Field Listing :: Natural resources

This entry lists a country's mineral, petroleum, hydropower, and other resources of commercial importance, such as rare earth elements (REEs). In general, products appear only if they make a significant contribution to the economy, or are likely to do so in the future.

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 noncommercial 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, bauxite

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, rare earth elements, mineral sands, lead, zinc, diamonds, natural gas, petroleum note: Australia is the world's largest net exporter of coal accounting for 29% of global coal exports

Austria	oil, coal, lignite, timber, iron ore, copper, zinc, antimony, magnesite, tungsten, graphite, salt, hydropower

Azerbaijan	petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, nonferrous metals, bauxite

Bahamas, The	salt, aragonite, timber, arable land

Bahrain	oil, associated and nonassociated natural gas, fish, pearls

Bangladesh	natural gas, arable land, timber, coal

Barbados	petroleum, fish, natural gas

Belarus	timber, 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, timber, 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, rare earth elements, 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, 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, iron ore, manganese, phosphates, hydropower potential

Cameroon	petroleum, bauxite, iron ore, timber, hydropower

Canada	iron ore, nickel, zinc, copper, gold, lead, rare earth elements, 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, rare earth elements, 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

Curacao	calcium phosphates, aloes, sorghum, peanuts, vegetables, tropical fruit

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	potential geothermal power, gold, clay, granite, limestone, marble, salt, diatomite, gypsum, pumice, petroleum

Dominica	timber, hydropower, arable land

Dominican Republic	nickel, bauxite, gold, silver

Ecuador	petroleum, fish, timber, hydropower

Egypt	petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, phosphates, manganese, limestone, gypsum, talc, asbestos, lead, rare earth elements, 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, rare earth elements, phosphorite, clay, limestone, sand, dolomite, arable land, sea mud

Ethiopia	small reserves of gold, platinum, copper, potash, natural gas, hydropower

European Union	iron ore, natural gas, petroleum, coal, copper, lead, zinc, bauxite, uranium, potash, salt, hydropower, arable land, timber, 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	metropolitan France: coal, iron ore, bauxite, zinc, uranium, antimony, arsenic, potash, feldspar, fluorspar, gypsum, timber, fish French Guiana: gold deposits, petroleum, kaolin, niobium, tantalum, clay

French Polynesia	timber, fish, cobalt, hydropower

French Southern and Antarctic Lands	fish, crayfish note: Glorioso Islands and Tromelin Island (Iles Eparses) have guano, phosphates, and coconuts

Gabon	petroleum, natural gas, diamond, niobium, manganese, uranium, gold, timber, iron ore, hydropower

Gambia, The	fish, clay, silica sand, titanium (rutile and ilmenite), tin, zircon

Gaza Strip	arable land, natural gas

Georgia	timber, 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

Greece	lignite, petroleum, iron ore, bauxite, lead, zinc, nickel, magnesite, marble, salt, hydropower potential

Greenland	coal, iron ore, lead, zinc, molybdenum, diamonds, gold, platinum, niobium, tantalite, uranium, fish, seals, whales, hydropower, possible oil and gas

Grenada	timber, tropical fruit, deepwater harbors

Guam	aquatic wildlife (supporting tourism), fishing (largely undeveloped)

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, rare earth elements, 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

Isle of Man	none

Israel	timber, potash, copper ore, natural gas, phosphate rock, magnesium bromide, clays, sand

Italy	coal, mercury, zinc, potash, marble, barite, asbestos, pumice, fluorspar, feldspar, pyrite (sulfur), natural gas and crude oil reserves, fish, arable land

Jamaica	bauxite, gypsum, limestone

Jan Mayen	none

Japan	negligible mineral resources, fish note: with virtually no energy natural resources, Japan is the world's largest importer of coal and liquefied natural gas, as well as the second largest importer of oil

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

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

Kosovo	nickel, lead, zinc, magnesium, lignite, kaolin, chrome, bauxite

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, timber, 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, amber

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, rare earth elements, 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

Marshall Islands	coconut products, marine products, deep seabed minerals

Mauritania	iron ore, gypsum, copper, phosphate, diamonds, gold, oil, fish

Mauritius	arable land, fish

Mexico	petroleum, silver, copper, gold, lead, zinc, natural gas, timber

Micronesia, Federated States of	timber, 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

Montenegro	bauxite, hydroelectricity

Montserrat	NEGL

Morocco	phosphates, iron ore, manganese, lead, zinc, fish, salt

Mozambique	coal, titanium, natural gas, hydropower, tantalum, graphite

Namibia	diamonds, copper, uranium, gold, silver, lead, tin, lithium, cadmium, tungsten, 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

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

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, reserves of rare earth elements, 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 Barthelemy	has few natural resources, its beaches being the most important

Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha	fish, lobster

Saint Kitts and Nevis	arable land

Saint Lucia	forests, sandy beaches, minerals (pumice), mineral springs, geothermal potential

Saint Martin	salt

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	oil, gas, coal, iron ore, copper, zinc, antimony, chromite, gold, silver, magnesium, pyrite, limestone, marble, salt, arable land

Seychelles	fish, copra, cinnamon trees

Sierra Leone	diamonds, titanium ore, bauxite, iron ore, gold, chromite

Singapore	fish, deepwater ports

Sint Maarten	fish, salt

Slovakia	brown coal and lignite; small amounts of iron ore, copper and manganese ore; salt; arable land

Slovenia	lignite coal, lead, zinc, building stone, 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, rare earth elements, uranium, gem diamonds, platinum, copper, vanadium, salt, natural gas

South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands	fish

South Sudan	hydropower, fertile agricultural land, gold, diamonds, petroleum, hardwoods, limestone, iron ore, copper, chromium ore, zinc, tungsten, mica, silver

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, fish

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

Timor-Leste	gold, petroleum, natural gas, manganese, marble

Togo	phosphates, limestone, marble, arable land

Tokelau	NEGL

Tonga	fish, fertile soil

Trinidad and Tobago	petroleum, natural gas, asphalt

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, gold

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, rare earth elements, uranium, bauxite, gold, iron, mercury, nickel, potash, silver, tungsten, zinc, petroleum, natural gas, timber note: the US has the world's largest coal reserves with 491 billion short tons accounting for 27% of the world's total

United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges	terrestrial and aquatic wildlife

Uruguay	arable land, hydropower, minor minerals, fish

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, rare earth elements, bauxite, chromate, offshore oil and gas deposits, timber, 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 some countries of 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