Location of minerals. Mineral resources and patterns of their distribution

Sedimentary minerals most characteristic of platforms, as there is a platform cover. Mostly these are non-metallic minerals and combustibles, the leading role among which is played by gas, oil, coal, oil shale. They were formed from the remains of plants and animals accumulated in the coastal parts of the shallow seas and in the lacustrine-marsh conditions of the dry land. These abundant organic residues could accumulate only in sufficiently moist and warm conditions conducive to luxuriant development. In hot dry conditions in shallow seas and coastal lagoons, salts accumulated, which were used as raw materials in.

Mining

There are several ways mining. Firstly, it is an open method in which rocks are mined in quarries. It is economically more profitable, as it contributes to obtaining a cheaper product. However, an abandoned quarry can lead to the formation of a wide network. The mine method of coal mining is expensive, therefore it is more expensive. The cheapest way to extract oil is by flowing, when oil rises through the well under oil gases. The pumping method of extraction is also common. There are also special ways of extracting minerals. They are called geotechnical. With their help, ore is mined from the bowels of the Earth. This is done by pumping hot water, solutions into the formations containing the necessary mineral. Other wells pump out the resulting solution and separate the valuable component.

The need for minerals is constantly growing, the extraction of mineral raw materials is increasing, but minerals are exhaustible natural resources, so it is necessary to use them more economically and fully.

There are several ways to do this:

  • reduction of losses of minerals during their extraction;
  • more complete extraction of all useful components from the rock;
  • integrated use of minerals;
  • search for new, more promising deposits.

Thus, the main direction of the use of minerals in the coming years should not be an increase in the volume of their extraction, but a more rational use.

In modern exploration of minerals, it is necessary to use not only the latest technology and sensitive instruments, but also a scientific forecast for the search for deposits, which helps to purposefully, on a scientific basis, conduct exploration of the bowels. Thanks to such methods, diamond deposits in Yakutia were first scientifically predicted and then discovered. A scientific forecast is based on knowledge of the connections and conditions for the formation of minerals.

Brief description of the main minerals

The hardest of all minerals. Its composition is pure carbon. Occurs in placers and as inclusions in rocks. Diamonds are colorless, but there are also dyed in different colors. A cut diamond is called a diamond. Its weight is usually measured in carats (1 carat = 0.2 g). The largest diamond was found in the South: it weighed over 3,000 carats. Most diamonds are mined in Africa (98% of the production in the capitalist world). In Russia, large diamond deposits are located in Yakutia. Clear crystals are used to make gemstones. Until 1430, diamonds were considered common gemstones. The trendsetter for them was the Frenchwoman Agnes Sorel. Opaque diamonds, due to their hardness, are used in industry for cutting and engraving, as well as for grinding glass and stone.

Soft malleable yellow metal, heavy, does not oxidize in air. In nature, it is found mainly in its pure form (nuggets). The largest nugget, weighing 69.7 kg, was found in Australia.

Gold is also found in the form of a placer - this is the result of weathering and erosion of the deposit, when grains of gold are released and carried away to form placers. Gold is used in the manufacture of precision instruments and various ornaments. In Russia, gold lies on and in. Abroad - in Canada, South Africa, . Since gold is found in nature in small quantities and its extraction is associated with high costs, it is considered a precious metal.

Platinum(from Spanish plata - silver) - a precious metal from white to steel grey. Differs in infusibility, resistance to chemical influences and electrical conductivity. It is mined mainly in placers. It is used for the manufacture of chemical glassware, in electrical engineering, jewelry and dentistry. In Russia, platinum is mined in the Urals and in Eastern Siberia. Abroad - in South Africa.

Gems(gems) - mineral bodies that have the beauty of color, brilliance, hardness, transparency. They are divided into two groups: stones for cutting and ornamental. The first group includes diamond, ruby, sapphire, emerald, amethyst, aquamarine. To the second group - malachite, jasper, rock crystal. All gems are usually of igneous origin. However, pearls, amber, coral are minerals of organic origin. Precious stones are used in jewelry and for technical purposes.

tuffs- rocks of various origins. Calcareous tuff is a porous rock formed as a result of precipitation of calcium carbonate from springs. This tuff is used to produce cement and lime. Volcanic tuff - cemented. Tufas are used as construction material. Has different colors.

micas- rocks that have the ability to split into the thinnest layers with a smooth surface; found as impurities in sedimentary rocks. Various micas are used as a good electrical insulator, for the manufacture of windows in metallurgical furnaces, in the electrical and radio industries. In Russia, micas are mined in Eastern Siberia, c. Industrial development of mica deposits is carried out in Ukraine, in the USA, .

Marble- a crystalline rock formed as a result of limestone metamorphism. It comes in various colors. Marble is used as a building material for wall cladding, in architecture and sculpture. In Russia, there are many of its deposits in the Urals and the Caucasus. Abroad, marble quarried in is the most famous.

Asbestos(Greek inextinguishable) - a group of fibrous fireproof rocks that split into soft fibers of greenish-yellow or almost white color. It lies in the form of veins (vein is a mineral body that fills a crack in earth's crust, usually has a plate-like shape, going vertically to great depths. The length of the veins reaches two or more kilometers), among igneous and sedimentary rocks. It is used for the manufacture of special fabrics (fire insulation), tarpaulins, fire-resistant roofing materials, as well as thermal insulation materials. In Russia, asbestos is mined in the Urals, in, abroad - in other countries.

Asphalt(resin) - a fragile resinous rock of brown or black color, which is a mixture of hydrocarbons. Asphalt melts easily, burns with a smoky flame, is a product of the transformation of certain types of oil, from which some of the substances have evaporated. Asphalt often penetrates sandstones, limestones, marl. It is used as a building material for road surfacing, in the electrical engineering and rubber industry, for the preparation of varnishes and mixtures for waterproofing. The main asphalt deposits in Russia are the Ukhta region, abroad - in, in France,.

Apatity- minerals rich in phosphoric salts, green, gray and other colors; found among various igneous rocks, sometimes forming large accumulations. Apatites are mainly used for the production of phosphate fertilizers, they are also used in the ceramics industry. In Russia, the largest deposits of apatite are located in, on. Abroad they are mined in the Republic of South Africa.

Phosphorites- sedimentary rocks rich in phosphorus compounds, which form grains in the rock or hold together various minerals into a dense rock. Phosphorites are dark grey. They are used, like apatites, to obtain phosphate fertilizers. In Russia, phosphorite deposits are common in the Moscow and Kirov regions. Abroad, they are mined in the USA (Peninsula Florida) and.

aluminum ores- minerals and rocks used to produce aluminium. Main aluminum ores are bauxites, nephelines and alunites.

bauxites(the name comes from the Bo area in the south of France) - sedimentary rocks of red or Brown. 1/3 of their world reserves lie in the north, and the country is one of the leading states in their production. In Russia, bauxites are mined in. The main component of bauxite is aluminum oxide.

Alunites(the name comes from the word alun - alum (fr.) - minerals, which include aluminum, potassium and other inclusions. Alunite ore can be a raw material for obtaining not only aluminum, but also potash fertilizers and sulfuric acid. There are deposits of alunites in the USA, China, Ukraine, and other countries.

Nephelines(the name comes from the Greek "nephele", which means cloud) - minerals of complex composition, gray or green, containing a significant amount of aluminum. They are part of the igneous rocks. In Russia, nephelines are mined in and in Eastern Siberia. The aluminum obtained from these ores is a soft metal, gives strong alloys, is widely used, as well as in the manufacture of household goods.

Iron ores- natural mineral accumulations containing iron. They are diverse in terms of mineralogical composition, the amount of iron in them, and various impurities. Impurities can be valuable (chromium manganese, cobalt, nickel) and harmful (sulfur, phosphorus, arsenic). The main ones are brown iron ore, red iron ore, magnetic iron ore.

brown iron ore, or limonite, is a mixture of several minerals containing iron with an admixture of clay substances. It has a brown, yellow-brown or black color. It occurs most often in sedimentary rocks. If the ores of brown iron ore - one of the most common iron ores - have an iron content of at least 30%, then they are considered industrial. The main deposits are in Russia (Ural, Lipetsk), in Ukraine (), France (Lorraine), on.

Hematite, or hematite, is a red-brown to black mineral containing up to 65% iron.

Found in various rocks in the form of crystals and thin plates. Sometimes it forms clusters in the form of hard or earthy masses of bright red color. The main deposits of red iron ore are in Russia (KMA), Ukraine (Krivoy Rog), USA, Brazil, Kazakhstan, Canada, Sweden.

Magnetic iron ore, or magnetite, is a black mineral containing 50-60% iron. It is high quality iron ore. Composed of iron and oxygen, highly magnetic. It occurs in the form of crystals, inclusions and solid masses. The main deposits are in Russia (Urals, KMA, Siberia), Ukraine (Krivoy Rog), Sweden and the USA.

copper ores- mineral accumulations containing copper in an amount suitable for industrial use. Ores containing copper from 1% and above are usually processed. Most copper ores require beneficiation - the separation of waste rock from a valuable component. About 90% of the world's copper reserves are concentrated in deposits, the ores of which, in addition to copper, include some other metal. Most often it is nickel. Copper is widely used in industry, especially in the electrical industry and in. Copper is used in the production of alloys that are widely used both in everyday life and in industry: an alloy of copper with tin (bronze), an alloy of copper with nickel (cupronickel), an alloy of copper with zinc (brass), an alloy of copper with aluminum (duralumin). In Russia copper ores occur in the Urals, in Eastern Siberia, on the Kola Peninsula. Rich deposits of ores are available in Kazakhstan - numerous minerals containing tin. Tin ores with a tin content of 1-2% or more are being developed. These ores require enrichment - an increase in the valuable component and the separation of waste rock, therefore, ores with a tin content increased to 55% are used for smelting. Tin does not oxidize, which has led to its widespread use in the canning industry. In Russia, tin ores occur in Eastern Siberia and on, and abroad they are mined in Indonesia, on the peninsula.

Nickel ores- mineral compounds containing nickel. It does not oxidize in air. The addition of nickel to steels greatly increases their elasticity. Pure nickel is used in mechanical engineering. In Russia, it is mined on the Kola Peninsula, in the Urals, in Eastern Siberia; abroad - in Canada, on


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Exceptional underground wealth is concentrated in the depths of our Motherland. Russia occupies one of the leading places in terms of the number of deposits and the extraction of minerals. What mineral resources are contained in the bowels of our country?

Minerals of Russia

In the territory Russian Federation there are about 200 thousand deposits, and the total cost of all underground resources is 30 trillion dollars. Our most important underground resources are oil, natural gas, coal, iron, cobalt, and potassium salts. Russia has 60% of the world's gas reserves, 30% of coal, and 20% of oil.

Rice. 1. The largest deposits Russia.

Despite the huge reserves of minerals, there may be even more of them. Indeed, in the geological sphere, the territory of Russia is little studied. So the area of ​​Eastern Siberia, where there are many deposits, has been studied by only 4%.

Russian fields

The crystalline basement of the platforms contains iron ores (Kola Peninsula), and sedimentary covers contain oil and gas deposits (Volga-Ural basin, West Siberian plate). The largest deposits of hard and brown coal are located in the Vorkuta region, in the Donets Basin, Kuzbass, Tunguska, Lena, Kansk-Achinsk basins.

Rice. 2. Kansk-Achinsk basin.

Iron ores occur in the area of ​​the Kursk magnetic anomaly, the Aldan Shield, the Angara-Pitsky and Angara-Ilimsky regions, nickel ores - on the Kola Peninsula, polymetallic - near Norilsk.

Mountain regions are rich in ore minerals. There are deposits of ores of non-ferrous and rare metals: copper (Urals, Transbaikalia), lead, zinc (Northern Caucasus, Primorsky Territory, Altai), tin (Far East, Eastern Siberia), bauxites (Northern Urals, Krasnoyarsk Territory).

There are gold deposits in Eastern Siberia, Yakutia, in the north of the Far East, and platinum deposits in the Urals.

In the west of Yakutia there is a diamond deposit, on the Kola Peninsula - apatite, in the Volga region and the Urals - potassium salts, on Far East- graphite.

Rice. 3. Diamond deposits in Yakutia.

Table "Our underground wealth"

Name Properties Place of Birth
Oil dark flammable liquid Samotlor, Fedorovskoye, Romashkinskoye deposits
Coal hard, but at the same time fragile; has black color Donets basin, Kuzbass, Tunguska, Leninsky and Kansk-Achinsk basins
Natural gas combustible and explosive Urengoy, Yamburg, Leningradskoye, Rusanovskoye deposits
Cobalt metal similar to iron, but darker Murmansk region, Ural, Norilsk
Iron ore has a dark color, as well as the ability to attract metal objects Area of ​​the Kursk magnetic anomaly, Aldan shield, Kola Peninsula

Russia ranks first in the world in diamond, oil and natural gas

What have we learned?

Russia - huge country, in the bowels of which is hidden a large number of natural wealth. in our country, ore, coal, oil, metals, precious stones and much more are mined. In many sectors of the extractive industry, Russia is in first place (production, oil, gas).

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The most big country occupies one of the leading places in the world in terms of mineral reserves.

This can be most clearly represented in numbers. More than 200,000 deposits have now been discovered on the territory of Russia, and the total value of all minerals is about 30 trillion rubles. dollars.

Here is Russia's share in world reserves certain types fossils:

  • Oil— 12%
  • Natural gas — 32%
  • Coal— 30 %
  • Potassium salts — 31%
  • Cobalt— 21%
  • Iron— 25%
  • Nickel— 15%.

Features of the relief of Russia

Russia occupies the largest territory in the world, and therefore has a diverse and complex relief. Among the features of the relief are:

1. The predominance of plains in the European part of the country and the central regions.

2. The mountains are located mainly in the south, east and northeast (not counting the Ural Range, which crosses Russia from north to south).

3. The relief has a general slope to the north, so most of the rivers flow into the waters of the seas of the Arctic.

These character traits relief affect the distribution of mineral deposits. Rocks are mined in the Caucasus and Eastern Siberia, peat - in forest areas, bauxites and iron ores - on the plains.

Types of minerals

Minerals are minerals and rocks that are used by man. There are several classifications of minerals, but most often they are divided by type of use.

combustible

  • Coal- sedimentary rock, occurs in layers. The most important type of fuel used in metallurgy. The most important reserves of Russia are the Kuzbass, Pechora, and Tunguska deposits.
  • Peat formed in swamps from decaying plant residues. Contains up to 60% carbon. It is used as a cheap fuel, for fertilizers and for the extraction of acetic acid.
  • Oil— oily liquid of black color, perfectly burns. Occurs between sedimentary rocks at different depths. It is the most important fossil fuel. In the Russian Federation, the largest deposits are the West Siberian basin, basins North Caucasus and the Volga region.
  • Natural gas- formed in the voids of rocks. Sometimes its accumulations can be millions of cubic meters. This is the cheapest and most convenient fuel.
  • oil shale- sedimentary rocks, which are a mixture of siliceous clay and organic residues. During the distillation of shale, a resin is obtained that is similar in composition and properties to oil.

Ore

  • Rocks(marble, mica, asphalt, tuff, potash salt, phosphorites). They have a different origin and are used in almost all industries.

Thus, tuffs and marble are used in construction, mica - in the electrical and radio industry, asbestos - for thermal insulation and fire insulation, asphalt - for road pavement.

  • metal ores(iron, copper, nickel, non-ferrous metals) - these are mountain clusters containing metals. For example, aluminum is mined from bauxites, nephelines and alunites, iron from iron ores, brown, red and magnetic iron ore.
  • Non-metallic ores(sand, asbestos).

Nonmetallic

  • Gems — natural stones organic or mineral origin. Used in jewelry, medicine, chemical industry.
  • Sand, gravel, clay, chalk, salt- hard rocks used in almost all areas of industry.

Resources and deposits

About 30 types of fossils are represented on the territory of Russia. Here is a description of the main deposits and reserves of just some of them.

Oil and gas

Oil is produced mainly in the eastern and northern parts of the country, as well as on the shelves of the seas of the Arctic and the Far East. Currently, 2,152 oil fields are being actively developed. Up to 600 million tons are mined annually, and the predicted reserves are estimated at 50 billion tons.

In terms of natural gas reserves, Russia ranks first in the world. About 650 billion cubic meters of gas are produced annually. More than 10 deposits have been explored, which are called unique, as the predicted reserves in them exceed 1 trillion. cubic meters.

Coal

In terms of coal production, Russia ranks third in the world. Only explored reserves will be enough for the country for 400 years. Coal basins are concentrated mainly in the east of the country - beyond the Ural Mountains. The largest deposits are the Tunguska (more than 2200 billion tons) and Lena basins (1647 billion tons).

oil shale

The main deposits are concentrated in the European part of the country. The largest is the Baltic shale basin.

Peat

The main peat reserves are located in the Asian part of Russia. In total, more than 46 thousand deposits have been explored. The largest is Vasyuganskoye, where 15% of peat reserves in the Russian Federation are mined.

Iron ores

In terms of iron ore deposits, Russia ranks first in the world. The largest deposits are concentrated in the European part (the Kursk magnetic anomaly, the Baltic Shield on the Kola Peninsula, the KMA basin).

Manganese

In the Russian Federation, manganese is mined mainly of the carbonate type. To date, 14 deposits have been explored in the Urals, Siberia and the Far East. The total amount of reserves is about 150 million tons. The largest deposits are Yurkinskoye, Berezovskoye, Polunochnoye.

Aluminum

Russia has a sufficient amount of bauxite and nepheline reserves - in the Urals and in Western Siberia. But the problem is that the ores are of low quality, and the extraction of aluminum seems to be costly. The most promising in this regard are the bauxite reserves of the North Ural region.

Non-ferrous metals

In terms of reserves of non-ferrous metal ores, Russia ranks first in the world, and the total value of explored reserves is more than 1.8 trillion. dollars. The richest deposits of ores are found in Eastern Siberia and Taimyr. For example, Russia's share in the world's diamond production is 25%. More is mined only in South Africa.

Nonmetallic building materials

Experts note the main problems that prevent Russia from fully exploiting its potential in the field of mineral reserves are insufficient funding for geological surveys, problems with taxation, a lack of manufacturing enterprises and the inability to provide a sufficient sales market.

Mineral deposit called a section of the earth's crust in which, as a result of certain geological processes, an accumulation of mineral matter occurred, which, in terms of quantity, quality and conditions of occurrence, is suitable for industrial use. Minerals are gaseous, liquid and solid. TO gaseous include combustible gases of hydrocarbon composition and non-combustible inert gases; To liquid - oil and The groundwater; To solid owns most of the minerals that are used as elements or their connections(iron, gold, bronze, etc.), crystals(rock crystal, diamond, etc.), minerals(fossil salts, graphite, talc, etc.) and rocks(granite, marble, clay, etc.).

According to industrial use, mineral deposits are divided into ore or metal; non-metallic, or non-metallic; combustible and hydromineral (Table 1).

Ore deposits in turn, they are subdivided into deposits of ferrous, light, non-ferrous, rare, radioactive and noble metals, as well as trace and rare earth elements.

TO non-metallic deposits include deposits of chemical, agronomic, metallurgical, technical and construction mineral raw materials.

Deposits of combustible minerals It is customary to divide into deposits of oil, combustible gases, coal, oil shale and peat.

Hydromineral deposits are divided into groundwater (drinking, technical, mineral) and oil, containing valuable elements in an amount sufficient to extract them (bromine, iodine, boron, radium, etc.).

Mineral raw materials are used for the needs of industry both directly, without preliminary processing, and for the extraction of valuable natural chemical compounds or elements necessary for the national economy. In the latter case, it is called ore.

Ore is a mineral aggregate in which the content of a valuable component (or components) is sufficient for industrial extraction. The amount of mineral raw materials in the subsoil is called its reserves. The quality of mineral raw materials going for processing is determined by the content in it valuable components. For the industrial evaluation of certain types of minerals, in addition, the presence in them of harmful ingredients, hindering the processing and use of ores. The higher the content of valuable and the lower the concentration of harmful components, the greater the value of the ore.

The minimum reserves and content of valuable components, as well as the permissible maximum content of harmful impurities in mineral raw materials, under which the exploitation of a mineral deposit is possible, are called industrial conditions. Industrial conditions are not strictly defined and set once and for all.

First, they historically change with the development of mankind's needs for mineral raw materials.

Secondly, industrial limits are decreasing due to the improvement of the technique of extraction and processing of mineral raw materials. Thirdly, industrial standards for mineral raw materials are different for different natural conditions location of mineral deposits and are determined using economic calculations.

The higher the value of mineral raw materials, the lower the industrial standard minimum for reserves and the content of valuable components. However, it is always greater than the average content of valuable elements in the rocks of the earth's crust (their clarks).

The surrounding world is filled with things and objects, without which the existence of mankind is impossible. But in the daily bustle, people rarely think about the fact that all the benefits modern life we owe it to natural resources.

Breathtaking from our achievements right? Man is the pinnacle of evolution, the most perfect creature on Earth! And now let's think for a moment why we have achieved all these blessings, what forces should we thank, what and to whom do people owe for all their blessings?

Having carefully looked at all the objects around us, many of us for the first time realize the simple truth that man is not the king of nature, but only one of its constituent parts.

Since people owe most of the modern goods natural resources mined from the bowels of the earth

Modern life on our planet is not possible without the use of natural resources. Some of them are more valuable, others less, and without some, humanity at this stage of its development cannot exist.

We use them to heat and light our homes, to quickly get from one continent to another. Maintaining our health depends on others (for example, it can be mineral water). The list of minerals valuable to humans is huge, but you can try to identify the ten most important natural elements, without which it is difficult to imagine the further development of our civilization.

1. Oil is the "black gold" of the Earth


It is not for nothing that it is called “black gold”, because with the development of the transport industry, the life of human society has become directly dependent on its production and distribution. Scientists believe that oil is a product of the decomposition of organic residues. It consists of hydrocarbons. Not many people realize that oil is part of the most ordinary and necessary things for us.

In addition to being the basis of fuel for most modes of transport, it is widely used in medicine, perfumery and the chemical industry. For example, oil is used to make polyethylene and different types plastic. In medicine, oil is used to produce vaseline and aspirin, which is indispensable in many cases. by the most unexpected application oil for many of us will be that it is involved in the production of chewing gum. Indispensable in the space industry, solar panels are also produced with the addition of oil. It is difficult to imagine the modern textile industry without the production of nylon, which is also made from oil. The largest oil deposits are in Russia, Mexico, Libya, Algeria, USA, Venezuela.

2. Natural gas is the source of heat on the planet


The importance of this mineral is difficult to overestimate. Most natural gas fields are closely related to oil deposits. Gas is used as an inexpensive fuel for heating homes and businesses. The value of natural gas lies in the fact that it is an environmentally friendly fuel. The chemical industry uses natural gas to produce plastics, alcohol, rubber, acid. Natural gas deposits can reach hundreds of billions of cubic meters.

3. Coal - the energy of light and heat


This is a combustible rock with a high heat output during combustion and a carbon content of up to 98%. Coal is used as fuel for power plants and boiler houses, metallurgy. This fossil mineral is also used in the chemical industry as a raw material for the manufacture of:

  • plastics;
  • medicines;
  • spirits;
  • various dyes.

4. Asphalt is a versatile fossil resin


The role of this fossil resin in the development of the modern transportation industry is invaluable. In addition, asphalt is used in the manufacture of electrical engineering, the manufacture of rubber and various varnishes used for waterproofing. Widely used in the construction and chemical industries. Mined in France, Jordan, Israel, Russia.

5. Aluminum ore (bauxite, nepheline, alunite)

bauxites- the main source of aluminum oxide. Mined in Russia, Australia.

Alunites- are used not only for the production of aluminum, but also in the production of sulfuric acid and fertilizers.

Nephelines- contain a large amount of aluminum. With the help of this mineral, reliable alloys used in mechanical engineering are created.

6. Iron ores - the metal heart of the Earth



differ in iron content and chemical composition. Iron ore deposits are found in many countries of the world. Iron plays a significant role in the development of civilization. Iron ore is the main component for iron production. In derivatives from iron ore industries such as:
  • metalworking and mechanical engineering;
  • space and military industries;
  • automotive and shipbuilding industry;
  • branches of light and food industry;

The leaders in the extraction of iron ore are Russia, China, and the USA.


In nature, it is found mainly in the form of nuggets (the largest was found in Australia and weighed about 70 kg.). It also occurs in the form of scatterings. The main consumer of gold (after the jewelry industry) is the electronic industry (gold is widely used in microcircuits and various electronic components for computer technology). Gold is widely used in dentistry for the manufacture of dentures and crowns. Since gold practically does not oxidize and does not corrode, it is also used in the chemical industry. It is mined in South Africa, Australia, Russia, and Canada.

8. Diamond is one of the hardest materials


It is widely used in jewelry (cut diamond is called a brilliant), in addition, due to its hardness, diamond is used for processing metals, glass and stones. Diamonds are widely used in the instrument-making, electrical and electronic industries National economy. Diamond grit is an excellent abrasive raw material for the production of grinding pastes and powders. Diamonds are mined in Africa (98%), Russia.

9. Platinum is the most valuable precious metal


Widely used in the field of electrical engineering. In addition, it is used in the jewelry industry and the space industry. Platinum is used to produce:

  • special mirrors for laser technology;
  • in the automotive industry for cleaning exhaust gases;
  • for corrosion protection of submarine hulls;
  • surgical instruments are made from platinum and its alloys;
  • high-precision glass instruments.

10. Uranium-radium ores - dangerous energy


They are of great importance in modern world, as they are used as fuel in nuclear power plants. These ores are mined in South Africa, Russia, Congo and a number of other countries.

It is terrible to imagine what could happen if, at this stage of its development, humanity loses access to the listed natural resources. Moreover, not all countries have equal access to natural wealth Earth. Deposits of natural resources are not evenly distributed. It is often because of this circumstance that conflicts arise between states. In fact, the entire history of modern civilization is a constant struggle for possession of the valuable resources of the planet.

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