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  Field Listing - Natural resources


Country
Natural resources
Afghanistan natural gas, petroleum, coal, copper, chromite, talc, barites, sulfur, lead, zinc, iron ore, salt, precious and semiprecious stones
Albania petroleum, natural gas, coal, bauxite, chromite, copper, iron ore, nickel, salt, timber, hydropower
Algeria petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, phosphates, uranium, lead, zinc
American Samoa pumice, pumicite
Andorra hydropower, 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 uncommercial quantities; none presently exploited; krill, finfish, and crab have been taken by commercial fisheries
Antigua and Barbuda NEGL; pleasant climate 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 NEGL; 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 oil, coal, lignite, timber, iron ore, copper, zinc, antimony, magnesite, tungsten, graphite, salt, hydropower
Azerbaijan petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, nonferrous metals, alumina
Bahamas, The salt, aragonite, timber, arable land
Bahrain oil, associated and nonassociated 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 construction materials, silica sand, carbonates
Belize arable land potential, timber, fish, hydropower
Benin small offshore oil deposits, limestone, marble, timber
Bermuda limestone, pleasant climate fostering tourism
Bhutan timber, hydropower, gypsum, calcium carbonate
Bolivia tin, natural gas, petroleum, zinc, tungsten, antimony, silver, iron, lead, gold, timber, hydropower
Bosnia and Herzegovina coal, iron ore, bauxite, copper, lead, zinc, chromite, cobalt, manganese, nickel, clay, gypsum, salt, sand, forests, hydropower
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, hydropower, timber
British Indian Ocean Territory coconuts, fish, sugarcane
British Virgin Islands NEGL
Brunei petroleum, natural gas, timber
Bulgaria bauxite, copper, lead, zinc, coal, timber, arable land
Burkina Faso manganese, limestone, marble; small deposits of gold, phosphates, pumice, salt
Burma petroleum, timber, tin, antimony, zinc, copper, tungsten, lead, coal, some marble, limestone, precious stones, natural gas, hydropower
Burundi nickel, uranium, rare earth oxides, peat, cobalt, copper, platinum, vanadium, arable land, hydropower, niobium, tantalum, gold, tin, tungsten, kaolin, limestone
Cambodia oil and gas, timber, gemstones, some iron ore, manganese, phosphates, hydropower potential
Cameroon petroleum, bauxite, iron ore, timber, hydropower
Canada iron ore, nickel, zinc, copper, gold, lead, molybdenum, potash, diamonds, silver, fish, timber, wildlife, coal, petroleum, natural gas, hydropower
Cape Verde salt, basalt rock, limestone, kaolin, fish, clay, gypsum
Cayman Islands fish, climate and beaches that foster tourism
Central African Republic diamonds, uranium, timber, gold, oil, hydropower
Chad petroleum, uranium, natron, kaolin, fish (Lake Chad), gold, limestone, sand and gravel, salt
Chile copper, timber, iron ore, nitrates, precious metals, molybdenum, hydropower
China coal, iron ore, petroleum, natural gas, mercury, tin, tungsten, antimony, manganese, molybdenum, vanadium, magnetite, aluminum, lead, zinc, uranium, hydropower 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, hydropower
Comoros NEGL
Congo, Democratic Republic of the cobalt, copper, niobium, tantalum, petroleum, industrial and gem diamonds, gold, silver, zinc, manganese, tin, uranium, coal, hydropower, timber
Congo, Republic of the petroleum, timber, potash, lead, zinc, uranium, copper, phosphates, gold, magnesium, natural gas, hydropower
Cook Islands NEGL
Coral Sea Islands NEGL
Costa Rica hydropower
Cote d'Ivoire petroleum, natural gas, diamonds, manganese, iron ore, cobalt, bauxite, copper, gold, nickel, tantalum, silica sand, clay, cocoa beans, coffee, palm oil, hydropower
Croatia oil, some coal, bauxite, low-grade iron ore, calcium, gypsum, natural asphalt, silica, mica, clays, salt, hydropower
Cuba cobalt, nickel, iron ore, chromium, copper, 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, chalk, stone, gravel and sand
Djibouti geothermal areas, gold, clay, granite, limestone, marble, salt, diatomite, gypsum, pumice, petroleum
Dominica timber, hydropower, arable land
Dominican Republic nickel, bauxite, gold, silver
East Timor gold, petroleum, natural gas, manganese, marble
Ecuador petroleum, fish, timber, hydropower
Egypt petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, phosphates, manganese, limestone, gypsum, talc, asbestos, lead, zinc
El Salvador hydropower, geothermal power, petroleum, arable land
Equatorial Guinea petroleum, natural gas, timber, gold, bauxite, diamonds, tantalum, sand and gravel, clay
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, hydropower
Europa Island NEGL
European Union iron ore, arable land, natural gas, petroleum, coal, copper, lead, zinc, hydropower, uranium, potash, fish
Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) fish, squid, wildlife, calcified seaweed, sphagnum moss
Faroe Islands fish, whales, hydropower, possible oil and gas
Fiji timber, fish, gold, copper, offshore oil potential, hydropower
Finland timber, iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, chromite, nickel, gold, silver, limestone
France coal, iron ore, bauxite, zinc, uranium, antimony, arsenic, potash, feldspar, fluorospar, gypsum, timber, fish
French Guiana bauxite, timber, gold (widely scattered), petroleum, kaolin, fish, niobium, tantalum, clay
French Polynesia timber, fish, cobalt, hydropower
French Southern and Antarctic Lands fish, crayfish
Gabon petroleum, natural gas, diamond, niobium, manganese, uranium, gold, timber, iron ore, hydropower
Gambia, The fish, titanium (rutile and ilmenite), tin, zircon, silica sand, clay, petroleum
Gaza Strip arable land, natural gas
Georgia forests, hydropower, manganese deposits, iron ore, copper, minor coal and oil deposits; coastal climate and soils allow for important tea and citrus growth
Germany coal, lignite, natural gas, iron ore, copper, nickel, uranium, potash, salt, construction materials, timber, arable land
Ghana gold, timber, industrial diamonds, bauxite, manganese, fish, rubber, hydropower, petroleum, silver, salt, limestone
Gibraltar none
Glorioso Islands guano, coconuts
Greece lignite, petroleum, iron ore, bauxite, lead, zinc, nickel, magnesite, marble, salt, hydropower potential
Greenland coal, iron ore, lead, zinc, molybdenum, gold, platinum, uranium, fish, seals, whales, hydropower, 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, salt
Guinea-Bissau fish, timber, phosphates, bauxite, clay, granite, limestone, 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 natural gas, peat, copper, lead, zinc, silver, barite, gypsum, limestone, dolomite
Israel timber, potash, copper ore, natural gas, phosphate rock, magnesium bromide, clays, sand
Italy coal, mercury, zinc, potash, marble, barite, asbestos, pumice, fluorospar, feldspar, pyrite (sulfur), natural gas and crude oil reserves, fish, 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 limestone, soda ash, salt, gemstones, fluorspar, zinc, diatomite, gypsum, 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, diamonds, sand, clay, building stone
Liberia iron ore, timber, diamonds, gold, hydropower
Libya petroleum, natural gas, gypsum
Liechtenstein hydroelectric potential, arable land
Lithuania peat, arable land
Luxembourg iron ore (no longer exploited), arable land
Macau NEGL
Macedonia low-grade iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, chromite, manganese, nickel, tungsten, gold, silver, asbestos, gypsum, 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, gypsum, granite, hydropower
note: bauxite, iron ore, manganese, tin, and copper deposits are known but not exploited
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 NEGL
Mexico petroleum, silver, copper, gold, lead, zinc, natural gas, timber
Micronesia, Federated States of forests, marine products, deep-seabed minerals, phosphate
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, fluorspar, gold, silver, iron
Montserrat NEGL
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, hydropower, fish
note: suspected deposits of 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, peat, limestone, salt, sand and gravel, 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, molybdenum, gypsum, salt, petroleum
Nigeria natural gas, petroleum, tin, iron ore, coal, limestone, niobium, lead, zinc, arable land
Niue fish, arable land
Norfolk Island fish
Northern Mariana Islands arable land, fish
Norway petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, titanium, pyrites, nickel, 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
note: manganese, iron, copper, gold, silver, and zinc have been discovered offshore
Poland coal, sulfur, copper, natural gas, silver, lead, salt, amber, arable land
Portugal fish, forests (cork), iron ore, copper, zinc, tin, tungsten, silver, gold, uranium, marble, clay, gypsum, salt, 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 wide natural resource base including major deposits of oil, natural gas, coal, and many strategic minerals, timber
note: formidable obstacles of climate, terrain, and distance hinder exploitation of natural resources
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, iron ore, bauxite, copper, lead, zinc, antimony, chromite, nickel, gold, silver, magnesium, pyrite, limestone, marble, salt, 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 probable large and possible giant oil and gas fields on the continental margin, manganese nodules, possible placer deposits, sand and gravel, fresh water as icebergs; squid, whales, and seals - none exploited; krill, fishes
Spain coal, lignite, iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, uranium, tungsten, mercury, pyrites, magnesite, fluorspar, gypsum, sepiolite, 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, iron ore, copper, zinc, phosphate, wildlife, fish
Swaziland asbestos, coal, clay, cassiterite, hydropower, forests, small gold and diamond deposits, quarry stone, and talc
Sweden iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, gold, silver, tungsten, uranium, arsenic, feldspar, timber, 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 NEGL
Tonga fish, fertile soil
Trinidad and Tobago petroleum, natural gas, asphalt
Tromelin Island fish
Tunisia petroleum, phosphates, iron ore, lead, zinc, salt
Turkey coal, iron ore, copper, chromium, antimony, mercury, gold, barite, borate, celestite (strontium), emery, feldspar, limestone, magnesite, marble, perlite, pumice, pyrites (sulfur), clay, arable land, hydropower
Turkmenistan petroleum, natural gas, 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, iron ore, lead, zinc, gold, tin, limestone, salt, clay, chalk, gypsum, potash, silica sand, slate, 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 NEGL
West Bank arable land
Western Sahara phosphates, iron ore
World the rapid depletion of nonrenewable mineral resources, the depletion of forest areas and wetlands, the extinction of animal and plant species, and the deterioration in air and water quality (especially in Eastern Europe, the former USSR, and China) pose serious long-term problems that governments and peoples are only beginning to address
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

This page was last updated on 20 October, 2005
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