Natural resources are the basic materials required for the global creation and production of all products. These resources are extracted as well as unextracted from the earth, meaning they thrive naturally even without the help of humans.
Such natural resources are tremendously advantageous to governments and corporations all over the world. And here, we’ve rounded up the top ten countries with the highest resource density. Read on to learn all about them!
Top 10: Australia
Mining is Australia’s main sector, generating $19.9 trillion in revenue and accounting for over 80% of the country’s GDP. Australia is also a large uranium and gold producer, accounting for 14% of global gold demand and 46% of global uranium use. The country is also the leading producer of opal and aluminum.
Top 9: Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)
Mining is the principal industry of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). In 2009, mineral deposits totalled over $24 million, which included the world’s largest coltan reserve and substantial cobalt potential.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo has considerable amounts of copper, diamond, gold, tantalum, tin, and lithium, with the USGS estimating over three million tons. In 2011, there were approximately 25 foreign mining businesses in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Top 8: Venezuela
This South American country is endowed with $14.3 trillion worth of exported raw commodities such as bauxite, gold, iron ore, and oil. In comparison to the United States, Canada, and Mexico, the country’s oil reserves are immense. Venezuela is the world’s third-largest coal producer and holds the world’s title in second-largest gold deposits. It also boasts the world’s eighth-largest natural gas reserves, accounting for 2.7% of global supply.
Top 7: America
In the United States of America’s metal and coal reserves were valued at $109.6 billion in 2015. The country has long been the world’s top coal producer, with more than 30% of global coal reserves and vast timber reserves. With over $45 trillion in natural resources, they consist of lumber, coal, copper, gold, oil, and natural gas deposits.
Top 6: Brazil
Brazil has $21.8 trillion in gold, iron, oil, and uranium assets. The country has the greatest gold and uranium reserves in the world, as well as the world’s second-largest oil producer. Additionally, timber is its most important natural resource, accounting for more than 12.3% of global production.
Top 5: Russia
Russia’s natural resources are estimated to be worth $75 trillion. It has the world’s largest mining sector and is the world’s leading producer of metals and industrial minerals. Russia, the second-largest exporter of rare earth minerals in the world, is also a major producer of aluminum, arsenic, cement, copper, magnesium, and a wide range of other minerals and compounds.
Top 4: India
In India, the mining industry accounts for 11% of industrial GDP and 2% of total GDP. It was worth more than $106.4 billion in 2010. In terms of coal reserves, the country ranks fourth in the globe. Bauxite, chromite, diamonds, and titanium ore are among the country’s other natural resources. India produces approximately 12% of the world’s thorium, 60% of the world’s mica, and is the world’s largest producer of manganese ore.
Top 3: Canada
Ranking third on the list, Canada has the world’s third-largest oil reserves worth $33.2 trillion, trailing only Venezuela and Saudi Arabia. The government owns industrial minerals like gypsum as well as energy resources like coal and uranium. Copper, lead, nickel, and zinc are all common metals in Canada, as are gold, platinum, and silver. Canada is also a major source of natural gas and phosphate, as well as a substantial lumber exporter.
Top 2: Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia has $34.4 trillion in resources, including oil. It has been a notable exporter since 1938 when oil was discovered. Indeed, the country’s economy is primarily reliant on oil exports. It is home to the world’s fourth-largest gas reserves. Copper, feldspar, phosphate, silver, sulphur, tungsten, and zinc are abundant in Saudi Arabia.
Top 1: China
Valued at $23 trillion, China has the most natural resources in the world including coal and rare earth metals. China’s principal natural resource, on the other hand, is lumber. China also mines antimony, coal, gold, graphite, lead, molybdenum, phosphates, tin, tungsten, vanadium, and zinc. As such, it has earned its spot as the world’s second-largest producer of bauxite, cobalt, copper, manganese, silver, chromium, and diamond.
Conclusion
Now that you know about these countries with the highest natural resources, it might also be time to look into their ethics and practices. Remember, no matter what, it is important to be more mindful of ethics than profits. As such, extraction of these natural (and rare) resources should be studied first. After all, it’s only how we can respect the environment.
Do you want to learn more about environmentally friendly mineral extraction? Group 11 Technologies is committed to developing and executing environmentally and socially responsible mineral extraction methods to meet worldwide concerns about water usage and outflow, energy use, and carbon emissions. Discover more with us today!
