Natural Resources and Energy

Today’s class

• What is a natural resource?

• How does the distribution and management of natural resources affect movements of products and people?

What is a Natural resource?

• Materials from nature – minerals, plant fibers, animal products, and energy – that go into making a good.

• Availability depends on:

– Physical characteristics of the resource

– Economic and technological condition of society

Major Resources

• Coal = Steele for manufacturing

• Petroleum = Gas, Kerosene, etc. for energy and chemical products

• Aquifers & Lakes = fresh water

Middle East

Algeria & Libya

Asia Over 25%

World Coal Deposits 2010

http://www.wou.edu/las/physci/GS361/Fossil%20fuels/Coal.htm

North AmericaOver 25%

EuropeOver 30%

Nigeria35,900,000,000Barrels of oil

Middle East –426,000,000,000

Barrels of oil

Russia60,000,000,000Barrels of oil

Venezuela79,700,000,000Barrels of Oil

Canada178,8000,000,000

Barrels of Oil

World Oil Reserves

Mastering the TEKS in World Geography 2011

Libya39,100,000,000Barrels of oil

Oil

• Worldwide and in US, 40% of energy

• 2/3 of US use is transportation

• Cheaper to import oil than extract it here (60% imported)

OPEC

• Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries

• Cartel that sets oil prices and supply

– Formed to resist European companies

– Holds 70% of reserves

• Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE; Algeria, Libya, Nigeria; Venezuela; Indonesia

• Flammable Gas consisting mainly of Methane

• Burns more clean than both Oil and Coal

• Extracted from oil fields and gas fields

• Turned to a liquid to transport

• Top Producers are United States, Russia, and Iran

• Long history as a valuable metal

–Conducts electricity

–Used as currency

• Occurs everywhere, even in seawater

Example: Gold

• Gold helped Union win Civil War

• Population boom made CA a state in 2 years

• Agriculture began to boom

• San Francisco as gateway

California Gold Rush

• Mineral that includes tantalum• Used in cell phones, laptops, etc.• Found in Australia, Central Africa (Democratic

Republic of the Congo)

Example: Coltan

• Mineral that includes tantalum

• Used in cell phones, laptops, etc.

• Found in Australia, Central Africa

Coltan

• Good source of income for Congolese

• But, militias overrun protected areas and smuggle out coltan

• So Nokia et al. go to Australia instead

• The capacity to do work or transfer heat• (Nearly) All energy comes from the sun• Primary energy sources: heat or do

work directly• Secondary sources: turn turbines to

generate electricity

• 90% of US energy from fossil fuels

• Remainder nuclear, hydro

• Different geography for each source

– Coal, natural gas

– Hydro

– Nuclear

– Solar

– Wind

Nuclear

Solar

Wind

Hydro

Distribution of Natural Resources encourages Specialization

• Not all areas of the world have the climate, landforms, soils or minerals for good agriculture – in some regions, farmers are not able to grow certain crops or much food at all.

• The same goes for other resources which encourages specialization

Specialization

• Producing or growing a lot of one product which leads to trade.

Saudi Arabia

Japan

Oil TV’s

Camera’s Fruit

$ $ $ $ $ $