1396 • Major Worldwide Mineral Resources and Producers Global Resources Resource Description and Leading Producers Magnesium compounds More than half of magnesium compounds are used in refractories, with the re- maining used in agricultural, chemical, construction, environmental, and indus- trial applications. Leading mine producers include China, Turkey, North Korea, Russia, Austria, Slovakia, Spain, Greece, Australia, India, and Brazil. Magnesium metal Magnesium metal is a constituent of aluminum-based alloys used in packaging, transportation, castings, wrought products, and desulfurization of iron and steel. Leading primary producers are China, Russia, Israel, Kazakhstan, Brazil, Ukraine, and Serbia. Manganese Most manganese ore is used in iron manufacture and making ferroalloys for con- struction, machinery, and transportation industries. Manganese is also used in dry-cell batteries, plant fertilizers, animal feed, and colorants for brick. World mine producers are South Africa, China, Australia, Gabon, Brazil, India, Ukraine, and Mexico. Mercury Mercury use has declined as its toxicity has limited its former uses in products as varied as paints, batteries, and dental amalgam. It still finds uses in button-type batteries, cleansers, fireworks, folk medicines, grandfather clocks, pesticides, skin-lightening creams, and soaps. China and Kyrgyzstan are the leading produc- ers, and Russia, Slovenia, Spain, and Ukraine hold major reserves. Mica Scrap and flake mica is use in joint compounds, additives for oil-well drill- ing, paints, roofing, and rubber products. Most sheet mica is used in parts for electronic and electrical equipment. Primary mine producers of scrap and flake mica are Russia, the UnitedStates,Finland, South Korea, France, Canada, Brazil, India, and Norway; major producers of sheet mica are India and Russia. Molybdenum The majority of molybdenum is used in iron and steel superalloys. The leading world mine producers are the United States, China, Chile, Peru, Canada, Arme- nia, Mexico, Russia, Iran, Mongolia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. Nickel Nickel is alloyed with stainless steel, is used in the manufactureof other alloys(in- cluding superalloys), and has numerous applications in electroplating, transpor- tation, the chemical industry, electrical equipment, construction, fabricated metal products, household appliances, the petroleum industry, and machinery. Leading mine producers are Russia, Canada, Indonesia, Australia, New Caledo- nia, the Philippines, China, Cuba, Brazil, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, South Africa, Botswana, Greece, Venezuela, and Zimbabwe. Niobium (columbium) Niobium (columbium) is found in ferroniobium and niobium compounds and is used in steels, alloys, and superalloys. The leading mine production is in Bra- zil and Canada; Australia’s significant reserves make the country another major supplier. Global Resources Major Worldwide Mineral Resources and Producers • 1397 Resource Description and Leading Producers Nitrogen (fixed, or ammonia) Nitrogen (fixed, or ammonia) forms a source for the derivatives urea, ammo- nium nitrate, ammonium phosphates, nitric acid, and ammonium sulfate. Am- monia and ammonia compounds are used primarily in fertilizers, followed by plastics, synthetic fibers and resins, and explosives. Primary world producers are China, Russia, India, the United States, Trinidad and Tobago, Indonesia, Ukraine, Canada, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Iran, Egypt, Poland, the Netherlands, Qatar, Japan, Bangladesh, and Romania. Peat Peat comes in several forms: Most produced in the United States is reed-sedge peat, followed by sphagnum moss, humus, and hypnum moss. Most peat is used for horticulture in soil amendments or for golf courses, but it is also used as a me- dium for earthworm culture, in mixed fertilizers, in mushroom culture, and as packing for seedlings. It is also used as an absorbent (for oil) and in filters. His- torically peat has been used as heating fuel in regions with little timber or other fuels. Major sources are Finland, Ireland, Belarus, Estonia, Sweden, Russia, Lat- via, Canada, the United States, Moldova, Ukraine, and Lithuania. Perlite Perlite isused inbuilding construction products, fillers, horticultural aggregates, and filter aids. World producers are Greece, the United States, Turkey, Japan, Hungary, and Mexico. Phosphate rock Most phosphate rock is manufactured into phosphoric acid and superphos- phoric acid, which in turn are used in the manufacture of fertilizers and animal feed supplements. Leading producers include China, the United States, Mo- rocco and the western Sahara, Russia, Tunisia, Brazil, Jordan, Syria, Israel, Egypt, South Africa, Australia, Togo, Canada, and Senegal. Platinum-group metals The platinum-group metals (platinum, palladium, rhodium, ruthenium, iridium, and osmium) have a broadvariety ofuses: as catalysts for air-pollution abatementin motor vehicles, in chemicals such as nitric acid, in laboratory equipment, in elec- tronics such as hard disk capacitors and integrated circuits, in fiberglass produc- tion, in liquid crystal and flat-panel displays, and in jewelry. Leading producers are South Africa, Russia, Canada, Zimbabwe, the United States, and Colombia. Potash Most potash is used in fertilizers; the rest is used to manufacture chemicals. Pri- mary mine producers are the United States, Canada, Russia, Belarus, Germany, Israel, China, Jordan, Spain, Chile, the United Kingdom, Brazil, and Ukraine. Pumice and pumicite Pumice and pumicite are used for the manufacture of building blocks, for horti- culture,for concrete admixtures andaggregates,for abrasives,for absorbents, for filtration, for landscaping,and forlaundrystone washing.The leading producers are Greece, Iran, the United States, Chile, Italy, Ecuador, Syria, Turkey, Camer- oon, Spain, Algeria, and France. Quartz crystal (industrial) Quartz crystals (primarily manufactured rather than natural) are used primarily in electronic and optical applications. Since the primary materials for producing quartz crystals (mainly silica sands but also lascas) are ubiquitous, they are pro - duced in many countries. 1398 • Major Worldwide Mineral Resources and Producers Global Resources Resource Description and Leading Producers Rare earth elements The rare earth elements include lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodym- ium, promethium, samarium, europium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, hol- mium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium, and lutetium. About one-third of rare earth elements are used in glass polishing and ceramics, about one-third in automotive catalytic converters, and the rest in computer monitors, lighting, radar, televi- sions, X-ray-intensifying film, chemicals, petroleum-refining catalysts, ceramics, pharmaceuticals, pharmaceutical equipment, permanent magnets, metallurgi- cal applications and alloys, and laser and scintillator crystals. Major producers in- clude China, India, Brazil, and Malaysia. Rhenium Rhenium is used mainly in petroleum-reforming catalysts, superalloys, and high- temperature turbine engine components.Rhenium alloyshave beenused in cruci- bles, electrical contacts, electromagnets, electron tubes and targets, heating ele- ments, ionization gauges, mass spectrographs, metallic coatings, semiconductors, temperature controls, thermocouples, and vacuumtubes. Leading mine produc- ers are Chile,Kazakhstan, the UnitedStates, Peru, Canada,Russia, and Armenia. Rubidium Rubidium and rubidium-rich feldspars are used in photoelectrics, in specialty glass, in pyrotechnics, as standards for atomic absorption analysis, in ceramic ap- plications for spark plugs and electrical insulators, in vapor cells, and as a substi- tute for cesium in atomic clocks. Rubidium 82 is used in medical applications, and rubidium 87 is used in radioisotope dating. Leading sources are Canada, Af- ghanistan, Namibia, Peru, and Zambia. Salt Most salt comes from salt in brine, followed by rock salt, vacuum pan salt, and so- lar salt. It is used primarily in the manufacture of chemicals, highway deicing, ag- ricultural, food, general industrial, and water treatment applications. World pro- ducers are China, the United States, Germany, India, Australia, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, France, the United Kingdom, Ukraine, Chile, the Netherlands, Spain, Po- land, Turkey, Romania, Egypt, Russia, Italy, and Iran. Sand and gravel Sand and gravel are used in building construction (largely for concrete aggre- gates); for road construction; in asphalts; for plaster and gunite sands; in con- crete blocks, bricks, and pipes; for filtration; in golf courses; as railroad ballast; in roofing granules; and for snow and ice control. Sand and gravel are ubiquitous, but many countries use offshore sands and aggregates as the most cost-effective way of mining this material. In the United States, environmental laws and build- ing regulations limit such offshore mining for construction purposes and most sources are glacial deposits, riverbeds, or floodplains. Leading producers include the United States, Italy, Germany, Austria, the United Kingdom, Australia, Spain, France, Japan, Poland, Hungary, South Africa, Mexico, South Korea, Slovakia, Iran, Canada, Belgium, India, Brazil, Norway, Romania, Gambia, Chile, Turkey, the Czech Republic, and Slovenia. Scandium Scandium is used in aluminum alloys for sporting equipment, metallurgical re- search, high-intensity metal halide lamps, analytical standards, electronics, oil well tracers, and lasers. The leading suppliers of scandium include Kazakhstan, Russia, Ukraine, and China. Global Resources Major Worldwide Mineral Resources and Producers • 1399 Resource Description and Leading Producers Selenium Selenium is used in glass manufacturing and as a dietary supplement for live- stock, as well as in plastics, ceramics, catalysts, plating solutions, blasting caps, rubber-compounding chemicals, the electrolytic production of manganese, and brass alloys. Leading refinery producers include Japan, Belgium, Canada, Peru, Chile, the Philippines, Finland, Sweden, and India. Silicon Silicon metal is used mainly in the aluminum and chemical industries; ferrosili- con is usedprimarily insteelmaking and alloys.Leading producers of ferrosilicon are China, Russia, Norway, the United States, South Africa, and for silicon metal, China, Brazil, France, and Norway. Silver Silver is used in coinage, silverware, and jewelry most familiarly, but industrial ap- plications also include bandages for wound care, batteries, brazing and solder- ing, catalytic converters, cell phone covers, clothing to minimize odor, electron- ics and circuit boards, electroplating, hardening bearings, inks, mirrors, solar cells, water purification, and wood treatment to resist mold. World mine produc- ers include Peru, Mexico, China, Chile, Australia, Poland, Canada, South Africa, and the United States. Soda ash Soda ashis used in glass, chemicals,soap and detergents, flue gas desulfurization, water treatment, and pulp and paper. Leading producers are the United States, Kenya, and Botswana. Sodium sulfate Sodium sulfate is used insoap and detergents, glass,pulp and paper, carpetfresh- eners, and textiles.Leading producers of thisplentiful resource are locatedin the United States, Canada, Spain, and Mexico. Stone, crushed The majority of crushed stone is limestone, dolomite, granite, traprock, and mis- cellaneous mixtures of stone, sandstone and quartzite, marble, volcanic cinder and scoria, slate, shell, and calcareous marl. Most is used as aggregates for con- struction of highways and roads, in cement manufacturing, for lime production, and in agriculture. World resources are ubiquitous, varying by type and region. Stone, dimension Dimension stone is cut to size for use in a broad range of applications, including panels, veneers, tiles, blackboards, ashlars, flagging, countertops, monuments, and building facades. Most dimension stone is limestone, granite, sandstone, marble, slate, or miscellaneous, and world producers include many nations de- pending on the type of stone required. Major imports to the United States come from Italy, Brazil, Turkey, China, and India. Strontium Strontium is found in pyrotechnics, signals, ferrite ceramic magnets, master al- loys, pigments, and fillers, and it is used in electrolytic production of zinc. World mine production is led by China, Spain, Mexico, Argentina, Morocco, Pakistan, and Turkey. 1400 • Major Worldwide Mineral Resources and Producers Global Resources Resource Description and Leading Producers Sulfur Most sulfur is used in the manufacture of sulfuric acid that finds its way into agri- cultural chemicals such as fertilizers, followed by petroleum refining and metal mining. Sulfur is used in many other industrial applications as well. Many nations produce various forms, including the United States, Canada, China, Russia, Ja- pan, Saudi Arabia, Kazakhstan, Germany, the United Arab Emirates, Mexico, South Korea, Chile, Iran, Poland, France, India, Australia, Venezuela, Italy, Ku- wait, South Africa, Finland, Spain, the Netherlands, and Uzbekistan. Talc Talc is used for adhesives, caulks, ceramics, cosmetics, joint compounds, paint, paper, plastics, roofing, rubber, sealants, and refractory applications. Major world mine producers include China, South Korea, India, the United States, Fin- land, Brazil, and Japan. Tantalum Tantalum is used in alloys, compounds, fabricated forms, ingots, and metal pow- ders; end uses are primarily in capacitors (in automotive electronics, pagers, per- sonal computers, and portable telephones). Leading mine producers are Austra- lia, Brazil, Canada, Ethiopia, and Rwanda. Tellurium Tellurium is primarily used in steelmaking and in other alloys, such as those of copper, to improve properties such as machinability and resistance to metal fa- tigue, vibration, and low temperatures. It is also used in the vulcanization of rub- ber, in the production of synthetic fibers, in solar cells, in thermoelectric elec- tronic devices, in thermal cooling devices, in blasting caps, and as a pigment in glasses and ceramics. Primary world mine producers are the United States, Peru, and Canada. Thallium Thallium is used in medical imaging, in scintillometers, in thallium-barium- calcium-copper oxide high-temperature superconductors for wireless communi- cations filters, in infrared devices’ lenses, in crystal filters of acousto-optical measuring devices, as an alloying component with mercury for low-temperature measurements, inglass to increase its refractive index anddensity, as a catalyst for organic compound synthesis, and in high-density liquids for sink-float separation of minerals. Worldproducers are mainlyinthe UnitedStates, Europe, andCanada. Thorium Monzanite, a rare earth element, is the main source of thorium, which is used for alloys, catalysts, high-temperature ceramics, and welding electrodes. Thorium sources are found in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Greenland, India, South Africa, and the United States. Tin Tin is used mainly in cans and other containers and in electrical, construction, and transportation devices and components. China, Indonesia, Peru, Bolivia, Brazil, Vietnam, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Australia, Malaysia, Rus- sia, Portugal, and Thailand are the main producers. Global Resources Major Worldwide Mineral Resources and Producers • 1401 Resource Description and Leading Producers Titanium dioxide Most titanium dioxide is used in pigments for paints, plastics, paper, catalysts, ce- ramics, coated fabrics and textiles, floor coverings, printing ink, and roofing granules. The primary feedstocks for titanium dioxide are ilmenite and rutile. The main producers of ilmenite are the United States, Australia, South Africa, Canada, China, Norway, India, Ukraine, Vietnam, Mozambique, and Brazil. The main sources of rutile are Australia, South Africa, Sierra Leone, Ukraine, India, Brazil, and Mozambique. Titanium sponge metal Most titanium sponge metal is used in aerospace, and the rest is used in armor, chemical processing, marine applications, medical equipment, power genera- tion, and sporting goods. Primary sponge production occurs in China, Japan, Russia, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, and United States. Tungsten Tungsten is used in cemented carbide parts for cutting and wear-resistant materi- als for construction, metalworking, mining, and oil- and gas-drilling industries. Tungsten is also used in high-density alloys for electrodes, filaments, wires, and other electrical, electronic, heating, lighting, and welding applications; steels, al- loys, and superalloys; and chemicals. China, Russia, Canada, Austria, Bolivia, Por- tugal, North Korea, and the United States are the primary mine producers. Vanadium The vast majority of vanadium is used in steelmaking, with the rest used in cata- lysts for making sulfuric acid and maleic anhydride. The leading mine producers are South Africa, China, and Russia. Vermiculite Vermiculite is use in lightweight cement premixes, concrete, plaster, horticul- ture, and insulation. World mine production occurs in South Africa, China, the United States, Russia, Brazil, Australia, and Zimbabwe. Yttrium The rare earth element yttrium is used in phosphors, ceramics, and metallurgy, including phosphors for color televisions and computer monitors, temperature sensors, fluorescent lights, X-ray screens, abrasives, bearings and seals, high-tem- perature refractories, jet-engine coatings, oxygen sensors in automobileengines, simulant gemstones, cutting tools, microwave radar (in yttrium-iron garnets), yt- trium-aluminum-garnet laser crystals for dental and medical surgeries, digital communications, distance and temperature sensing, industrial cutting and weld- ing, nonlinear optics, photochemistry, photoluminescence, heating-element al- loys, high-temperature superconductors, and superalloys. Leading world pro- ducers are China, followed distantly by India, Brazil, and Malaysia. Zinc Zinc is used in galvanizing, alloys such as brass and bronze, and compounds for agriculture, chemicals, paint, and rubber. World mine production occurs in China, Australia, Peru, the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Kazakhstan. Zirconium and hafnium The main uses of zirconium are in ceramics, foundry applications, opacifiers, refractories, abrasives, chemicals, metal alloys, welding rod coatings, and sand- blasting. Zirconium-hafnium metal is used in the chemical and nuclear power in- dustries. The leading producer is Australia, followed by South Africa and China; other producers include Ukraine, Brazil, India, and the United States. The following list identifies the mineral, petroleum, hydropower, and other commercially significant resources of na- tions and key locales, according to the Central Intelligence Agency’s World Factbook, www.cia.gov (accessed November, 2009). Includedin thislist are not only the standard mineral resourcesbut alsoenergy resources (such as fossil fuels) and ecological resources. With regard to global resources, the World Factbook includes a cautionary note: “The rapid deple- tion 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.” Country Natural Resources Afghanistan Natural gas, petroleum, coal, copper, chromite, talc, barite, 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 Negligible; 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 Negligible; 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 Major Worldwide Resources by Country Global Resources Major Worldwide Resources by Country • 1403 Country Natural Resources Australia Bauxite, coal, iron ore, copper, tin, gold, silver, uranium, nickel, tungsten, 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 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 Negligible Brunei Petroleum, natural gas, timber Bulgaria Bauxite, copper, lead, zinc, coal, timber, arable land 1404 • Major Worldwide Resources by Country Global Resources Country Natural Resources 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, 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 Negligible Congo, Democratic Republic of the Cobalt, copper, niobium, tantalum, petroleum, industrial and gem diamonds, gold, silver, zinc, manganese, tin, uranium, coal, hydropower, timber Global Resources Major Worldwide Resources by Country • 1405 Country Natural Resources Congo, Republic of the Petroleum, timber, potash, lead, zinc, uranium, copper, phosphates, gold, magnesium, natural gas, hydropower Cook Islands Negligible Coral Sea Islands Negligible Costa Rica Hydropower Côte 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 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 European Union Iron ore, natural gas, petroleum, coal, copper, lead, zinc, bauxite, uranium, potash, salt, hydropower, arable land, timber, fish . mineral resourcesbut alsoenergy resources (such as fossil fuels) and ecological resources. With regard to global resources, the World Factbook includes a cautionary note: “The rapid deple- tion of. polymetallic nodules, precious stones Major Worldwide Resources by Country Global Resources Major Worldwide Resources by Country • 1403 Country Natural Resources Australia Bauxite, coal, iron ore, copper,. arable land 1404 • Major Worldwide Resources by Country Global Resources Country Natural Resources Burkina Faso Manganese, limestone, marble; small deposits of gold, phosphates, pumice, salt Burma