Natural Resources & Production Study Guide

Natural resources are materials found in the environment that humans use for economic production and survival. They include fossil fuels such as oil, coal, and natural gas; metals and minerals like gold, iron, and copper; freshwater; fertile agricultural land; and forests. Countries richly endowed with natural resources often build their economies around extraction and export. The distribution of resources is uneven, which drives international trade, geopolitical competition, and sometimes conflict. Agricultural production - crops, livestock, and fisheries - feeds the world's population. This sub-category tests knowledge of which countries produce key resources, major commodity exporters, and the relationship between natural wealth and national economies.