Natural Resources and Economy

Study Notes

Europe's natural resources drive the economy, leading to good living standards and affecting human behavior, including the movement of families, products, and capital.
The climate is mild, making it suitable for agriculture, with wheat, rapeseed, potatoes, and livestock products being major crops.
Services account for 73% of Europe's GDP, but historically, natural resources played a significant role in the continent's economy.
Many manufactured products are made using raw materials sourced from other countries, driving companies and people to move out of Europe.

Natural resources in East Asia include coal, oil, fertile land, and natural beauty for tourism.
China has an abundance of natural resources, including forests, water, coal, oil, uranium, and metals.
Japan lacks natural resources, relying on imports, but has fertile land and hydroelectric power potential.
South Korea is also resource-poor, but has graphite, tungsten, and fertile land.
North Korea has natural resources, including marble, granite, iron ore, coal, gold, and rare earths, but is limited by sanctions.

Natural resources in Central Asia include oil, natural gas, iron ore, nickel, copper, tin, lead, titanium, diamonds, and wood.
Russia is rich in natural resources, with oil, natural gas, iron ore, nickel, copper, tin, lead, titanium, diamonds, and huge amounts of wood.
Kazakhstan has fertile land, oil, natural gas, and various metals and minerals.
Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, and Tajikistan also have significant natural resources, including natural gas, oil, coal, and metallic ores.

Australia is rich in natural resources, including coal, iron ore, and gold, with exports reaching a record high in 2014.
New Zealand has significant natural resources, including dairy products, timber, oil, industrial machinery, and beverages.
The Pacific Islands are less rich in natural resources, with agriculture being dominant, but tourism is on the rise.

The presence or absence of water has been a crucial factor in determining settlement patterns in the Middle East and Africa.
Water has led to dense settlements along the Nile River and civilizations in Ghana and Zimbabwe.
The ability to drill for oil has made it economical to build desalination plants and houses on stilts to access resources.

The continent is divided into five regions: the Mountainous West, the Great Plains, the Canadian Shield, the Eastern Region, and the Caribbean Region.
The Mountainous West has a varied landscape, including the Rocky Mountains and the Sierra Madres.
The Great Plains is a fertile region, often referred to as the 'bread basket' of North America.
The Canadian Shield is a raised plateau with cold temperatures and rocky terrain, employing many loggers.
The Eastern Region spans the Eastern coast, including the Appalachian Mountains and Eastern coastal plains of Canada and the U.S.
The Caribbean Region is located southeast of the Gulf of Mexico and east of Central America, with many islands and coral reefs.

Physical characteristics include rivers, coasts, bays, mountains, canyons, valleys, and lakes.
Human characteristics include cities, towns, dams, roads, and communication links.
The largest cities in the United States are New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and the wider Washington, DC metropolitan area.
Major U.S. cities are often located near bodies of water, including lakes, oceans, and rivers.