Basically, many of the world's powerful nations are in Africa. Africa remains a powerhouse in the production of natural resources and innovation, considering the social and political issues the continent undergoes.
Over 54 countries, the continent is increasingly developing with new inventions and technologies each day. Africa is abundantly blessed with natural resources, including diamonds, oil, gold, gas, uranium, platinum, copper, cobalt, iron, natural gas, cobalt, iron, bauxite and cocoa beans. While the continent may not be as rich in other things, it is e tremely fertile and wealthy in terms of natural resources. Africa is home to the major amount of mineral deposits in the world, and these make room for more other natural resources industries in the world. And to that, below are the lists of countries that are rich in natural resources.
1. Niger
Niger is rich in uranium, coal, cement, and gold. Niger has been home to the largest underground mine in the world, where one can extract uranium. Niger has received lots of benefits from selling raw materials on the world's market. Niger supplies 44 per cent of African uranium all over the world, and this makes the country one of the richest in these minerals. 40 per cent of all Niger's exports are from the uranium trade, which helps them increase the natural economy. This is why countries like Korea and China mostly benefit from Niger's natural resources and trade with them. Apart from uranium, Niger also made other useful ones in stock, the likes of gold, coal and cement.
2. Namibia
Namibia is another country in Africa which is a productive uranium supplier. Namibia is rich in uranium, diamond, zinc, lead, sulfur, salt, tantalite and copper. In fact, Namibia proudly holds fourth place in the world in uranium. International companies are investing in the country's uranium resources for the production of energy. Uranium was first discovered in the desert of Namibia and its exploration began in 1960.
3. Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)
The Democratic Republic of Congo is one of the richest depositors of mineral resources like copper, cobalt, diamond, oil, coltan, gold and tins in Africa. DRC has been known for its mineralization as one of the most industrialized countries in Africa. The Democratic Republic of Congo has approximately 70% of the world's Coltan. Coltan is used primarily for the production of tantalum capacitors, used in many electronic devices. Coltan is important in the production of mobile phones; tantalum capacitors are used in almost every kind of electronic device.
4. Zambia
Zambia is rich in copper, emerald and cobalt. If you want to know what the richest country in copper is, beyond dispute, Zambia is best known for being number one of the copper producers and supplies in Africa. Zambia has the biggest underground mine on the whole continent which has about 10,000 workers. Copper is used in electrical equipment such as wiring and motors. This is because it conducts both heat and electricity very well, and can be drawn into wires. It also has uses in construction (for example roofing and plumbing), and industrial machinery (such as heat exchangers).
5. South Africa
South Africa is immensely rich in diamonds and gold. There are large amounts of diamonds and gold deposited in South Africa, as they have really contributed to the Nation's development. South Africa's economy has risen in the past couple of decades because of its rich mineral industry.
6. Mozambique
Mozambique is rich in aluminium, the country is a diverse country when it comes to natural resources because it has got lots of them. Mozambican soil is rich in limestones, cement, marbles, gemstones, coals, iron, gold, oil, gas, and steel. All of these minerals have made the economy of the country more stable and their productivity has become really active in the past years.
7. Tanzania
Tanzania is rich in tanzanite, gold, diamonds and silver. According to the name, “Tanzania”, the country is the supplier of the rare gemstone called Tanzanite. The country also produces gold. Tanzania is the fourth richest country in Africa in terms of gold.
8. The Republic of Guinea
Guinea is rich in bauxite. Guinea has an abundance of natural resources: it is the source of several major rivers and has exceptional biodiversity, the third of the world's bauxite reserves, and significant gold, diamond, and oil resources. The production of these resources, especially bauxite, has contributed to the production of aluminium in the country.
9. Ghana
Ghana is the second-largest producer of gold in Africa. The country is endowed with rich natural resources. Timber, gold, diamonds, silver, salt, bauxite, manganese, and oil contribute to making Ghana among the wealthier nations in West Africa. While its economy is one of the most successful in the region, it remains heavily dependent on international finance. Because Ghana exports most of their resources to foreign countries for refining.
10. Botswana
Botswana's economy highly depends on minerals, and this is why the mining industry is in the process of development. Botswana is highly rich in diamonds, copper, coal, soda ash and nickel. The country has huge resources for em diamonds. There are many marvellous qualities to this gem diamond. For example, it is very durable, resistant to different chemicals, and can disperse and refract light.
11. Egypt
Egypt is another country that is rich in natural resources. In addition to the agricultural capacity of the Nile Valley and Delta, Egypt's natural resources include petroleum, natural gas, phosphates, and iron ore. Crude oil is found primarily in the Gulf of Suez and in the Western Desert. Egypt is an African country situated in the northern part of the continent where it spans an area of roughly 390,121 square miles. Their land is effective for agricultural produce and has hugely impacted the country's economy.
12. Libya
Libya is endowed with key natural resources. In 2019, the country produced high levels of hydrocarbons and the output of crude oil was 1.7mbb/d. Despite sitting on unproductive desert land, the country is endowed with many natural resources that are vital to the nation's economy, and they include; oil, natural gas, gypsum, iron, potassium, magnesium, phosphate silica, and limestone among others.
13. Cameroon
Cameroon is endowed with natural resources which include oil and gas, mineral ores, highly- valued spaces of timber, and agricultural products such as coffee, maize, cotton and cassava. Their strong metal and industrial mineral pieces have encouraged companies to develop mines since 2003. Cameroon has made high profiting in agricultural investment.
14. Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is abundantly blessed with natural resources which include iron ore, chromium ore, vanadium, asbestos, nickel, copper, lithium, tin and platinum group metals. Zimbabwe boasts a long history of mining. The country is rich in natural resources with known occurrences of over40 minerals.
15. Nigeria
Nigeria is abundantly blessed with natural resources which include natural gas, tin, iron ore, coal, limestone, niobium, lead and zinc. Nigeria has a wide variety of renewable resources, some of which have not yet been effectively tapped. Solar energy, probably the most expensive of the underutilized renewable resources, is likely to remain untapped for some time, though, new projects are beginning to resource this wealth into utility for the country. Nigeria sits eleventh on the world's list of countries with the most crude oil supplies.