The CIA World Factbook Edition 1997 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 1997 edition carries it in 266 entries, in its Geography section. Every entry is shown as that edition published it.
- entries in the 1997 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.
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Entries with Natural resources in each edition
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World
1 entryWorld
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 entriesBurkina Faso
- manganese,
- limestone,
- marble;
- small deposits of gold,
- antimony,
- copper,
- nickel,
- bauxite,
- lead,
- phosphates,
- zinc,
- silver
Burundi
- nickel,
- uranium,
- rare earth oxides,
- peat,
- cobalt,
- copper,
- platinum (not yet exploited),
- vanadium
Cape Verde now Cabo Verde
- salt,
- basalt rock,
- pozzuolana (a siliceous volcanic ash used to produce hydraulic cement),
- limestone,
- kaolin,
- fish
Congo, Democratic Republic of the 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, Republic of the now Republic of the Congo
- petroleum,
- timber,
- potash,
- lead,
- zinc,
- uranium,
- copper,
- phosphates,
- natural gas
Egypt
- petroleum,
- natural gas,
- iron ore,
- phosphates,
- manganese,
- limestone,
- gypsum,
- talc,
- asbestos,
- lead,
- zinc
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
Madagascar
- graphite,
- chromite,
- coal,
- bauxite,
- salt,
- quartz,
- tar sands,
- semiprecious stones,
- mica,
- fish
Mali
gold, phosphates, kaolin, salt, limestone, uranium, bauxite, iron ore, manganese, tin, and copper deposits are known but not exploited
Namibia
- diamonds,
- copper,
- uranium,
- gold,
- lead,
- tin,
- lithium,
- cadmium,
- zinc,
- salt,
- vanadium,
- natural gas,
- fish;
- suspected deposits of oil,
- natural gas,
- coal,
- iron ore
South Africa
- gold,
- chromium,
- antimony,
- coal,
- iron ore,
- manganese,
- nickel,
- phosphates,
- tin,
- uranium,
- gem diamonds,
- platinum,
- copper,
- vanadium,
- salt,
- natural gas
Sudan
- petroleum;
- small reserves of iron ore,
- copper,
- chromium ore,
- zinc,
- tungsten,
- mica,
- silver,
- gold
Tanzania
- hydropower potential,
- tin,
- phosphates,
- iron ore,
- coal,
- diamonds,
- gemstones,
- gold,
- natural gas,
- nickel
Zimbabwe
- coal,
- chromium ore,
- asbestos,
- gold,
- nickel,
- copper,
- iron ore,
- vanadium,
- lithium,
- tin,
- platinum group metals
Antarctic Region
5 entriesAntarctica
none presently exploited; iron ore, chromium, copper, gold, nickel, platinum and other minerals, and coal and hydrocarbons have been found in small, uncommercial quantities
Arctic Region
4 entriesAsia
23 entriesAfghanistan
- natural gas,
- petroleum,
- coal,
- copper,
- talc,
- barites,
- sulfur,
- lead,
- zinc,
- iron ore,
- salt,
- precious and semiprecious stones
China
- coal,
- iron ore,
- petroleum,
- mercury,
- tin,
- tungsten,
- antimony,
- manganese,
- molybdenum,
- vanadium,
- magnetite,
- aluminum,
- lead,
- zinc,
- uranium,
- hydropower potential (world's largest)
Georgia
forests, hydropower, manganese deposits, iron ore, 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
Kazakstan now Kazakhstan
- major deposits of petroleum,
- natural gas,
- 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
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
Mongolia
- oil,
- coal,
- copper,
- molybdenum,
- tungsten,
- phosphates,
- tin,
- nickel,
- zinc,
- wolfram,
- fluorspar,
- gold
Nepal
- quartz,
- water,
- timber,
- hydropower 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
Tajikistan
- significant hydropower potential,
- some petroleum,
- uranium,
- mercury,
- brown coal,
- lead,
- zinc,
- antimony,
- tungsten
Uzbekistan
- natural gas,
- petroleum,
- coal,
- gold,
- uranium,
- silver,
- copper,
- lead and zinc,
- tungsten,
- molybdenum
Central America and the Caribbean
32 entriesEurope
46 entriesCroatia
- oil,
- some coal,
- bauxite,
- low-grade iron ore,
- calcium,
- natural asphalt,
- silica,
- mica,
- clays,
- salt
Ireland
- zinc,
- lead,
- natural gas,
- petroleum,
- barite,
- copper,
- gypsum,
- limestone,
- dolomite,
- peat,
- silver
Macedonia, now North Macedonia
- chromium,
- lead,
- zinc,
- manganese,
- tungsten,
- nickel,
- low-grade iron ore,
- asbestos,
- sulfur,
- timber
Norway
- petroleum,
- copper,
- natural gas,
- pyrites,
- nickel,
- iron ore,
- zinc,
- lead,
- fish,
- timber,
- hydropower
Spain
- coal,
- lignite,
- iron ore,
- uranium,
- mercury,
- pyrites,
- fluorspar,
- gypsum,
- zinc,
- lead,
- tungsten,
- copper,
- kaolin,
- potash,
- hydropower
Ukraine
- iron ore,
- coal,
- manganese,
- natural gas,
- oil,
- salt,
- sulfur,
- 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 entriesIsrael
- copper,
- phosphates,
- bromide,
- potash,
- clay,
- sand,
- sulfur,
- asphalt,
- manganese,
- small amounts of natural gas and crude oil
Syria
- petroleum,
- phosphates,
- chrome and manganese ores,
- asphalt,
- iron ore,
- rock salt,
- marble,
- gypsum
Yemen
petroleum, fish, rock salt, marble, small deposits of coal, gold, lead, nickel, and copper, fertile soil in west
North America
6 entriesCanada
- nickel,
- zinc,
- copper,
- gold,
- lead,
- molybdenum,
- potash,
- silver,
- fish,
- timber,
- wildlife,
- coal,
- petroleum,
- natural gas
United States
- coal,
- copper,
- lead,
- molybdenum,
- phosphates,
- uranium,
- bauxite,
- gold,
- iron,
- mercury,
- nickel,
- potash,
- silver,
- tungsten,
- zinc,
- petroleum,
- natural gas,
- timber
Oceania
34 entriesAustralia
- bauxite,
- coal,
- iron ore,
- copper,
- tin,
- silver,
- uranium,
- nickel,
- tungsten,
- mineral sands,
- lead,
- zinc,
- diamonds,
- natural gas,
- petroleum
Micronesia, Federated States of now Federated States of Micronesia
- forests,
- marine products,
- deep-seabed minerals
South America
14 entriesArgentina
- fertile plains of the pampas,
- lead,
- zinc,
- tin,
- copper,
- iron ore,
- manganese,
- petroleum,
- uranium
Brazil
- bauxite,
- gold,
- iron ore,
- manganese,
- nickel,
- phosphates,
- platinum,
- tin,
- uranium,
- petroleum,
- hydropower,
- timber
Suriname
timber, hydropower potential, fish, shrimp, bauxite, iron ore, and small amounts of nickel, copper, platinum, gold
Southeast Asia
18 entriesBurma now Burma (Myanmar)
- petroleum,
- timber,
- tin,
- antimony,
- zinc,
- copper,
- tungsten,
- lead,
- coal,
- some marble,
- limestone,
- precious stones,
- natural gas
Indonesia
- petroleum,
- tin,
- natural gas,
- nickel,
- timber,
- bauxite,
- copper,
- fertile soils,
- coal,
- gold,
- silver
Thailand
- tin,
- rubber,
- natural gas,
- tungsten,
- tantalum,
- timber,
- lead,
- fish,
- gypsum,
- lignite,
- fluorite
Oceans
4 entriesArctic 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 1997, “Natural resources”, all entries. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/fields/natural-resources/1997.