Natural resources or commodities are the raw inputs used to manufacture and produce all of the world’s products. These resources are found in a world that includes those that are harvested and those that have yet to be harvested. They grow naturally without the help of humans. Commodities are either renewable or non-renewable. Renewable resources are those whose supply is unlimited, such as solar energy, while unusable resources are in limited supply and can no longer be used when the supply runs out such as fossil fuels.
Natural resources are found all over the world and are extracted for human use. All products on the market are made from a basic product. Therefore, they are very valuable and provide income and income for governments and corporations. These are the 10 countries with the most natural resources and their estimated total value, by World Atlas.
key takeaways
- Natural resources are valuable to the countries where they are obtained because they are harnessed to produce goods and services.
- Mining is the main industry for many countries on this list.
- Oil and gas are a large part of the top 10 natural resources.
- Australia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Venezuela, the United States, and Brazil are at the bottom of the list.
- The top five are China, Saudi Arabia, Canada, India, and Russia.
10. Australia
Australia earns US$19.9 trillion from mining and ranks 10th on the list. Australia, which is about 80% the size of the United States, is known for its large reserves of coal, timber, copper, iron ore, nickel, oil shale, and rare earth metals, with mining being the main industry. Australia is also one of the leaders in uranium and gold mining. The country has the largest gold reserves in the world, supplying more than 14% of the world’s demand for gold and 46% of the world’s demand for uranium. Australia is the main producer of opal and aluminum.
9. Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)
Mining is also the main industry in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). As of 2009, the Democratic Republic of the Congo had more than $24 million in mineral deposits, including the world’s largest reserve of coltan and enormous amounts of cobalt. The Democratic Republic of the Congo also has large reserves of copper, diamonds, gold, tantalum, and tin, as well as more than three million tons of lithium as estimated by the US Geological Survey. According to the latest data, in 2011 there were more than 25 international mining companies in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
8. Venezuela
This South American country is estimated to be worth $14.3 trillion in natural resources. It is a major exporter of bauxite, coal, gold, iron ore, and oil. The country’s oil reserves are larger than those of the United States, Canada, and Mexico combined. Venezuela is the third largest coal producer after Brazil and Colombia. It also has the eighth largest reserves of natural gas accounting for 2.7% of the world’s supply. Venezuela also has the second-largest reserves of gold deposits.
7. United States
Mining is one of the major industries in the United States. In 2015, the country’s total metal and coal reserves were estimated at $109.6 billion. The United States has been and is a major producer of coal for decades, accounting for just over 30% of the world’s coal reserves and vast amounts of timber. The total natural resources of the United States are about $45 trillion, of which almost 90% is wood and coal. Other resources include significant deposits of copper, gold, oil, and natural gas.
6. Brazil
Brazil has $21.8 trillion in raw materials including gold, iron, oil, and uranium. The mining industry focuses on bauxite, copper, gold, iron, and tin. Brazil has the world’s largest gold and uranium deposits and is the second-largest oil producer. However, wood is the country’s most valuable natural resource, accounting for more than 12.3% of the world’s wood supplies.
There is a natural relationship between the economy and the world’s natural resources: as the world economy grows, so does the demand for commodities.
5. Russia
Russia’s estimated total natural resources are worth $75 trillion. The country has the world’s largest mining industry producing mineral fuels, industrial minerals, and metals. Russia’s main producer is aluminum, arsenic, cement, copper, metallic magnesium, and compounds such as nitrogen, palladium, silicon, and vanadium. The nation is the second-largest exporter of rare earth minerals.
4. Indian
India’s mining sector accounts for 11% of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) and 2.5% of total GDP. The mining and metals industry was worth more than $106.4 billion in 2010. The country’s coal reserves are the fourth largest in the world. India’s other natural resources include bauxite, chromite, diamonds, limestone, natural gas, oil, and titanium ore. India supplies more than 12% of the world’s thorium, and more than 60% of the world’s mica production, and is the leading producer of manganese ore.
3. Canada
Canada is the third country on the list. The continent is home to $33.2 trillion worth of commodities and the largest oil deposits after Venezuela and Saudi Arabia. The country’s commodities include industrial minerals such as gypsum, limestone, rock salt, and potash, as well as energy minerals such as coal and uranium. Metals in Canada include copper, lead, nickel, and zinc, and precious metals such as gold, platinum, and silver. Canada is the main supplier of natural gas and phosphate and the third largest exporter of timber.
2: Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia is a small country in the Middle East and is slightly larger than Mexico. Saudi Arabia is worth about $34.4 trillion in natural resources, especially oil. The nation has been a major exporter since the discovery of oil in 1938. With 22.4% of the world’s reserves, the country’s economy is highly dependent on its oil exports. It also has the fourth-largest natural gas reserves. Other Saudi Arabian natural resources include copper, feldspar, phosphate, silver, sulfur, tungsten, and zinc.
1:China
China tops the list of the largest amount of natural resources which is estimated at 23 trillion dollars. Ninety percent of China’s resources consist of rare earth metals and coal. However, wood is another great natural resource found in China. Other resources produced by China include antimony, coal, gold, graphite, lead, molybdenum, phosphates, tin, tungsten, vanadium, and zinc. China is the world’s second-largest producer of bauxite, cobalt, copper, manganese, and silver. It also contains chrome and diamond gems.
