China's natural resources range from fisheries to minerals to rivers and seas. Despite the wealth of raw materials found in China, the large population and uneven distribution of these resources continue to challenge China. But as China explores and exploits these natural resources, the country is taking an increasingly powerful role in the world economy.
TL;DR (Too Long; Didn't Read)
Natural resources of China include extensive mineral deposits, fossil fuels, water as rain and in rivers, agricultural products, aquaculture, fisheries and native plants and animals.
Mineral Resources and Raw Materials Found in China
China has extensive deposits of coal, oil and natural gas. Besides these fossil fuels, China is a top producer of aluminum, magnesium, antimony, salt, talc, barite, cement, coal, fluorspar, gold, graphite, iron, steel, lead, mercury, molybdenum, phosphate rock, rare earths, tin, tungsten, bismuth and zinc. China exports antimony, barite, rare earths, fluorspar, graphite, indium and tungsten, and it leads the world in domestic mining of gold, zinc, lead, molybdenum, iron ore and coal.
Water Resources: Rivers and Rainfall
The high mountains and powerful rivers of China provide many opportunities for hydroelectric power. The best potential for hydroelectric power lies in southwest China, providing power in an area lacking in coal resources. The Three Gorges Project on the Yangtze River reached full capacity in 2012, with 32 turbine generators and two additional generators providing 22,500 megawatts of electricity. Hydroelectric power, potentially, could generate 378 million kilowatts for China.
The average rainfall in China amounts to about 20 trillion cubic feet of water. Of this amount, approximately 9 trillion cubic feet of water is available as a resource. China ranks 6th in the world for water resources, behind Brazil, Russia, Canada, the United States and Indonesia.
Agriculture: Products From the Land
About 10 percent of China is farmland. Major crops are rice, wheat and corn as well as barley, soybeans, tea, cotton and tobacco. The country has become a world leader in production of pigs, chickens and eggs. China also has large herds of sheep and cattle. The country's population, about 25 percent of the world's population, severely strains the agricultural resources of China, however. While mechanization is increasing, much of the agriculture still uses traditional labor-intensive techniques.
Aquaculture: Fishing and Fish Farming
China has a long tradition of fresh and saltwater fishing and aquaculture. China has become the world's leader in both fishing and aquaculture. Most of China's offshore area is suitable for marine fisheries and for aquaculture, or raising fish as a crop. Aquaculture in ponds and inland waterways remains a common practice in China. The fishing resources of the South China Sea have become increasingly important as other fisheries in the region have become depleted.
Wildlife, Forests and Other Plants
Among other resources of China is the rich and diverse ecosystem. Many rare and unique organisms live in China including the giant panda, golden monkey, white-flag dolphin, metasequoia and the dove tree. China has created a number of parks and preserves to protect these ecosystems. These conservation practices also serve to improve local economies by encouraging tourism.
In the past, large areas of China's forests were decimated. More remote regions, however, survived. China now has begun replanting and managing the forest regions.
FAQs
Natural resources include coal, iron ore, petroleum, natural gas, mercury, tin, tungsten, antimony, manganese, molybdenum, vanadium, magnetite, aluminum, lead, zinc, uranium, and the world's largest hydropower potential.
What are the natural resources of China? ›
Natural resources include coal, iron ore, petroleum, natural gas, mercury, tin, tungsten, antimony, manganese, molybdenum, vanadium, magnetite, aluminum, lead, zinc, uranium, and the world's largest hydropower potential.
Does China have more natural resources than the US? ›
The U.S. and China have a roughly equal land mass, and while the U.S. has considerably more natural resources, the Chinese population is more than four times as large.
What are the natural resources of Southwest China? ›
Major tree species in the southwest include the dragon spruce, fir and Yunnan pine, as well as teak, red sandalwood, camphor, nanmu and padauk.
What are our five important natural resources? ›
Any natural substance that humans use can be considered a natural resource. Oil, coal, natural gas, metals, stone and sand are natural resources. Other natural resources are air, sunlight, soil and water.
Does China have natural oil resources? ›
China has one of the world's largest strategic oil reserves.
What is China's best resource? ›
China's most important mineral resources are hydrocarbons, of which coal is the most abundant. Although deposits are widely scattered (some coal is found in every province), most of the total is located in the northern part of the country.
Who is richer USA or China? ›
The national wealth of the United States is around $98.15T, the U.S. is the richest nation in the history of the world. The national wealth of China is around $51.87T.
What does China lack in resources? ›
Water insecurity represents an even harder constraint on China's growth, with per capita freshwater resources at just a quarter of the world average. China bears the burden of feeding 20% of the world's population with less than 10% of the world's arable land and only 7% of the world's potable water.
How much money debt do we owe to the Chinese government? ›
China's gold reserves are relatively small (about 7% of the world total). Production has usually been concentrated in the eastern provinces of Shandong, Henan, Fujian and Liaoning.
What raw materials come from China? ›
Lithium, chromium, cobalt, graphite, copper, and manganese are also essential for industrial purposes. For example, manganese is the most essential mineral in the production of steel aside from iron ore. But, again, most American electrolytic manganese comes from China.
What will be scarce in the future? ›
The resources that will be most scarce in the future, according to the report, are water, biodiversity and air, rare earth and metals, agriculture, waste disposal, processing power, youth, health and wellness, skills and education, and time.
Is water renewable or nonrenewable? ›
Water is a renewable resource when properly managed and used responsibly. Water circulates in nature in numerous states of matter, including liquid, vapour, and ice. As a result, the water that evaporates returns to the earth in the form of rain. As a result, water becomes a renewable resource.
What are the 5 most rare natural resources? ›
- Antimony.
- Platinum Group Elements: platinum, palladium, rhodium, ruthenium, iridium and osmium.
- Mercury. ...
- Tungsten. ...
- Rare Earth Elements: all 15 lanthanides, scandium and yttrium.
The country's services sector is propelling its economic output followed by manufacturing and industry, with agriculture rounding out the list of top three sectors. China is one of the world's largest exporters and importers in the world.
What is China's main export? ›
Machinery such as computers, broadcasting technology, and telephones as well as transport equipment make up the largest part of Chinese exports. This category amounted to approximately 1.69 trillion U.S. dollars in export value in 2022.
