The natural resources of Brazil are products that allow life in the country and are one of the main economic sources of the largest nation in South America. Thanks to the exploitation of these resources, the South American nation has been able to experience significant development, both socially and economically.
Natural resources are all those inputs that allow the development of human beings and their subsistence. For example, the mineral products that can be extracted from a geological formation or the items that can be obtained thanks to a harvest.
In the particular case of Brazil, the resources of this type that are generated in the territory have made it one of the largest producers in the Latin American region.
Among the inputs that can be found in the country are: minerals such as gold, iron, aluminum and tin; oil production and hydroelectric energy sources also occupy an important place in the Brazilian economy.
Mineral resources
Brazil is one of the countries that has one of the greatest mineral wealth in South America. The great presence of these resources in the Brazilian territory also makes the country one of the nations with the largest natural populations in the world.
The natural resources provided by Brazilian lands allow mining to be one of the sources of economic sustenance in Brazil.
Among the mineral resources that can be found in Brazil are: niobium, tantalite, asbestos, graphite, aluminum, talc, vermiculite, tin, magnesite and iron.
Gold
One of the minerals whose production achieved one of the biggest booms in the history of Brazil was gold. The productive power of Brazilian gold makes the country one of the largest gold exporters in the world.
The contamination of the land by the use of mercury deteriorated the production of this mineral; however, gold continued to occupy one of the main positions in the Brazilian economy during the 1980s. During this period, the South American country was the largest gold exporter in the region.
Today, the sale and export of gold represents one of the most significant income for the Brazilian economy.
The high level of gold production that Brazil had decades ago allowed both the economic and social aspects of the country to undergo significant development.
Iron
One of the main economic activities in Brazil is the export of iron, one of the minerals with the greatest presence in that country.
It is considered that approximately 55% of the mining exports of the Latin American nation correspond to iron. For this reason, Brazil is considered the main South American exporter of this mineral. In addition, it is also the country that exports the most iron in the world.
Wood
Another natural resource that can be found in Brazil is wood. The wood produced by Brazil is used mainly by the local population. Wood production is one of the main sources of internal wealth in the country.
On the other hand, the timber industry of the Latin American country is growing, which has meant a growth in exports during the last decade.
Despite the importance of this item for the Brazilian nation, it is estimated that almost half of the wood that is extracted from the country is obtained through illegal methods.
It is obtained from areas such as public lands, indigenous reserves or protected areas, where the extraction of wood is prohibited by the government.
Food resources
One of the main agricultural products that occurs in Brazil is coffee. Coffee production is of such magnitude that it positioned the Latin American country as one of the main coffee producers in the world.
In the same way, Brazil is important in terms of exports thanks to the products it obtains through agricultural activities.
Soybeans, sugar cane, oranges, cotton, beef and pork are some of the products that top the list of exports from Brazil.
On the other hand, the country has one of the most varied flora in the world. It is possible to find plants with great commercial value in the country. The rubber tree, the Brazilian chestnut, mahogany, guarana and rosewood are some of the species that flourish in the South American nation.
Petroleum
Another of the inputs that make Brazil a country rich in natural resources is the oil found in the subsoil of the nation.
The presence of this product makes the country occupy one of the main positions in the world for its proven reserves of crude oil. The presence of crude oil in the Brazilian territory makes this state one of the most important producers in the world.
During the evaluation carried out in 2010, it was revealed that 50% of the discoveries of oil deposits in the world occurred in Brazil.
Hydroelectricity
One of the main electrical sources that the South American country has are the bodies of water that circulate through the territory, especially the Amazon River.
This condition allows hundreds of homes in Brazil to be supplied with electricity, which gives its inhabitants the opportunity to develop a regular lifestyle.
Approximately 80% of the electrical energy in Brazil is produced thanks to the masses of water found in its territory. In addition, hydroelectric energy represents around 15.2% of the domestic energy in the country.
Studies carried out indicate that most of its hydraulic potential is located north of the Brazilian territory, specifically in the Amazon River basin. It is estimated that there are more than 200 hydroelectric plants, fully supplied by the water masses present in Brazil.
References
- What Are The Major Natural Resources Of Brazil ?, Portal Worldatlas, (2018). Taken from worldatlas.com
- Geography of Brazil, English Wikipedia Portal, (nd). Taken from en.wikipedia.org
- Natural Resources in Brazil, Portal IACC, (2011). Taken from iacc.org.s3-website.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com
- Natural Resources and Economic Development in Brazil, Portal Oxford Scholarship Online, (2016). Taken from oxfordscholarship.com