⛏️ MINERALS AND ENERGY RESOURCES (WORLD) World Geography · Ch 24

SSC / Railway / UPSC / BPSC — World Geography Mind Map Series

⛏️ Mineral Resources — Metallic Minerals

Iron Ores & Steel-Alloying Mineral Resources

  • Iron Ore (Magnetite, Hematite, Limonite, Siderite)
  • Manganese (Psilomelane and Pyrolusite)
  • Nickel (Pentlandite)
  • Tungsten (Wolframite)
  • Chromium (Chromite)
  • Cobalt
  • Vanadium, etc.

Non-Ferrous Metals / Minerals

  • Copper: cuprite, malachite, chalcopyrite; pyrite is iron sulfide, not a standard copper ore.
  • Aluminium (Bauxite)
  • Tin (Cassiterite, Placer deposits)
  • Lead (Galena)
  • Zinc (Zinc Blende / Zinc Sulphide, Calamine)
  • Cadmium, etc.

Precious Metals

  • Gold
  • Silver
  • Platinum, etc.
⚡ Quick Recall
Iron ore is clearly ferrous; copper/aluminium/tin/lead/zinc are non-ferrous commodity groups. Chalcopyrite contains both copper and iron; ‘non-ferrous’ is not a rule that every ore lacks Fe.
🧂 Non-Metallic Minerals
  • Nitrate
  • Phosphate
  • Potash
  • Sulphur, etc.
  • Mica — non-metallic sheet silicates; pegmatite is a common host rock.
⚡ Quick Recall
Non-metallic minerals are mostly used as fertilizers/chemicals (Nitrate, Phosphate, Potash), unlike metallic minerals which go into industry and construction.
🌍 Mineral Output — OP 2025 Estimates (2024 Where Labelled)
MineralTop Producing Countries
Iron OreAustralia > Brazil > India > China
CopperChile > Congo (Kinshasa/DRC) > Peru > China
TinChina > Indonesia > Peru
ZincChina > Peru > Australia
LeadChina > Australia > Peru
ManganeseSouth Africa > Gabon > Ghana
Primary AluminiumChina > India > Russia > Canada
Asbestos (2024)Russia > Kazakhstan > China
Natural Scrap/Flake Mica (2024)Madagascar > China > Finland > United States
AluminaChina > Australia > Brazil > India
BauxiteGuinea > Australia > China > Brazil
GoldChina > Russia > Australia > Canada
SilverMexico > Peru > China
Natural Industrial DiamondsRussia > Congo (Kinshasa/DRC) > Botswana and Zimbabwe (tie)
Cement (manufactured, not raw mineral)China > India > Vietnam
📌 Extensive copper reserves Atacama Desert (South America)
📌 Most abundant mineral on Earth Bridgmanite
⚠ Exam Trap
Bridgmanite (found deep in Earth's mantle) is the most abundant mineral by mass in the whole Earth — not a commonly mined surface mineral, so don't confuse it with commercially "top produced" minerals.
🔥 Conventional Energy Sources (Non-Renewable) — Fossil Fuels
SourceKey Details
CoalRank: Anthracite → Bituminous → Subbituminous → Lignite; peat is a precursor. 2024 production: China → India → Indonesia → Russia → Australia. 2023 EIA proved reserves: USA leads.
Mineral Oil (Petroleum)Products include diesel, petrol/gasoline and kerosene. 2025 crude-oil production: United States → Russia → Saudi Arabia (OP snapshot).
Natural GasOften occurs in the same sedimentary basins as petroleum and may share reservoirs. 2024 dry-gas production: USA → Russia → Iran → China.
⚠ Exam Trap
China led 2024 coal production; the USA held the largest reported proved coal reserves in the referenced 2023 EIA series. Production and reserves are different measures.
♻️ Renewable Energy Sources

Solar Energy

Bioenergy

Wind Energy

Hydroelectric Energy

Geothermal Energy

Tidal Energy

⚡ Quick Recall
Six renewable energy types to memorize: Solar, Bio, Wind, Hydroelectric, Geothermal, Tidal.
☢️ Uranium
  • Ores: Pitchblende, Uraninite
  • Monazite, thorite and thorianite are thorium-associated minerals; do not confuse them with uranium-bearing uraninite/pitchblende.
  • Top Producers: Kazakhstan, Canada, Namibia, Australia, Russia
☢️ Thorium
  • Important thorium minerals: Monazite, thorite and thorianite.
  • Largest identified resources: India, much associated with monazite-bearing heavy-mineral beach sands.
  • No robust simple primary-thorium production ranking; recovery is limited and largely byproduct-linked.
🇮🇳 India — Renewable Energy Rankings
  • 3rd in total renewable-power installed capacity at end-2025, in the OP statistical snapshot
  • India ranks 3rd in installed solar energy capacity (2025)
  • 4th in installed wind-power capacity (OP snapshot); generation is a different metric.
  • Sources of nuclear energy: Uranium, Thorium
⚠ Exam Trap
India has major identified thorium resources, especially monazite sands. No robust simple primary-thorium producer ranking is supported; recovery is limited and mainly byproduct-linked.
📝 Quick Reference — Key Facts
FactDetails
Most abundantly found mineral on EarthBridgmanite
Extensive copper reservesAtacama Desert (South America)
Best type of CoalAnthracite
Largest proved coal reserves (2023 EIA)United States
Top coal producers (2024)China → India → Indonesia → Russia → Australia
Top crude-oil producers (2025 OP)United States → Russia → Saudi Arabia
Uranium top producersKazakhstan, Canada, Namibia, Australia, Russia
Largest identified thorium resourcesIndia — identified resources, not a primary production ranking
India's global rank – Renewable energy3rd in total renewable installed capacity, end-2025 OP snapshot
India's global rank – Solar energy3rd in installed capacity (2025)
India's global rank – Wind energy4th in installed capacity (OP snapshot)
⚡ Quick Recall
Coal rank: Anthracite → Bituminous → Subbituminous → Lignite. Peat is an organic precursor, not the lowest standard coal rank.
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