Republic of Congo (DRC) is considered the world's richest country in terms of natural resources.
Figures from 2005 suggest 90% of the DRC’s revenues come from its minerals.
The DRC holds 70% of the world's coltan reserves, a third of its cobalt, more than 30% of its diamond reserves, and a tenth of its copper. These minerals are crucial for various industries, from electronics to renewable energy.
Cobalt, for instance, is vital for the lithium-ion batteries that power electric vehicles. In fact, global asset management firm AllianceBernstein has termed the DRC "the Saudi Arabia of the electric vehicle age."
Perhaps not surprisingly, mining is the backbone of the DRC's economy. The country’s mining operations are highly mechanized, particularly in the southern Katanga Province, where it’s possible to refine the metal ore removed from the earth.
Despite its abundant resources, the DRC faces numerous economic challenges. Falling resource prices have left its economy in decline since the mid-1980s.
In addition, much of the diamond production is artisanal. Experts believe a significant portion of the country's diamonds are smuggled out, making it challenging to quantify production levels accurately.
The Congolese citizens are among the poorest globally, and the country ranks low on the Corruption Perceptions Index. The uncertain legal framework, corruption, and lack of infrastructure have led foreign businesses to curtail operations, further hampering economic growth.
International organizations like the IMF and World Bank have been working with the Congolese government to develop a coherent economic plan, with the World Bank granting the DRC up to $1.3 billion in assistance funds from 2007 to 2010.
The Central Bank of the Congo is responsible for the Congolese franc, the country's primary currency. However, much of the economic activity, particularly in the artisanal mining sector, remains outside official GDP data, making it difficult to assess the efficacy of these efforts.
Managed responsibly and equitably, the DRC's natural resources and untapped wealth could catalyze revolutionary change. However, making it happen will require overcoming significant economic and governance challenges.
Country | Natural Resources |
---|---|
Afghanistan | Arable Land | Barites | Chromite | Coal | Copper | Iron Ore | Lead | Natural Gas | Petroleum | Precious and Semiprecious Stones | Salt | Sulfur | Talc | Zinc |
Albania | Arable Land | Bauxite | Chromite | Coal | Copper | Hydropower | Iron Ore | Natural Gas | Nickel | Petroleum | Salt | Timber |
Algeria | Iron Ore | Lead | Natural Gas | Petroleum | Phosphates | Uranium | Zinc |
American Samoa | Pumice | Pumicite |
Andorra | Hydropower | Iron Ore | Lead | Mineral Water | Timber |
Angola | Bauxite | Copper | Diamonds | Feldspar | Gold | Iron Ore | Petroleum | Phosphates | Uranium |
Anguilla | Fish | Lobster | Salt |
Argentina | Arable Land | Copper | Fertile plains of the pampas | Iron Ore | Lead | Manganese | Petroleum | Tin | Uranium | Zinc |
Armenia | Bauxite | Copper | Gold | Molybdenum | Zinc |
Aruba | White sandy beaches foster tourism (negligible) |
Australia | Alumina | Coal | Copper | Diamonds | Gold | Iron Ore | Lead | Lithium | Mineral Sands | Natural Gas | Nickel | Opals | Potash (Potassium) | Petroleum | Rare Earth Elements | Silver | Tin | Tungsten | Uranium | Zinc |
Austria | Antimony | Coal | Copper | Graphite | Hydropower | Iron Ore | Lignite | Magnesite | Oil | Salt | Timber | Tungsten | Zinc |
Azerbaijan | Bauxite | Iron Ore | Natural Gas | Nonferrous Metals | Petroleum |
Bahamas | Arable Land | Aragonite | Salt | Timber |
Bahrain | Associated and Nonassociated Natural Gas | Fish | Oil | Pearls |
Bangladesh | Arable Land | Coal | Natural Gas | Timber |
Barbados | Fish | Natural Gas | Petroleum |
Belarus | Chalk | Clay | Dolomitic Limestone | Granite | Marl | Peat Deposits | Sand | Small Quantities of Oil and Natural Gas | Timber |
Belgium | Arable Land | Carbonates | Construction Materials | Silica Sand |
Belize | Arable Land Potential | Fish | Hydropower | Timber |
Benin | Limestone | Marble | Small Offshore Oil Deposits Timber |
Bermuda | Limestone | Pleasant Climate Fostering Tourism |
Bhutan | Calcium Carbonate | Gypsum | Hydropower | Timber |
Bolivia | Antimony | Gold | Hydropower | Iron | Lead | Lithium | Natural Gas | Petroleum | Silver | Tin | Timber | Tungsten | Zinc |
Bosnia and Herzegovina | Antimony | Bauxite | Chromite | Clay | Cobalt | Coal | Copper | Gypsum | Hydropower | Iron Ore | Lead | Manganese | Nickel | Salt | Sand | Timber | Zinc |
Botswana | Coal | Copper | Diamonds | Iron Ore | Nickel | Potash | Salt | Silver |
Brazil | Alumina | Bauxite | Beryllium | Gold | Hydropower | Iron Ore | Manganese | Nickel | Niobium | Petroleum | Phosphates | Platinum | Rare Earth Elements | Tantalum | Timber | Tin | Uranium |
British Virgin Islands | Negligible: Pleasant Climate, Beaches Foster Tourism |
Brunei | Natural Gas | Petroleum | Timber |
Bulgaria | Arable Land | Bauxite | Coal | Copper | Lead | Timber | Zinc |
Burkina Faso | Gold | Limestone | Marble | Manganese | Phosphates | Pumice | Salt | Zinc |
Burundi | Arable Land | Cobalt | Copper | Gold | Hydropower | Kaolin | Limestone | Nickel | Niobium | Peat | Platinum | Rare Earth Oxides | Tantalum | Tin | Tungsten | Uranium | Vanadium |
Cambodia | Arable Land | Gas | Gemstones | Hydropower Potential | Iron Ore | Manganese | Oil | Phosphates | Timber |
Cameroon | Bauxite | Hydropower | Iron Ore | Petroleum | Timber |
Canada | Bauxite | Coal | Copper | Diamonds | Fish | Gold | Hydropower | Iron Ore | Lead | Molybdenum | Natural Gas | Nickel | Petroleum | Potash | Rare Earth Elements | Silver | Timber | Uranium | Wildlife | Zinc |
Cape Verde | Basalt Rock | Clay | Fish | Gypsum | Kaolin | Limestone | Salt |
Cayman Islands | Climate and Beaches that Foster Tourism | Fish |
Central African Republic | Diamonds | Gold | Hydropower | Oil | Timber | Uranium |
Chad | Fish | Gold | Kaolin | Limestone | Natron | Petroleum | Salt | Sand and Gravel | Uranium |
Chile | Copper | Hydropower | Iron Ore | Molybdenum | Nitrates | Precious Metals | Timber |
China | Aluminum | Antimony | Arable Land | Arsenic | Bismuth | Cadmium | Cobalt | Coal | Ferrosilicon | Gallium | Germanium | Hafnium | Hydropower Potential (World's Largest) | Indium | Iron Ore | Lead | Lithium | Magnesium | Magnetite | Manganese | Mercury | Molybdenum | Natural Gas | Petroleum | Rare Earth Elements | Selenium | Strontium | Tantalum | Tellurium | Tin | Titanium | Tungsten | Uranium | Vanadium | Zinc |
Colombia | Coal | Copper | Emeralds | Gold | Hydropower | Iron Ore | Natural Gas | Nickel | Petroleum |
Comoros | Fish |
DR Congo | Coal | Cobalt | Copper | Gold | Hydropower | Industrial and Gem Diamonds | Manganese | Niobium | Petroleum | Silver | Tantalum | Timber | Tin | Uranium | Zinc |
Jordan | Phosphates | Potash | Shale Oil |
Kazakhstan | Bauxite | Chrome Ore | Coal | Cobalt | Copper | Gold | Iron Ore | Lead | Manganese | Molybdenum | Natural Gas | Nickel | Petroleum | Uranium | Zinc |
Kenya | Diatomite | Fluorspar | Gemstones | Gypsum | Hydropower | Limestone | Salt | Soda Ash | Wildlife | Zinc | |
Kiribati | Coconuts (Copra) | Fish | Phosphate (Production Discontinued in 1979) |
Kuwait | Fish | Natural Gas | Petroleum | Shrimp |
Kyrgyzstan | Abundant Hydropower | Bismuth | Gold | Lead | Locally Exploitable Coal, Oil, and Natural Gas | Mercury | Other Deposits of Nepheline | Rare Earth Metals | Zinc |
Laos | Gemstones | Gold | Gypsum | Hydropower | Timber | Tin |
Latvia | Amber | Arable Land | Dolomite | Hydropower | Limestone | Peat | Timber |
Lebanon | Arable Land | Iron Ore | Limestone | Salt | Water-Surplus State in a Water-Deficit Region |
Lesotho | Agricultural and Grazing Land | Building Stone | Clay | Diamonds | Sand | Water |
Liberia | Diamonds | Gold | Hydropower | Iron Ore | Timber |
Libya | Gypsum | Natural Gas | Petroleum |
Liechtenstein | Arable Land | Hydroelectric Potential |
Lithuania | Amber | Arable Land | Peat |
Luxembourg | Arable Land | Iron Ore (No Longer Exploited) |
Macau | Negligible |
Madagascar | Bauxite | Chromite | Coal | Fish | Graphite | Hydropower | Mica | Quartz | Rare Earth Elements | Salt | Semiprecious Stones | Tar Sands |
Malawi | Arable Land | Coal (Unexploited Deposits) | Hydropower | Limestone | Uranium (Unexploited Deposits) | Bauxite (Unexploited Deposits) |
Malaysia | Bauxite | Copper | Iron Ore | Natural Gas | Petroleum | Timber | Tin |
Maldives | Fish |
Mali | Bauxite (Note: Known but Not Exploited) | Copper (Note: Known but Not Exploited) | Gold | Granite (Note: Known but Not Exploited) | Gypsum | Hydropower | Iron Ore (Note: Known but Not Exploited) | Kaolin | Limestone | Manganese (Note: Known but Not Exploited) | Phosphates | Salt | Tin (Note: Known but Not Exploited) | Uranium (Note: Known but Not Exploited) |
Malta | Arable Land | Limestone | Salt |
Marshall Islands | Coconut Products | Deep Seabed Minerals | Marine Products |
Mauritania | Copper | Diamonds | Fish | Gold | Gypsum | Iron Ore | Oil | Phosphate |
Mauritius | Arable Land | Fish |
Mexico | Antimony | Copper | Gold | Lead | Natural Gas | Petroleum | Silver | Timber | Zinc |
Micronesia | Deep-Seabed Minerals | Marine Products | Phosphate | Timber |
Moldova | Arable Land | Gypsum | Lignite | Limestone | Phosphorites |
Monaco | None |
Mongolia | Coal | Copper | Fluorspar | Gold | Iron | Molybdenum | Nickel | Oil | Phosphates | Silver | Tin | Tungsten | Zinc |
Montenegro | Bauxite | Hydroelectricity |
Montserrat | Negligible |
Morocco | Fish | Iron Ore | Lead | Manganese | Phosphates | Salt | Zinc |
Mozambique | Coal | Graphite | Hydropower | Natural Gas | Tantalum | Titanium |
Myanmar | Antimony | Arable Land | Coal | Copper | Hydropower | Lead | Limestone | Marble | Natural Gas | Petroleum | Precious Stones | Timber | Tin | Tungsten | Zinc |
Namibia | Cadmium | Copper | Diamonds | Fish | Gold | Hydropower | Lead | Lithium | Salt | Silver | Tantalum | Tin | Tungsten | Uranium | Zinc | Note - Suspected Deposits of Oil, Coal, and Iron Ore |
Nauru | Fish | Phosphates |
Nepal | Cobalt | Copper | Hydropower | Iron Ore | Quartz | Scenic Beauty | Small Deposits of Lignite | Timber | Water |
Netherlands | Arable Land | Limestone | Natural Gas | Peat | Petroleum | Salt | Sand and Gravel |
New Caledonia | Chrome | Cobalt | Gold | Iron | Lead | Manganese | Nickel | Silver |
North Korea | Coal | Copper | Graphite | Hydropower | Iron Ore | Lead | Limestone | Magnesite | Precious Metals | Zinc |
Slovakia | Arable Land | Copper (Small Amounts) | Iron Ore (Small Amounts) | Lignite | Manganese Ore (Small Amounts) | Salt |
Slovenia | Building Stone | Forests | Hydropower | Lead | Lignite | Zinc |
Solomon Islands | Bauxite | Fish | Forests | Gold | Lead | Nickel | Phosphates | Zinc |
Somalia | Bauxite (Largely Unexploited Reserves) | Copper (Largely Unexploited Reserves) | Gypsum (Largely Unexploited Reserves) | Iron Ore (Largely Unexploited Reserves) | Natural Gas (Likely Reserves) | Salt (Largely Unexploited Reserves) | Tin (Largely Unexploited Reserves) | Uranium (Largely Unexploited Reserves) | Note - Likely Oil Reserves |
South Africa | Antimony | Chromium | Coal | Copper | Gem Diamonds | Gold | Iron Ore | Manganese | Natural Gas | Nickel | Phosphates | Platinum | Rare Earth Elements | Salt | Tin | Uranium | Vanadium |
South Korea | Coal | Graphite | Hydropower Potential | Lead | Molybdenum | Tungsten |
South Sudan | Agricultural Land (Fertile) | Chromium Ore | Copper | Diamonds | Gold | Hardwoods | Hydropower | Iron Ore | Limestone | Mica | Petroleum | Silver | Tungsten | Zinc |
Spain | Arable Land | Coal | Copper | Fluorspar | Gypsum | Hydropower | Iron Ore | Kaolin | Lead | Lignite | Magnesite | Mercury | Potash | Pyrites | Sepiolite | Tungsten | Uranium | Zinc |
Sri Lanka | Arable Land | Clay | Gems | Graphite | Hydropower | Limestone | Mineral Sands | Phosphates |
Sudan | Chromium Ore (Small Reserves) | Copper (Small Reserves) | Gold (Small Reserves) | Hydropower | Iron Ore (Small Reserves) | Mica (Small Reserves) | Petroleum | Silver (Small Reserves) | Tungsten (Small Reserves) | Zinc (Small Reserves) |
Suriname | Bauxite | Copper (Small Amounts) | Fish | Gold | Hydropower | Iron Ore (Small Amounts) | Kaolin | Nickel (Small Amounts) | Platinum (Small Amounts) | Shrimp | Timber |
Sweden | Arsenic | Copper | Feldspar | Gold | Hydropower | Iron Ore | Lead | Silver | Timber | Tungsten | Uranium | Zinc |
Switzerland | Hydropower Potential | Salt | Timber |
Syria | Asphalt | Chrome and Manganese Ores | Gypsum | Hydropower | Iron Ore | Marble | Petroleum | Phosphates | Rock Salt |
Taiwan | Arable Land | Asbestos (Small Deposits) | Coal (Small Deposits) | Limestone (Small Deposits) | Marble (Small Deposits) | Natural Gas (Small Deposits) |
Tajikistan | Antimony | Brown Coal | Gold | Hydropower | Lead | Mercury | Petroleum (Some) | Silver | Tungsten | Uranium | Zinc |
Tanzania | Coal | Diamonds | Gemstones (Including Tanzanite, found only in Tanzania) | Gold | Hydropower | Iron Ore | Natural Gas | Nickel | Phosphates | Tin |
Thailand | Arable Land | Fish | Fluorite | Gypsum | Lead | Lignite | Natural Gas | Rubber | Tantalum | Timber | Tin | Tungsten | |
Togo | Arable Land | Limestone | Marble | Phosphates |
Tokelau | Fisheries |
Tonga | Arable Land | Fish |
Trinidad and Tobago | Asphalt | Natural Gas | Petroleum |
Tunisia | Iron Ore | Lead | Petroleum | Phosphates | Salt | Zinc |
Turkey | Antimony | Arable Land | Barite | Borate | Celestite (Strontium) | Chromium | Clay | Copper | Emery | Feldspar | Gold | Hydropower | Iron Ore | Limestone | Magnesite | Marble | Mercury | Perlite | Pumice | Pyrites (Sulfur) |
Turkmenistan | Natural Gas | Petroleum | Salt | Sulfur |
Turks and Caicos Islands | Conch | Spiny Lobster |
Tuvalu | Coconut (Copra) | Fish |
Uganda | Arable Land | Cobalt | Copper | Gold | Hydropower | Limestone | Salt |
Ukraine | Arable Land | Coal | Graphite | Iron Ore | Kaolin | Magnesium | Manganese | Mercury | Natural Gas | Nickel | Oil | Salt | Sulfur | Timber | Titanium |
United Arab Emirates | Natural Gas | Petroleum |
United Kingdom | Arable Land | Chalk | Clay | Coal | Gold | Gypsum | Iron Ore | Lead | Limestone | Natural Gas | Petroleum | Potash | Salt | Silica Sand | Slate | Tin | Zinc |
United States | Arable Land | Bauxite | Coal | Copper | Gold | Iron | Lead | Mercury | Molybdenum | Natural Gas | Nickel | Petroleum | Phosphates | Potash | Rare Earth Elements | Silver | Timber | Tungsten | Uranium | Zinc | |
Uruguay | Arable Land | Fish | Hydropower | Minor Minerals |
Uzbekistan | Coal | Copper | Gold | Lead | Molybdenum | Natural Gas | Petroleum | Silver | Tungsten | Uranium |
Vanuatu | Fish | Hardwood Forests | Manganese |
Venezuela | Bauxite | Diamonds | Gold | Hydropower | Iron Ore | Natural Gas | Other Minerals | Petroleum |
Vietnam | Antimony | Arable Land | Bauxite | Chromate | Coal | Hydropower | Manganese | Offshore Oil and Gas Deposits | Phosphates | Rare Earth Elements | Timber |
Wallis and Futuna | NEGL |
Yemen | Coal (Small Deposits) | Copper (Small Deposits) | Fertile Soil in West | Fish | Gold (Small Deposits) | Lead (Small Deposits) | Marble | Nickel (Small Deposits) | Petroleum | Rock Salt |
Zambia | Coal | Cobalt | Copper | Emeralds | Gold | Hydropower | Lead | Silver | Uranium | Zinc |
Zimbabwe | Asbestos | Chromium Ore | Coal | Copper | Gold | Iron Ore | Nickel |