China is one of the richest countries in terms of land resources. Throughout different parts of the country, China has cultivated land, forests, grasslands, and large mineral deposits.
According to china.org.cn,
“China's cultivated lands, forests and grasslands are among the world's largest in terms of sheer area. But due to China's large population, the per-capita areas of cultivated land, forest and grassland are small, especially in the case of cultivated land - only one third of the world's average.”
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One of China’s best assets in terms of land resources are its mineral deposits. China contains all 158 different minerals in the world. This includes coal, iron ore, phosphorus, sulfur and rare earth metals. China also has large deposits of petroleum, natural gas, and oil shale. It is estimated that China contains 95% of the world's rare earth metals, which are important because they are used to make electronics. From an economics standpoint this could become a big problem if China refused to export some of these metals.
Map of minerals:
Along with its minerals resources, large portions of China are used for agriculture. 130 million ha of land are used for farming, around 10% of China’s total area. Crops grown include wheat, corn, cotton, rice, and other crops. 171 million ha of forests cover China, with trees such as birch, willow, elm, and dragon spruce. China also has 400 million ha of grassland, which is used for grazing livestock., like cattle, horses, and sheep.
China’s natural resources are important because they have allowed China to expand and grow its economy. China’s huge manufacturing industry is supported by their available resources. Other resources, such as oil and natural gas, give China cheap energy. Overall China is one of the richest countries in terms of natural resources, although due to its large population, the per capita resources amount of resources are small.
Group China: Majken, Sarah, Cristina, Luke
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