand, coal, timber, hydropower, gold, limestone Nicaragua gold, silver, copper, tungsten, lead, zinc, timber, fish Niger uranium, coal, iron ore, tin, phosphates, gold, petroleum Nigeria natural gas, petroleum, tin, columbite, iron ore, coal, limestone, lead, zinc, arable land Niue fish, arable land Norfolk Island fish Northern Mariana Islands arable land, fish Norway petroleum, copper, natural gas, pyrites, nickel, iron ore, zinc, lead, fish, timber, hydropower Oman petroleum, copper, asbestos, some marble, limestone, chromium, gypsum, natural gas Pacific Ocean oil and gas fields, polymetallic nodules, sand and gravel aggregates, placer deposits, fish Pakistan land, extensive natural gas reserves, limited petroleum, poor quality coal, iron ore, copper, salt, limestone Palau forests, minerals (especially gold), marine products, deep-seabed minerals Palmyra Atoll terrestrial and aquatic wildlife Panama copper, mahogany forests, shrimp, hydropower Papua New Guinea gold, copper, silver, natural gas, timber, oil, fisheries Paracel Islands none Paraguay hydropower, timber, iron ore, manganese, limestone Peru copper, silver, gold, petroleum, timber, fish, iron ore, coal, phosphate, potash, hydropower, natural gas Philippines timber, petroleum, nickel, cobalt, silver, gold, salt, copper Pitcairn Islands miro trees (used for handicrafts), fish offshore: manganese, iron, copper, gold, silver, and zinc have been discovered Poland coal, sulfur, copper, natural gas, silver, lead, salt, amber, arable land Portugal fish, forests (cork), tungsten, iron ore, uranium ore, marble, arable land, hydropower Puerto Rico some copper and nickel; potential for onshore and offshore oil Qatar petroleum, natural gas, fish Reunion fish, arable land, hydropower Romania petroleum (reserves declining), timber, natural gas, coal, iron ore, salt, arable land, hydropower Russia Timber, oil, natural gas, coal, and many other minerals that are not exploited due mainly to the country's climate and terrain. Rwanda gold, cassiterite (tin ore), wolframite (tungsten ore), methane, hydropower, arable land Saint Helena fish Saint Kitts and Nevis arable land Saint Lucia forests, sandy beaches, minerals (pumice), mineral springs, geothermal potential Saint Pierre and Miquelon fish, deepwater ports Saint Vincent and the Grenadines hydropower, cropland Samoa hardwood forests, fish, hydropower San Marino building stone Sao Tome and Principe fish, hydropower Saudi Arabia petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, gold, copper Senegal fish, phosphates, iron ore Serbia and Montenegro oil, gas, coal, antimony, copper, lead, zinc, nickel, gold, pyrite, chrome, hydropower, arable land Seychelles fish, copra, cinnamon trees Sierra Leone diamonds, titanium ore, bauxite, iron ore, gold, chromite Singapore fish, deepwater ports Slovakia brown coal and lignite; small amounts of iron ore, copper and manganese ore; salt; arable land Slovenia lignite coal, lead, zinc, mercury, uranium, silver, hydropower, forests Solomon Islands fish, forests, gold, bauxite, phosphates, lead, zinc, nickel Somalia uranium and largely unexploited reserves of iron ore, tin, gypsum, bauxite, copper, salt, natural gas, likely oil reserves
South Africa gold, chromium, antimony, coal, iron ore, manganese, nickel, phosphates, tin, uranium, gem diamonds, platinum, copper, vanadium, salt, natural gas South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands fish Southern Ocean manganese nodules, sand and gravel, fresh water as icebergs; squid, whales, and seals - not exploited; krill, fishes; possibility of oil and natural gas Spain coal, lignite, iron ore, uranium, mercury, pyrites, fluorspar, gypsum, zinc, lead, tungsten, copper, kaolin, potash, hydropower, arable land Spratly Islands fish, guano, undetermined oil and natural gas potential Sri Lanka limestone, graphite, mineral sands, gems, phosphates, clay, hydropower Sudan petroleum; small reserves of iron ore, copper, chromium ore, zinc, tungsten, mica, silver, gold, hydropower Suriname timber, hydropower, fish, kaolin, shrimp, bauxite, gold, and small amounts of nickel, copper, platinum, iron ore Svalbard coal, copper, iron ore, phosphate, zinc, wildlife, fish Swaziland asbestos, coal, clay, cassiterite, hydropower, forests, small gold and diamond deposits, quarry stone, and talc Sweden zinc, iron ore, lead, copper, silver, timber, uranium, hydropower Switzerland hydropower potential, timber, salt Syria petroleum, phosphates, chrome and manganese ores, asphalt, iron ore, rock salt, marble, gypsum, hydropower Taiwan small deposits of coal, natural gas, limestone, marble, and asbestos Tajikistan hydropower, some petroleum, uranium, mercury, brown coal, lead, zinc, antimony, tungsten, silver, gold Tanzania hydropower, tin, phosphates, iron ore, coal, diamonds, gemstones, gold, natural gas, nickel Thailand tin, rubber, natural gas, tungsten, tantalum, timber, lead, fish, gypsum, lignite, fluorite, arable land Togo phosphates, limestone, marble, arable land Tokelau Negligible Tonga fish, fertile soil Trinidad and Tobago petroleum, natural gas, asphalt Tromelin Island fish Tunisia petroleum, phosphates, iron ore, lead, zinc, salt Turkey antimony, coal, chromium, mercury, copper, borate, sulfur, iron ore, arable land, hydropower Turkmenistan petroleum, natural gas, coal, sulfur, salt Turks and Caicos Islands spiny lobster, conch Tuvalu fish Uganda copper, cobalt, hydropower, limestone, salt, arable land Ukraine iron ore, coal, manganese, natural gas, oil, salt, sulfur, graphite, titanium, magnesium, kaolin, nickel, mercury, timber, arable land United Arab Emirates petroleum, natural gas United Kingdom coal, petroleum, natural gas, tin, limestone, iron ore, salt, clay, chalk, gypsum, lead, silica, arable land United States coal, copper, lead, molybdenum, phosphates, uranium, bauxite, gold, iron, mercury, nickel, potash, silver, tungsten, zinc, petroleum, natural gas, timber Uruguay arable land, hydropower, minor minerals, fisheries
Uzbekistan natural gas, petroleum, coal, gold, uranium, silver, copper, lead and zinc, tungsten, molybdenum Vanuatu manganese, hardwood forests, fish Venezuela petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, gold, bauxite, other minerals, hydropower, diamonds Vietnam phosphates, coal, manganese, bauxite, chromate, offshore oil and gas deposits, forests, hydropower Virgin Islands sun, sand, sea, surf Wake Island none Wallis and Futuna Negligible West Bank arable land Western Sahara phosphates, iron ore Yemen petroleum, fish, rock salt, marble, small deposits of coal, gold, lead, nickel, and copper, fertile soil in west Zambia copper, cobalt, zinc, lead, coal, emeralds, gold, silver, uranium, hydropower Zimbabwe coal, chromium ore, asbestos, gold, nickel, copper, iron ore, vanadium, lithium, tin, platinum group metals
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posted by R. Edmondson @ 10:08 AM 3 comments 
R. Edmondson
United States
