Natural resources are those resources that are present within the environment without human intervention. These include air, wate, coal, oil, natural gas, phosphorus, bauxite, copper, helium, iron, other minerals, soil, salt, forests and timber.
The natural resources of countries are a key part of its development and general well-being. A country with numerous natural resources may sustain a flourishing economy and, therefore, better living conditions for its residents. Countries also establish economic relations with each other for the import and export of all sorts of resources and products, including natural resources.
The United Arab Emirates represent one of the richest countries out there, and their economy is still largely based on oil exports, although tourism is currently one big player in their economy too. Fancy a trip to Dubai? Book a flight now!
| Country | Natural Resources |
| Afghanistan | natural gas, petroleum, coal, copper, chromite, talc, barites, sulfur, lead, zinc, iron ore, salt, precious and semiprecious stones, arable land |
| Albania | petroleum, natural gas, coal, bauxite, chromite, copper, iron ore, nickel, salt, timber, hydropower, arable land |
| 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 |
| Antigua and Barbuda | NEGL; pleasant climate fosters tourism |
| Argentina | fertile plains of the pampas, lead, zinc, tin, copper, iron ore, manganese, petroleum, uranium, arable land |
| Armenia | small deposits of gold, copper, molybdenum, zinc, bauxite |
| Aruba | NEGL; white sandy beaches foster tourism |
| Australia | alumina, 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 |
| 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, arable land |
| 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, antimony, 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 |
| Brazil | alumina, bauxite, beryllium, gold, iron ore, manganese, nickel, niobium, phosphates, platinum, tantalum, tin, rare earth elements, uranium, petroleum, hydropower, timber |
| British Virgin Islands | NEGL; pleasant climate, beaches foster tourism |
| Brunei | petroleum, natural gas, timber |
| Bulgaria | bauxite, copper, lead, zinc, coal, timber, arable land |
| Burkina Faso | gold, manganese, zinc, limestone, marble, phosphates, pumice, salt |
| Burma | petroleum, timber, tin, antimony, zinc, copper, tungsten, lead, coal, marble, limestone, precious stones, natural gas, hydropower, arable land |
| Burundi | nickel, uranium, rare earth oxides, peat, cobalt, copper, platinum, vanadium, arable land, hydropower, niobium, tantalum, gold, tin, tungsten, kaolin, limestone |
| Cabo Verde | salt, basalt rock, limestone, kaolin, fish, clay, gypsum |
| Cambodia | oil and gas, timber, gemstones, iron ore, manganese, phosphates, hydropower potential, arable land |
| Cameroon | petroleum, bauxite, iron ore, timber, hydropower |
| Canada | bauxite, iron ore, nickel, zinc, copper, gold, lead, rare earth elements, molybdenum, potash, diamonds, silver, fish, timber, wildlife, coal, petroleum, natural gas, hydropower |
| 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, helium, petroleum, natural gas, arsenic, bismuth, cobalt, cadmium, ferrosilicon, gallium, germanium, hafnium, indium, lithium, mercury, tantalum, tellurium, tin, titanium, tungsten, antimony, manganese, magnesium, molybdenum, selenium, strontium, vanadium, magnetite, aluminum, lead, zinc, rare earth elements, uranium, hydropower potential (world’s largest), arable land |
| Christmas Island | phosphate, beaches |
| Cocos Islands | fish |
| Colombia | petroleum, natural gas, coal, iron ore, nickel, gold, copper, emeralds, hydropower |
| Comoros | fish |
| Congo Republic | petroleum, timber, potash, lead, zinc, uranium, copper, phosphates, gold, magnesium, natural gas, hydropower |
| Cook Islands | coconuts (copra) |
| 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 |
| Czechia | hard coal, soft coal, kaolin, clay, graphite, timber, arable land |
| Denmark | petroleum, natural gas, fish, arable land, 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 |
| Democratic Republic of Congo | cobalt, copper, niobium, tantalum, petroleum, industrial and gem diamonds, gold, silver, zinc, manganese, tin, uranium, coal, hydropower, timber |
| 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 |
| Eswatini | asbestos, coal, clay, cassiterite, hydropower, forests, small gold and diamond deposits, quarry stone, and talc |
| Ethiopia | small reserves of gold, platinum, copper, potash, natural gas, hydropower |
| Falkland Islands | 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, arable land, fish, French Guiana, gold deposits, petroleum, kaolin, niobium, tantalum, clay |
| French Polynesia | timber, fish, cobalt, hydropower |
| Gabon | petroleum, natural gas, diamond, niobium, manganese, uranium, gold, timber, iron ore, hydropower |
| Gambia | 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 |
| 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, arable land |
| Vatican City | none |
| Honduras | timber, gold, silver, copper, lead, zinc, iron ore, antimony, coal, fish, hydropower |
| Hong Kong | outstanding deepwater harbor, feldspar |
| Hungary | bauxite, coal, natural gas, fertile soils, arable land |
| Iceland | fish, hydropower, geothermal power, diatomite |
| India | coal (fourth-largest reserves in the world), antimony, iron ore, lead, manganese, mica, bauxite, rare earth elements, titanium ore, chromite, natural gas, diamonds, petroleum, limestone, arable land |
| 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, antimony, mercury, zinc, potash, marble, barite, asbestos, pumice, fluorspar, feldspar, pyrite (sulfur), natural gas and crude oil reserves, fish, arable land |
| Jamaica | bauxite, alumina, gypsum, limestone |
| Japan | negligible mineral resources, fish, note, with virtually no natural energy resources, Japan is the world’s largest importer of coal and liquefied natural gas, as well as the second largest importer of oil |
| Jersey | arable land |
| 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 |
| Kiribati | phosphate (production discontinued in 1979), coconuts (copra), fish |
| Kosovo | nickel, lead, zinc, magnesium, lignite, kaolin, chrome, bauxite |
| Kuwait | petroleum, fish, shrimp, natural gas |
| Kyrgyzstan | abundant hydropower; gold, 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 |
| 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, antimony, copper, gold, lead, zinc, natural gas, timber |
| Micronesia | timber, marine products, deep-seabed minerals, phosphate |
| Moldova | lignite, phosphorites, gypsum, limestone, arable land |
| 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 |
| 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 | arable land, fish |
| Norfolk Island | fish |
| North Korea | coal, iron ore, limestone, magnesite, graphite, copper, zinc, lead, precious metals, hydropower |
| North Macedonia | low-grade iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, chromite, manganese, nickel, tungsten, gold, silver, asbestos, gypsum, timber, arable land |
| 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 |
| Pakistan | arable 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 |
| Panama | copper, mahogany forests, shrimp, hydropower |
| Papua New Guinea | gold, copper, silver, natural gas, timber, oil, fisheries |
| 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, fish, natural gas |
| 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, bauxite, 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 | few natural resources; beaches foster tourism |
| 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, arable land |
| 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, coconuts (copra), cinnamon trees |
| Sierra Leone | diamonds, titanium ore, bauxite, iron ore, gold, chromite |
| Singapore | fish, deepwater ports |
| Sint Maarten | fish, salt |
| Slovakia | lignite, small amounts of iron ore, copper and manganese ore; salt; arable land |
| Slovenia | lignite, 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 Korea | coal, tungsten, graphite, molybdenum, lead, hydropower potential |
| South Sudan | hydropower, fertile agricultural land, gold, diamonds, petroleum, hardwoods, limestone, iron ore, copper, chromium ore, zinc, tungsten, mica, silver |
| Spain | coal, lignite, iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, uranium, tungsten, mercury, pyrites, magnesite, fluorspar, gypsum, sepiolite, kaolin, potash, hydropower, arable land |
| Sri Lanka | limestone, graphite, mineral sands, gems, phosphates, clay, hydropower, arable land |
| 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 |
| 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, asbestos, arable land |
| 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 |
| Bahamas | salt, aragonite, timber, arable land |
| Dominican Republic | nickel, bauxite, gold, silver, arable land |
| Timor-Leste | gold, petroleum, natural gas, manganese, marble |
| Togo | phosphates, limestone, marble, arable land |
| Tonga | arable land, fish |
| 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, coconut (copra) |
| 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, arable land, note, the US has the world’s largest coal reserves with 491 billion short tons accounting for 27% of the world’s total |
| 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 | antimony, phosphates, coal, manganese, rare earth elements, bauxite, chromate, offshore oil and gas deposits, timber, hydropower, arable land |
| Virgin Islands | pleasant climate, beaches foster tourism |
| Wallis and Futuna | NEGL |
| 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 |
Unfortunately, the presence of high quantities of natural resources does not equal a great life for all citizens of a country. Russia, for example, has an estimated value of natural resources rising to 75 trillion US dollars, but the poverty level in Russia is still high. But Moscow is still a pretty great city to visit, isn’t it?
