Natural Resources, Mining, and Industry: A Global Perspective
Mining
Natural Resources
Natural resources, such as minerals, water, and forests, are found naturally in the environment. The exploitation of natural resources depends on:
- Technology: This makes it possible to obtain natural resources in different ways.
- Cost: The benefits must be greater than the cost of its exploitation.
Consumption is very high in developed countries. Less developed countries are the biggest producers of natural resources.
Mining Activity
A mineral is an inorganic natural substance, with a specific chemical composition, which is found in the Earth’s crust.
Mining Today
Mining began in ancient times. However, it has developed greatly since the Industrial Revolution.
- Environment: Mining destroys the landscape and pollutes water and soil.
- Excessive Mining: This activity could deplete minerals.
- Conflicts: In less developed countries, wars could appear to control the areas with mineral deposits.
Industry
Industry is the transformation of raw materials into manufactured goods. It is the most important activity of the secondary sector.
Modern industry requires certain conditions:
- Machines and energy
- The work is carried out in factories
- Large quantities of goods are produced
Industrial production began in England in the 18th century, with the following characteristics:
- Technical innovation
- Division of labor
- Production of large quantities of goods
The first countries of industrialization: England, France, Germany, and Belgium.
Nowadays, industry has the following characteristics:
- The use of new technologies and the importance of telecommunications
- We produce different models of the same product to cover different preferences
- A flexible, automated system of production
- The important participation of emerging countries
A multinational is a large company with subsidiaries in many countries. These companies are more powerful economically than some countries. They use advanced technology, invest in research, and they can produce large quantities of a product at very low prices.
BRICS
BRICS take their name from the first letter of the countries: Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. Together, these five countries account for around 27% of the industrial production of the world.
Non-Renewable Energy
They are formed by the decomposition of living organisms at the bottom of the ocean over millions of years. This process has not stopped, but it is extremely slow. Deposits are often found in the same place, making their extraction easier.
Oil is used to produce electricity. The biggest oil reserves are in the Persian Gulf, Venezuela, and Canada.
Gas reserves are more diversified, but there are important reserves in the Middle East and the Russian Federation. The United States is the biggest consumer, followed by China and Japan.
These resources cause the following problems:
- Environmental damage
- Dependence
Coal is a fossil fuel formed by the decomposing remains of vegetation in shallow water.
Uranium: Nuclear energy originates from a process called fission, the disintegration of uranium atoms. Uranium is a chemical element, present in limited quantities in nature.
Renewable Energy
Non-renewable energy sources cause problems, such as the depletion of resources and pollution.
Renewable energy sources include hydroelectric, wind, solar, biomass, geothermal, and tidal power. There are advantages:
- These energies are available everywhere. Fossil fuels are only found in certain regions.
- They have little impact on the environment.
They also have drawbacks:
- Supply is irregular.
- The energy produced is difficult to store.
Main renewable energy sources:
- Hydroelectric power
- Wind power
- Solar energy
- Biomass energy
- Geothermal energy
- Tidal energy
Mining, Energy, and Industry in Spain
In Spain, mining employs around 0.2% of the active population and contributes a similar percentage to the GDP.
- Leading producer of rocks and non-metallic minerals.
- Spain possesses diverse metallic minerals but does not cover the needs of the country.
- Energy minerals are scarce. Only coal has played a prominent role in our country; its exploitation is in crisis as it is more profitable to import it.
Spanish energy dependence exceeds 80%, a figure that is being reduced with the development of renewable energies, especially wind and solar.
The Industrialization Process
Industrialization in Spain began in the mid-19th century. Its first centers were in Catalonia, related to the textile industry, and in the Basque Country and Asturias, related to iron and coal. In the first third of the 20th century, industry grew notably thanks to the repatriation of capital from Cuba and the Philippines. This growth was truncated by the Civil War but resumed in the 1950s. The initial areas were joined by the Levantine, Cantabrian, and Madrid coastlines. From 1975 onwards, Spanish industry entered into a crisis. In the 1990s and early 21st century, industrial production reached its greatest dimension.
The Spanish Industry Today
The 2007 global economic crisis has had a great impact on Spain, where it has coincided with a crisis of its own caused by the housing bubble. By branches of activity, the food, beverage, and tobacco subsector, the manufacture of vehicles, and the chemical industry stand out. Most of the industrial activity is concentrated in Catalonia, Madrid, the Basque Country, and the Valencian Community.