Natural resources and mineral resources

Natural wealth that occurs as minerals is called mineral resources (useful minerals); about 200 kinds are now used in the economy. They fall into three groups: fuel-energy (coal, oil, natural gas, peat, oil shale, uranium), ore (ores of ferrous and non-ferrous metals) and non-ore (table salt, potassium salts, phosphorite, sulphur, diamonds, building materials). Most consumed are oil, gas, coal, iron ore and building materials. Among fuels the coal reserve is the largest; big coal reserves lie in the USA, Russia, China, Australia, India and others. Oil and gas are found mostly in the Gulf states, Venezuela, North America, Russia (West Siberia), the Caspian region, North Africa, Nigeria and China. Ore deposits are common in fold-mountain belts (Alpine–Himalayan, around the Pacific), while non-ore deposits also occur on ancient platforms. As convenient deposits are used up, mining moves to remote, difficult areas, which raises costs, so saving resources matters.