Natural Resources by Country: Types, Examples and Guides

Natural resources are all the goods and elements that nature provides without human intervention and that are useful in meeting our needs. The water we drink, the soil we farm, the minerals we make tools from, the forests that clean the air and the fuels that move the economy are all natural resources. Understanding what they are, how they are classified and why every country has a different endowment is the first step to understanding sustainable development and the great environmental challenges of our time.

What are natural resources?

A natural resource is any component of nature that people can use to meet an economic, social or cultural need. Its existence does not depend on human activity: it is present on the planet thanks to geological, biological and climatic processes that have unfolded over millions of years. From natural resources we obtain food, energy, raw materials, drinking water and the environmental services that make life possible, such as climate regulation and crop pollination.

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Types of natural resources

The most common way to classify natural resources is by their ability to regenerate over time. On that criterion there are three broad groups: renewable, non-renewable and inexhaustible. Knowing this classification is essential to managing what nature provides responsibly and avoiding its depletion.

Renewable natural resources

Renewable resources are those that regenerate naturally at a rate equal to or faster than they are consumed, provided they are used sustainably. Clear examples are water, forests, biomass, fish and fertile soils. Their renewable character is not unlimited, however: if the rate of exploitation outruns the rate of regeneration — as happens with overfishing or intensive logging — a renewable resource can degrade and even disappear.

Non-renewable natural resources

Non-renewable resources exist in finite quantities and take thousands or millions of years to form, so on a human timescale they are treated as exhaustible. This group covers the fossil fuels — oil, coal and natural gas — and metallic minerals such as iron, copper, gold and lithium. Because replacing them is effectively impossible, their use poses one of the greatest sustainability challenges: how to meet today’s demand without compromising the resources of future generations.

Inexhaustible or perpetual natural resources

There is also a third group, the inexhaustible or perpetual resources, whose availability is unaffected by human consumption. Solar energy, wind, tides and geothermal heat belong in this category. They are the basis of clean energy and a fundamental alternative to fossil fuels in the transition to a more sustainable energy model.

Why natural resources matter

Natural resources are the foundation of the economy and of human wellbeing. Food production, energy generation, industry, construction and practically every productive activity depend on them. But their value goes well beyond the economic: they regulate the climate, sustain biodiversity, keep the water cycle turning and support the ecosystems our own species is part of. That is why managing natural resources responsibly is one of the pillars of sustainable development and of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Why does every country have different natural resources?

The endowment of natural resources varies enormously from one country to another because of geographic location, climate, geology, altitude and each territory’s natural history. Countries such as Russia, the United States and China hold vast mineral and energy reserves; tropical nations such as Brazil, Colombia and Indonesia stand out for their extraordinary biodiversity and their water and forest resources; while desert or island regions have more limited resources. That uneven distribution explains much of the trade relationships, geopolitical conflicts and development strategies of each nation.

Natural resources and sustainable development

Using natural resources has to be balanced against conserving them. Overexploitation, pollution and climate change are reducing the availability of many essential resources, putting both ecosystems and the economies that depend on them at risk. Practices such as the circular economy, renewable energy, reforestation and responsible consumption make it possible to meet present needs without exhausting the planet’s natural capital. That is precisely the central principle of sustainable development.

How to use this country-by-country guide

In this section you will find detailed profiles of the natural resources of countries around the world. Each guide describes a nation’s main minerals, hydrocarbons, water resources, soils, wildlife and plant life, along with their economic importance and the sustainability challenges that come with them. Use the search box to find a specific country, or browse the full list below.

The English edition is being built out country by country; the Spanish edition already covers more than 160 countries.