The CIA World Factbook Edition 1995 Geography

Natural resources In 36 editions of 36.

Natural resources was published in 36 editions of the CIA World Factbook, from 1990 to 2025. The 1995 edition carries it in 266 entries, in its Geography section. Every entry is shown as that edition published it.

entries in the 1995 edition
266
the first edition with it
1990
the latest edition with it
2025

Published as “Natural resources” (1990 to 2025).

the entry has the field in that editionnot in that editionthe open editionEach entry below ends in its editions with Natural resources, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down; choose one in a row to read that edition’s text there.

Entries with Natural resources in each edition

19902000201020202025

Select a bar to open that edition.

World

1 entry

World

the rapid using up 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 and the former USSR) pose serious long-term problems that governments and peoples are only beginning to address

Africa

62 entries

Algeria

  • petroleum,
  • natural gas,
  • iron ore,
  • phosphates,
  • uranium,
  • lead,
  • zinc

Angola

  • petroleum,
  • diamonds,
  • iron ore,
  • phosphates,
  • copper,
  • feldspar,
  • gold,
  • bauxite,
  • uranium

Bassas Da India now Bassas da India

none

Benin

  • small offshore oil deposits,
  • limestone,
  • marble,
  • timber

Botswana

  • diamonds,
  • copper,
  • nickel,
  • salt,
  • soda ash,
  • potash,
  • coal,
  • iron ore,
  • silver

Burkina now Burkina Faso

  • manganese,
  • limestone,
  • marble;
  • small deposits of gold,
  • antimony,
  • copper,
  • nickel,
  • bauxite,
  • lead,
  • phosphates,
  • zinc,
  • silver

Burundi

  • nickel,
  • uranium,
  • rare earth oxide,
  • peat,
  • cobalt,
  • copper,
  • platinum (not yet exploited),
  • vanadium

Cape Verde now Cabo Verde

  • salt,
  • basalt rock,
  • pozzolana,
  • limestone,
  • kaolin,
  • fish

Cameroon

  • petroleum,
  • bauxite,
  • iron ore,
  • timber,
  • hydropower potential

Central African Republic

  • diamonds,
  • uranium,
  • timber,
  • gold,
  • oil

Chad

  • petroleum (unexploited but exploration under way),
  • uranium,
  • natron,
  • kaolin,
  • fish (Lake Chad)

Comoros

negligible

Zaire now Democratic Republic of the Congo

  • cobalt,
  • copper,
  • cadmium,
  • petroleum,
  • industrial and gem diamonds,
  • gold,
  • silver,
  • zinc,
  • manganese,
  • tin,
  • germanium,
  • uranium,
  • radium,
  • bauxite,
  • iron ore,
  • coal,
  • hydropower potential

Congo now Republic of the Congo

  • petroleum,
  • timber,
  • potash,
  • lead,
  • zinc,
  • uranium,
  • copper,
  • phosphates,
  • natural gas

Cote D'ivoire now Cote d'Ivoire

  • petroleum,
  • diamonds,
  • manganese,
  • iron ore,
  • cobalt,
  • bauxite,
  • copper

Djibouti

geothermal areas

Egypt

  • petroleum,
  • natural gas,
  • iron ore,
  • phosphates,
  • manganese,
  • limestone,
  • gypsum,
  • talc,
  • asbestos,
  • lead,
  • zinc

Equatorial Guinea

  • timber,
  • petroleum,
  • small unexploited deposits of gold,
  • manganese,
  • uranium

Eritrea

  • gold,
  • potash,
  • zinc,
  • copper,
  • salt,
  • probably oil (petroleum geologists are prospecting for it),
  • fish

Swaziland now Eswatini

asbestos, coal, clay, cassiterite, hydropower, forests, small gold and diamond deposits, quarry stone, and talc

Ethiopia

  • small reserves of gold,
  • platinum,
  • copper,
  • potash

Europa Island

negligible

Gabon

  • petroleum,
  • manganese,
  • uranium,
  • gold,
  • timber,
  • iron ore

The Gambia

fish

Ghana

  • gold,
  • timber,
  • industrial diamonds,
  • bauxite,
  • manganese,
  • fish,
  • rubber

Glorioso Islands

guano, coconuts

Guinea

  • bauxite,
  • iron ore,
  • diamonds,
  • gold,
  • uranium,
  • hydropower,
  • fish

Guinea-bissau now Guinea-Bissau

  • unexploited deposits of petroleum,
  • bauxite,
  • phosphates,
  • fish,
  • timber

Juan De Nova Island now Juan de Nova Island

guano deposits and other fertilizers

Kenya

  • gold,
  • limestone,
  • soda ash,
  • salt barytes,
  • rubies,
  • fluorspar,
  • garnets,
  • wildlife

Lesotho

  • water,
  • agricultural and grazing land,
  • some diamonds and other minerals

Liberia

  • iron ore,
  • timber,
  • diamonds,
  • gold

Libya

  • petroleum,
  • natural gas,
  • gypsum

Madagascar

  • graphite,
  • chromite,
  • coal,
  • bauxite,
  • salt,
  • quartz,
  • tar sands,
  • semiprecious stones,
  • mica,
  • fish

Malawi

limestone, unexploited deposits of uranium, coal, and bauxite

Mali

gold, phosphates, kaolin, salt, limestone, uranium, bauxite, iron ore, manganese, tin, and copper deposits are known but not exploited

Mauritania

  • iron ore,
  • gypsum,
  • fish,
  • copper,
  • phosphate

Mauritius

arable land, fish

Mayotte

negligible

Morocco

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

Mozambique

coal, titanium

Namibia

  • diamonds,
  • copper,
  • uranium,
  • gold,
  • lead,
  • tin,
  • lithium,
  • cadmium,
  • zinc,
  • salt,
  • vanadium,
  • natural gas,
  • fish;
  • suspected deposits of oil,
  • natural gas,
  • coal,
  • iron ore

Niger

  • uranium,
  • coal,
  • iron ore,
  • tin,
  • phosphates

Nigeria

  • petroleum,
  • tin,
  • columbite,
  • iron ore,
  • coal,
  • limestone,
  • lead,
  • zinc,
  • natural gas

Reunion

fish, arable land

Rwanda

  • gold,
  • cassiterite (tin ore),
  • wolframite (tungsten ore),
  • natural gas,
  • hydropower

Saint Helena now Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha

fish; Ascension is a breeding ground for sea turtles and sooty terns, no minerals

Sao Tome And Principe now Sao Tome and Principe

fish

Senegal

  • fish,
  • phosphates,
  • iron ore

Seychelles

  • fish,
  • copra,
  • cinnamon trees

Sierra Leone

  • diamonds,
  • titanium ore,
  • bauxite,
  • iron ore,
  • gold,
  • chromite

Somalia

  • uranium and largely unexploited reserves of iron ore,
  • tin,
  • gypsum,
  • bauxite,
  • copper,
  • salt

South Africa

  • gold,
  • chromium,
  • antimony,
  • coal,
  • iron ore,
  • manganese,
  • nickel,
  • phosphates,
  • tin,
  • uranium,
  • gem diamonds,
  • platinum,
  • copper,
  • vanadium,
  • salt,
  • natural gas

Sudan

  • small reserves of petroleum,
  • iron ore,
  • copper,
  • chromium ore,
  • zinc,
  • tungsten,
  • mica,
  • silver,
  • gold

Tanzania

  • hydropower potential,
  • tin,
  • phosphates,
  • iron ore,
  • coal,
  • diamonds,
  • gemstones,
  • gold,
  • natural gas,
  • nickel

Togo

  • phosphates,
  • limestone,
  • marble

Tromelin Island

fish

Tunisia

  • petroleum,
  • phosphates,
  • iron ore,
  • lead,
  • zinc,
  • salt

Uganda

  • copper,
  • cobalt,
  • limestone,
  • salt

Western Sahara

phosphates, iron ore

Zambia

  • copper,
  • cobalt,
  • zinc,
  • lead,
  • coal,
  • emeralds,
  • gold,
  • silver,
  • uranium,
  • hydropower potential

Zimbabwe

  • coal,
  • chromium ore,
  • asbestos,
  • gold,
  • nickel,
  • copper,
  • iron ore,
  • vanadium,
  • lithium,
  • tin,
  • platinum group metals

Antarctic Region

5 entries

Antarctica

none presently exploited; iron ore, chromium, copper, gold, nickel, platinum and other minerals, and coal and hydrocarbons have been found in small, uncommercial quantities

Bouvet Island

none

French Southern And Antarctic Lands now French Southern and Antarctic Lands

fish, crayfish

Heard Island And Mcdonald Islands now Heard Island and McDonald Islands

none

South Georgia And The South Sandwich Islands now South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands

fish

Arctic Region

4 entries

Greenland

  • zinc,
  • lead,
  • iron ore,
  • coal,
  • molybdenum,
  • cryolite,
  • uranium,
  • fish

Iceland

  • fish,
  • hydropower,
  • geothermal power,
  • diatomite

Jan Mayen

none

Svalbard

  • coal,
  • copper,
  • iron ore,
  • phosphate,
  • zinc,
  • wildlife,
  • fish

Asia

23 entries

Afghanistan

  • natural gas,
  • petroleum,
  • coal,
  • copper,
  • talc,
  • barites,
  • sulphur,
  • lead,
  • zinc,
  • iron ore,
  • salt,
  • precious and semiprecious stones

Armenia

  • small deposits of gold,
  • copper,
  • molybdenum,
  • zinc,
  • alumina

Azerbaijan

  • petroleum,
  • natural gas,
  • iron ore,
  • nonferrous metals,
  • alumina

Bangladesh

  • natural gas,
  • arable land,
  • timber

Bhutan

  • timber,
  • hydropower,
  • gypsum,
  • calcium carbide

British Indian Ocean Territory

coconuts, fish

China

  • coal,
  • iron ore,
  • petroleum,
  • mercury,
  • tin,
  • tungsten,
  • antimony,
  • manganese,
  • molybdenum,
  • vanadium,
  • magnetite,
  • aluminum,
  • lead,
  • zinc,
  • uranium,
  • hydropower potential (world's largest)

Georgia

  • forest lands, hydropower, manganese deposits, iron ores, copper, minor coal and oil deposits;
  • coastal climate and soils allow for important tea and citrus growth

India

  • coal (fourth-largest reserves in the world),
  • iron ore,
  • manganese,
  • mica,
  • bauxite,
  • titanium ore,
  • chromite,
  • natural gas,
  • diamonds,
  • petroleum,
  • limestone

Japan

negligible mineral resources, fish

Kazakhstan

  • major deposits of petroleum,
  • coal,
  • iron ore,
  • manganese,
  • chrome ore,
  • nickel,
  • cobalt,
  • copper,
  • molybdenum,
  • lead,
  • zinc,
  • bauxite,
  • gold,
  • uranium

Korea, North now North Korea

  • coal,
  • lead,
  • tungsten,
  • zinc,
  • graphite,
  • magnesite,
  • iron ore,
  • copper,
  • gold,
  • pyrites,
  • salt,
  • fluorspar,
  • hydropower

Korea, South now South Korea

  • coal,
  • tungsten,
  • graphite,
  • molybdenum,
  • lead,
  • hydropower

Kyrgyzstan

  • abundant hydroelectric potential;
  • significant deposits of gold and rare earth metals;
  • locally exploitable coal, oil and natural gas;
  • other deposits of nepheline, mercury, bismuth, lead, and zinc

Maldives

fish

Mongolia

  • oil,
  • coal,
  • copper,
  • molybdenum,
  • tungsten,
  • phosphates,
  • tin,
  • nickel,
  • zinc,
  • wolfram,
  • fluorspar,
  • gold

Nepal

  • quartz,
  • water,
  • timber,
  • hydroelectric potential,
  • scenic beauty,
  • small deposits of lignite,
  • copper,
  • cobalt,
  • iron ore

Pakistan

  • land,
  • extensive natural gas reserves,
  • limited petroleum,
  • poor quality coal,
  • iron ore,
  • copper,
  • salt,
  • limestone

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

Sri Lanka

  • limestone,
  • graphite,
  • mineral sands,
  • gems,
  • phosphates,
  • clay

Tajikistan

  • significant hydropower potential,
  • some petroleum,
  • uranium,
  • mercury,
  • brown coal,
  • lead,
  • zinc,
  • antimony,
  • tungsten

Turkmenistan

  • petroleum,
  • natural gas,
  • coal,
  • sulphur,
  • salt

Uzbekistan

  • natural gas,
  • petroleum,
  • coal,
  • gold,
  • uranium,
  • silver,
  • copper,
  • lead and zinc,
  • tungsten,
  • molybdenum

Central America and the Caribbean

32 entries

Anguilla

  • negligible;
  • salt,
  • fish,
  • lobster

Antigua And Barbuda now Antigua and Barbuda

negligible; pleasant climate fosters tourism

Aruba

negligible; white sandy beaches

The Bahamas

  • salt,
  • aragonite,
  • timber

Barbados

  • petroleum,
  • fishing,
  • natural gas

Belize

  • arable land potential,
  • timber,
  • fish

British Virgin Islands

negligible

Cayman Islands

fish, climate and beaches that foster tourism

Costa Rica

hydropower potential

Cuba

  • cobalt,
  • nickel,
  • iron ore,
  • copper,
  • manganese,
  • salt,
  • timber,
  • silica,
  • petroleum

Dominica

timber

Dominican Republic

  • nickel,
  • bauxite,
  • gold,
  • silver

El Salvador

  • hydropower,
  • geothermal power,
  • petroleum

Grenada

  • timber,
  • tropical fruit,
  • deepwater harbors

Guadeloupe

cultivable land, beaches and climate that foster tourism

Guatemala

  • petroleum,
  • nickel,
  • rare woods,
  • fish,
  • chicle

Haiti

bauxite

Honduras

  • timber,
  • gold,
  • silver,
  • copper,
  • lead,
  • zinc,
  • iron ore,
  • antimony,
  • coal,
  • fish

Jamaica

  • bauxite,
  • gypsum,
  • limestone

Martinique

coastal scenery and beaches, cultivable land

Montserrat

negligible

Navassa Island

guano

Netherlands Antilles

phosphates (Curacao only), salt (Bonaire only)

Nicaragua

  • gold,
  • silver,
  • copper,
  • tungsten,
  • lead,
  • zinc,
  • timber,
  • fish

Panama

  • copper,
  • mahogany forests,
  • shrimp

Puerto Rico

some copper and nickel, potential for onshore and offshore crude oil

Saint Kitts And Nevis now Saint Kitts and Nevis

negligible

Saint Lucia

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

Saint Vincent And The Grenadines now Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

negligible

Trinidad And Tobago now Trinidad and Tobago

  • petroleum,
  • natural gas,
  • asphalt

Turks And Caicos Islands now Turks and Caicos Islands

spiny lobster, conch

Virgin Islands

  • sun,
  • sand,
  • sea,
  • surf

Europe

46 entries

Albania

  • petroleum,
  • natural gas,
  • coal,
  • chromium,
  • copper,
  • timber,
  • nickel

Andorra

  • hydropower,
  • mineral water,
  • timber,
  • iron ore,
  • lead

Austria

  • iron ore,
  • petroleum,
  • timber,
  • magnesite,
  • aluminum,
  • lead,
  • coal,
  • lignite,
  • copper,
  • hydropower

Belarus

  • forest land,
  • peat deposits,
  • small quantities of oil and natural gas

Belgium

coal, natural gas

Bosnia And Herzegovina now Bosnia and Herzegovina

  • coal,
  • iron,
  • bauxite,
  • manganese,
  • timber,
  • wood products,
  • copper,
  • chromium,
  • lead,
  • zinc

Bulgaria

  • bauxite,
  • copper,
  • lead,
  • zinc,
  • coal,
  • timber,
  • arable land

Croatia

  • oil,
  • some coal,
  • bauxite,
  • low-grade iron ore,
  • calcium,
  • natural asphalt,
  • silica,
  • mica,
  • clays,
  • salt

Czech Republic now Czechia

  • hard coal,
  • soft coal,
  • kaolin,
  • clay,
  • graphite

Denmark

  • petroleum,
  • natural gas,
  • fish,
  • salt,
  • limestone

Estonia

  • shale oil,
  • peat,
  • phosphorite,
  • amber

Faroe Islands

fish

Finland

  • timber,
  • copper,
  • zinc,
  • iron ore,
  • silver

France

  • coal,
  • iron ore,
  • bauxite,
  • fish,
  • timber,
  • zinc,
  • potash

Germany

  • iron ore,
  • coal,
  • potash,
  • timber,
  • lignite,
  • uranium,
  • copper,
  • natural gas,
  • salt,
  • nickel

Gibraltar

negligible

Greece

  • bauxite,
  • lignite,
  • magnesite,
  • petroleum,
  • marble

Guernsey

cropland

Holy See (vatican City) now Holy See (Vatican City)

none

Hungary

  • bauxite,
  • coal,
  • natural gas,
  • fertile soils

Ireland

  • zinc,
  • lead,
  • natural gas,
  • petroleum,
  • barite,
  • copper,
  • gypsum,
  • limestone,
  • dolomite,
  • peat,
  • silver

Man, Isle Of now Isle of Man

lead, iron ore

Italy

  • mercury,
  • potash,
  • marble,
  • sulfur,
  • dwindling natural gas and crude oil reserves,
  • fish,
  • coal

Jersey

agricultural land

Latvia

  • minimal;
  • amber,
  • peat,
  • limestone,
  • dolomite

Liechtenstein

hydroelectric potential

Lithuania

peat

Luxembourg

iron ore (no longer exploited)

Malta

limestone, salt

Moldova

  • lignite,
  • phosphorites,
  • gypsum

Monaco

none

Netherlands

  • natural gas,
  • petroleum,
  • fertile soil

Macedonia, The Former Yugoslav Republic Of now North Macedonia

  • chromium,
  • lead,
  • zinc,
  • manganese,
  • tungsten,
  • nickel,
  • low-grade iron ore,
  • asbestos,
  • sulphur,
  • timber

Norway

  • petroleum,
  • copper,
  • natural gas,
  • pyrites,
  • nickel,
  • iron ore,
  • zinc,
  • lead,
  • fish,
  • timber,
  • hydropower

Poland

  • coal,
  • sulfur,
  • copper,
  • natural gas,
  • silver,
  • lead,
  • salt

Portugal

  • fish,
  • forests (cork),
  • tungsten,
  • iron ore,
  • uranium ore,
  • marble

Romania

  • petroleum (reserves declining),
  • timber,
  • natural gas,
  • coal,
  • iron ore,
  • salt

San Marino

building stone

Serbia And Montenegro now Serbia and Montenegro

  • oil,
  • gas,
  • coal,
  • antimony,
  • copper,
  • lead,
  • zinc,
  • nickel,
  • gold,
  • pyrite,
  • chrome

Slovakia

  • brown coal and lignite;
  • small amounts of iron ore, copper and manganese ore;
  • salt

Slovenia

  • lignite coal,
  • lead,
  • zinc,
  • mercury,
  • uranium,
  • silver

Spain

  • coal,
  • lignite,
  • iron ore,
  • uranium,
  • mercury,
  • pyrites,
  • fluorspar,
  • gypsum,
  • zinc,
  • lead,
  • tungsten,
  • copper,
  • kaolin,
  • potash,
  • hydropower

Sweden

  • zinc,
  • iron ore,
  • lead,
  • copper,
  • silver,
  • timber,
  • uranium,
  • hydropower potential

Switzerland

  • hydropower potential,
  • timber,
  • salt

Ukraine

  • iron ore,
  • coal,
  • manganese,
  • natural gas,
  • oil,
  • salt,
  • sulphur,
  • graphite,
  • titanium,
  • magnesium,
  • kaolin,
  • nickel,
  • mercury,
  • timber

United Kingdom

  • coal,
  • petroleum,
  • natural gas,
  • tin,
  • limestone,
  • iron ore,
  • salt,
  • clay,
  • chalk,
  • gypsum,
  • lead,
  • silica

Middle East

17 entries

Bahrain

  • oil,
  • associated and nonassociated natural gas,
  • fish

Cyprus

  • copper,
  • pyrites,
  • asbestos,
  • gypsum,
  • timber,
  • salt,
  • marble,
  • clay earth pigment

Gaza Strip

negligible

Iran

  • petroleum,
  • natural gas,
  • coal,
  • chromium,
  • copper,
  • iron ore,
  • lead,
  • manganese,
  • zinc,
  • sulfur

Iraq

  • petroleum,
  • natural gas,
  • phosphates,
  • sulfur

Israel

  • copper,
  • phosphates,
  • bromide,
  • potash,
  • clay,
  • sand,
  • sulfur,
  • asphalt,
  • manganese,
  • small amounts of natural gas and crude oil

Jordan

  • phosphates,
  • potash,
  • shale oil

Kuwait

  • petroleum,
  • fish,
  • shrimp,
  • natural gas

Lebanon

  • limestone,
  • iron ore,
  • salt,
  • water-surplus state in a water-deficit region

Oman

  • petroleum,
  • copper,
  • asbestos,
  • some marble,
  • limestone,
  • chromium,
  • gypsum,
  • natural gas

Qatar

  • petroleum,
  • natural gas,
  • fish

Saudi Arabia

  • petroleum,
  • natural gas,
  • iron ore,
  • gold,
  • copper

Syria

  • petroleum,
  • phosphates,
  • chrome and manganese ores,
  • asphalt,
  • iron ore,
  • rock salt,
  • marble,
  • gypsum

Turkey now Turkiye

  • antimony,
  • coal,
  • chromium,
  • mercury,
  • copper,
  • borate,
  • sulphur,
  • iron ore

United Arab Emirates

petroleum, natural gas

West Bank

negligible

Yemen

petroleum, fish, rock salt, marble, small deposits of coal, gold, lead, nickel, and copper, fertile soil in west

North America

6 entries

Bermuda

limestone, pleasant climate fostering tourism

Canada

  • nickel,
  • zinc,
  • copper,
  • gold,
  • lead,
  • molybdenum,
  • potash,
  • silver,
  • fish,
  • timber,
  • wildlife,
  • coal,
  • petroleum,
  • natural gas

Clipperton Island

none

Mexico

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

Saint Pierre And Miquelon now Saint Pierre and Miquelon

fish, deepwater ports

United States

  • coal,
  • copper,
  • lead,
  • molybdenum,
  • phosphates,
  • uranium,
  • bauxite,
  • gold,
  • iron,
  • mercury,
  • nickel,
  • potash,
  • silver,
  • tungsten,
  • zinc,
  • petroleum,
  • natural gas,
  • timber

Oceania

34 entries

American Samoa

pumice, pumicite

Australia

  • bauxite,
  • coal,
  • iron ore,
  • copper,
  • tin,
  • silver,
  • uranium,
  • nickel,
  • tungsten,
  • mineral sands,
  • lead,
  • zinc,
  • diamonds,
  • natural gas,
  • petroleum

Baker Island

guano (deposits worked until 1891)

Cook Islands

negligible

Coral Sea Islands

negligible

Fiji

  • timber,
  • fish,
  • gold,
  • copper,
  • offshore oil potential

French Polynesia

  • timber,
  • fish,
  • cobalt

Guam

fishing (largely undeveloped), tourism (especially from Japan)

Howland Island

guano (deposits worked until late 1800s)

Jarvis Island

guano (deposits worked until late 1800s)

Johnston Atoll

guano (deposits worked until about 1890)

Kingman Reef

none

Kiribati

phosphate (production discontinued in 1979)

Marshall Islands

  • phosphate deposits,
  • marine products,
  • deep seabed minerals

Micronesia, Federated States Of now Federated States of Micronesia

  • forests,
  • marine products,
  • deep-seabed minerals

Midway Islands

fish, wildlife

Nauru

phosphates

New Caledonia

  • nickel,
  • chrome,
  • iron,
  • cobalt,
  • manganese,
  • silver,
  • gold,
  • lead,
  • copper

New Zealand

  • natural gas,
  • iron ore,
  • sand,
  • coal,
  • timber,
  • hydropower,
  • gold,
  • limestone

Niue

fish, arable land

Norfolk Island

fish

Northern Mariana Islands

arable land, fish

Palau

  • forests,
  • minerals (especially gold),
  • marine products,
  • deep-seabed minerals

Palmyra Atoll

none

Papua New Guinea

  • gold,
  • copper,
  • silver,
  • natural gas,
  • timber,
  • oil potential

Pitcairn Islands

miro trees (used for handicrafts), fish

Western Samoa now Samoa

hardwood forests, fish

Solomon Islands

  • fish,
  • forests,
  • gold,
  • bauxite,
  • phosphates,
  • lead,
  • zinc,
  • nickel

Tokelau

negligible

Tonga

fish, fertile soil

Tuvalu

fish

Vanuatu

  • manganese,
  • hardwood forests,
  • fish

Wake Island

none

Wallis And Futuna now Wallis and Futuna

negligible

South America

14 entries

Argentina

  • fertile plains of the pampas,
  • lead,
  • zinc,
  • tin,
  • copper,
  • iron ore,
  • manganese,
  • petroleum,
  • uranium

Bolivia

  • tin,
  • natural gas,
  • petroleum,
  • zinc,
  • tungsten,
  • antimony,
  • silver,
  • iron,
  • lead,
  • gold,
  • timber

Brazil

  • bauxite,
  • gold,
  • iron ore,
  • manganese,
  • nickel,
  • phosphates,
  • platinum,
  • tin,
  • uranium,
  • petroleum,
  • hydropower,
  • timber

Chile

  • copper,
  • timber,
  • iron ore,
  • nitrates,
  • precious metals,
  • molybdenum

Colombia

  • petroleum,
  • natural gas,
  • coal,
  • iron ore,
  • nickel,
  • gold,
  • copper,
  • emeralds

Ecuador

  • petroleum,
  • fish,
  • timber

Falkland Islands (islas Malvinas) now Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)

fish, wildlife

French Guiana

  • bauxite,
  • timber,
  • gold (widely scattered),
  • cinnabar,
  • kaolin,
  • fish

Guyana

  • bauxite,
  • gold,
  • diamonds,
  • hardwood timber,
  • shrimp,
  • fish

Paraguay

  • hydropower,
  • timber,
  • iron ore,
  • manganese,
  • limestone

Peru

  • copper,
  • silver,
  • gold,
  • petroleum,
  • timber,
  • fish,
  • iron ore,
  • coal,
  • phosphate,
  • potash

Suriname

timber, hydropower potential, fish, shrimp, bauxite, iron ore, and small amounts of nickel, copper, platinum, gold

Uruguay

  • soil,
  • hydropower potential,
  • minor minerals

Venezuela

  • petroleum,
  • natural gas,
  • iron ore,
  • gold,
  • bauxite,
  • other minerals,
  • hydropower,
  • diamonds

Southeast Asia

18 entries

Ashmore And Cartier Islands now Ashmore and Cartier Islands

fish

Brunei

  • petroleum,
  • natural gas,
  • timber

Burma now Burma (Myanmar)

  • petroleum,
  • timber,
  • tin,
  • antimony,
  • zinc,
  • copper,
  • tungsten,
  • lead,
  • coal,
  • some marble,
  • limestone,
  • precious stones,
  • natural gas

Cambodia

  • timber,
  • gemstones,
  • some iron ore,
  • manganese,
  • phosphates,
  • hydropower potential

Christmas Island

phosphate

Cocos (keeling) Islands now Cocos (Keeling) Islands

fish

Hong Kong

outstanding deepwater harbor, feldspar

Indonesia

  • petroleum,
  • tin,
  • natural gas,
  • nickel,
  • timber,
  • bauxite,
  • copper,
  • fertile soils,
  • coal,
  • gold,
  • silver

Laos

  • timber,
  • hydropower,
  • gypsum,
  • tin,
  • gold,
  • gemstones

Macau

negligible

Malaysia

  • tin,
  • petroleum,
  • timber,
  • copper,
  • iron ore,
  • natural gas,
  • bauxite

Paracel Islands

none

Philippines

  • timber,
  • petroleum,
  • nickel,
  • cobalt,
  • silver,
  • gold,
  • salt,
  • copper

Singapore

fish, deepwater ports

Spratly Islands

  • fish,
  • guano,
  • undetermined oil and natural gas potential

Taiwan

small deposits of coal, natural gas, limestone, marble, and asbestos

Thailand

  • tin,
  • rubber,
  • natural gas,
  • tungsten,
  • tantalum,
  • timber,
  • lead,
  • fish,
  • gypsum,
  • lignite,
  • fluorite

Vietnam

  • phosphates,
  • coal,
  • manganese,
  • bauxite,
  • chromate,
  • offshore oil deposits,
  • forests

Oceans

4 entries

Arctic Ocean

  • sand and gravel aggregates,
  • placer deposits,
  • polymetallic nodules,
  • oil and gas fields,
  • fish,
  • marine mammals (seals and whales)

Atlantic Ocean

  • oil and gas fields,
  • fish,
  • marine mammals (seals and whales),
  • sand and gravel aggregates,
  • placer deposits,
  • polymetallic nodules,
  • precious stones

Indian Ocean

  • oil and gas fields,
  • fish,
  • shrimp,
  • sand and gravel aggregates,
  • placer deposits,
  • polymetallic nodules

Pacific Ocean

  • oil and gas fields,
  • polymetallic nodules,
  • sand and gravel aggregates,
  • placer deposits,
  • fish

Cite this page

Central Intelligence Agency. The World Factbook 1995, “Natural resources”, all entries. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/fields/natural-resources/1995.

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