Brazil natural resources and conditions. Brazil's natural resource potential

The area is 8.5 million km².

The population is 171.8 million people.

The capital is Brasilia.

The state structure is a federal republic consisting of 26 states and one Federal (capital) district. The head of state and government is the president. The legislative body is Congress.

Brazil is one of the largest countries in the world. In terms of area and population, it ranks fifth, but in terms of GNP per capita, it ranks seventieth in the world.

Most of the territory lies between the equator and the Tropic of the South. Brazil's natural resources are very rich. These include climate, water, hydropower, arable land, pastures, and metal ores. The country is poor in fuel.
The population of Brazil is racially very diverse. His ancestors were Indians, Portuguese and Negroes. The official language is Portuguese.

Over 80% of the population is concentrated in a 300-kilometer zone along the Atlantic coast south of the equator. The hinterland is among the least populated in the world. For Brazil, as well as for other countries Latin America characteristic there is a huge gulf between wealth and poverty. The main problems are illiteracy, unsanitary conditions, diseases, hunger, etc.

Economy of Brazil

In the 70s of the XX century. Brazil has taken a notable step forward in industrial development. Today, steel and aluminum are smelted in the country, vehicles (cars, ships, aircraft), electrical engineering, tractors and weapons, petroleum products and pharmaceuticals, and paper are produced. As before, a significant role is played by the food, textile, leather and footwear sectors. Industrial exports include steel, cars, tractors, shoes, etc.; import - industrial equipment, chemicals, fertilizers.

Brazil has already become an important industrial power in the world. But in the structure of its industrial production, traditional areas predominate and there are almost no newer, science-intensive ones. Brazil exports industrial products to underdeveloped countries. The domestic market of Brazil is rather narrowly focused, and this is what hinders the further development of the industry. Brazil is the largest international financial debtor among developing countries.

The mining industry plays a significant role. Iron, manganese and chromium ores, tin, bauxites, gold, diamonds and semi-precious stones, magnesite, asbestos, kaolin, gypsum, etc. are mined. Brazil ranks first in the world for iron ore reserves and is one of its largest exporters. The main barn is the Brazilian Shield, especially the state of Minas Gerais. Recently, new rich sources of mineral raw materials have been identified in the Amazon.

The weak point of the Brazilian economy remains energy. Half of the required energy carriers are delivered. Hence the attention to the rich mountainous tributaries of the Amazon and the rivers that flow from the Brazilian Highlands. A number of hydroelectric power plants have already been built on the San Francisco River. HPP "Itaipu" on the Parana River on the border with Paraguay with a capacity of 12.6 million kW and competes with the largest HPPs in the USA and Canada. The lack of oil contributed to the growth of the production of alcohol from sugar cane and its use as a fuel for motor vehicles.

Agricultural activity still plays a leading role in the country's economy. Most of the employed work on large plantations and ranches owned by corporations and individual landlords. Small farms can barely feed their owners.

Brazil is one of the largest exporters of agricultural products. Export from Brazil has its own history and stages: in the XVI century. a valuable tree dominated it, in the 18th century - cotton, in the 19th century. - natural rubber, cocoa, in the XX century. - coffee. IN modern conditions characteristic feature Brazil is a constant diversity of the export structure. Coffee, cocoa, cane sugar, cotton and tobacco remain important, but new products compete with them - soybeans and oilcake, tomatoes, oranges, bananas, feed and meat. Coffee occupies a special place in the life of Brazil and its export. It provides 1/5 of the country's export earnings and provides 1/4 of the world coffee market.

Regions of Brazil

The most contrasting areas of Brazil are its Southeast and West and the Amazon.

The southeast (the states of Espirito Santo, Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo and Minas Gerais) is 11% of the territory and 43% of the inhabitants of the country. The Southeast accounts for 2/5 of agricultural production, 3/5 of mining and 3/4 of the manufacturing industry of the country. Those. the area is the core of the Brazilian economy. largest cities- Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo.

Rio de Janeiro served as the capital for two hundred years (until 1960). Today, its subway has 11 million inhabitants. It is a large financial, commercial, transport, industrial and tourist center. Nearby is Santa Rita - the Brazilian "electronics valley". Rio de Janeiro is world famous for its picturesque landscapes, beaches, sporting events and colorful carnivals. At the same time, it was the slums of Rio de Janeiro (Portuguese for “faveli”) that became the epitome of Latin American squalor.

Sao Paulo (17 million inhabitants) located 80 km from the coast. At one time it was the capital of the "coffee" boom. Its modern development was determined by the "Brazilian miracle" of the second half of the 20th century. Sao Paulo is the largest banking, administrative, commercial and industrial center of the country. It is often referred to as "Brazilian New York" or "Brazilian Chicago". The industrial face is represented by all areas that exist in Brazil, but the main one is mechanical engineering, and in it the automotive industry. The central part of Sao Paulo is built up with skyscrapers and highways.

The West and the Amazon account for 2/3 of the territory of Brazil, and 13% of the population lives here. The west is the western part of the Brazilian Plateau, occupied by the savannah (campos), the Amazon is the Amazon River basin with an impenetrable equatorial forest (selva). After the Second World War, the Brazilian government made a lot of efforts aimed at the development of this part of the country. In 1960, 1000 km north of Rio de Janeiro, a new ultra-modern capital was built, which was named Brasilia. The Trans-Amazon Highway and other highways were laid, new airports and ports were opened on the Amazon and its tributaries. Many new farms and ranches have been established in the cleared areas of the selva.

Introduction

The purpose of this course work is to study intra-regional differences in Brazil, its natural resource potential, population, features of development and structure of the economy, as well as economic zoning and foreign economic relations.

The author of this course work was tasked with the following tasks: the study of the natural resource potential of Brazil, its population and labor resources, territorial and structural features its economy, characteristics of industry, description of territorial specialization Agriculture, carrying out the economic zoning of the country and the characteristics of its foreign economic relations.

The object of study of this course work is Brazil.

The subject of this course work is the population of Brazil, its natural resources, economy and economy.

The theoretical and methodological basis of the study are the following methods: literary, cartographic, analytical, comparative geographical, comparative historical, historical.

In accordance with the goal, the scientific relevance of the course work is to create a generalizing work on the intra-regional features of the socio-economic development of Brazil.

This thesis consists of five chapters:

The first chapter describes the natural resource potential of Brazil. The second chapter describes the population and labor resources of Brazil. The third chapter examines the territorial and sectoral features of the development of the Brazilian economy, namely: the structure of industry and agriculture. The fourth chapter deals with the economic zoning of Brazil. The fifth chapter describes the foreign economic relations of Brazil.

When writing this course work, cartographic and textual sources were used that correspond to the work plan and reliability criteria.

Also, tables, cartographic and graphic materials were compiled that correspond to the plan and objectives of this course work.

For foreign economic relations of the Republic of Belarus, the relevance of this course work is to study the prospects economic cooperation with Brazil.

brazil economic zone

Natural resource potential of Brazil

Brazil has a huge amount of minerals. There are reserves of manganese ores, nickel, bauxite, iron and uranium ore. In Brazil, potassium, phosphates, tungsten, cassiterite, lead, graphite, and chromium are mined. There is also gold, zirconium and a rare radioactive mineral - thorium.

Brazil accounts for 90% of the world's production of diamonds, aquamarine, topaz, amethyst, tourmaline and emerald.

The mineral resources of Brazil are diversified: oil, natural gas, coal, iron (one of the richest reserves in the world) and manganese ores, chromites, titanium raw materials (ilmenite), copper, lead, bauxite (third place in the world in terms of reserves), zinc, nickel, tin, cobalt, tungsten, tantalum, zirconium, niobium (first place in the world in terms of columbite reserves), beryllium (first place in the world in terms of reserves), uranium, thorium, gold, silver, platinum, phosphates, apatites, magnesite, barite , asbestos, graphite, mica, salt, soda, diamonds, emeralds, amethysts, aquamarines, topazes, crystal quartz (first place in the world in terms of reserves), marble. In terms of reserves of iron, beryllium and niobium ores, rock crystal, bituminous shale, bauxite, ores of rare earth elements, Brazil occupies one of the leading places among the industrialized countries of the world.

Brazil has (2001) relatively small proven reserves of oil (1.1 billion tons) and natural gas (230 billion cubic meters). About 150 deposits have been discovered. The largest are Don Juan, Agua Grande, Arakas, Karmopolis, Sirizinho, Namorado, etc. In the Amazon, a large sedimentary basin of Solimões has been discovered, promising in terms of possible oil and gas reserves.

There are three main oil and gas fields on the Brazilian shelf: Campos, Santos and Espirito Santo. Less promising basins are Sergipe Alagoas, Potiguar and Ceara. The Brazilian basin with the largest hydrocarbon reserves is considered to be the Campus ocean basin with an area of ​​about 100,000 km2. The proven reserves of natural gas in it are estimated at 105 billion cubic meters. The main proven oil reserves of the country are concentrated here. Each of the seven deep water oil fields contains up to 100 million tons of oil and condensate. Probable reserves of oil and gas basins at the end of 1999 were estimated at 1.5 billion tons of oil. There are 4 giant oil and gas fields in the Campus basin (proven reserves in brackets, million tons): Albacore (about 270), Marlin (270), Barracuda (110) and Marlin Sul and the giant Roncador oil field (356).

The main oil reservoirs are associated with turbidite sands of shelf origin, occurring both in the lower and upper parts of the modern continental slope, or with peripheral turbidites of the open sea, transported through the straits to the lower part of the continental slope. There are close similarities between the NGBs on both sides of the Atlantic, especially the southern parts of the Campus and Kwanza-Cameroon basins.

All oil and gas fields in eastern Brazil were formed on divergent passive continental margins, the tectonic development of which is complicated by rifting processes. Oil and gas traps are usually of the stratigraphic type and are most often confined to submerged horst blocks. Salt diapirism phenomena are developed in the zone of modern deep and superdeep shelf.

In 2003, Petrobras made the largest gas discovery in the country. The reserves of the new field are estimated at 70 billion cubic meters. m, which increases the total volume of gas reserves in Brazil by 30%. The field is located on the shelf of the province of Paulo, at a distance of 137 km from the coast at a sea depth of 485 m. The production potential of the pioneer well is 3 million cubic meters. m of gas per day. In 2002, the total volume of natural gas reserves in Brazil is estimated at 231 billion cubic meters. m.

The oil shales of Brazil are confined to the Permian Irati formation, represented by mudstone and limestone facies with basalt and diabase intrusions. The deposits are San Matheus do Sul, San Gabriel and Don Pedro. Brazil's hard coal reserves are small - 2 billion tons (25% is coking coal). The country's iron ore reserves account for about 26% of the reserves of developed Western countries. The main part of the ores is associated with the Precambrian itabirites of the Brazilian platform. The main industrial deposits (over 25 billion tons) are concentrated in the Minais-Gerais iron ore basin, within the so-called "iron ore quadrangle".

The proven reserves of chromium ore mining, calculated on the basis of the maximum production level in the period 1995-1997, taking into account losses during mining and enrichment in Brazil, is 33 years.

In 2000, Brazil ranked 5th in terms of explored uranium reserves (262 thousand tons, a 7.8% share in the world). The main deposits of uranium ores are concentrated in the Serra di Jacobina mountains, together with gold-bearing conglomerates (Jacobina deposit).

In terms of explored tin reserves at the end of the 20th century, Brazil ranks first in America and second in the world (after China). In terms of total tin reserves, Brazil ranks first in the world. In terms of tin resources, Brazil ranks first among the countries of the world - 12.6% of world resources (6 million tons). About 40% of the total proven reserves are found in alluvial deposits located in 15 tin ore regions of the country. Alluvial placers predominate.

The Pitinga ore cluster is located in the tin-bearing area of ​​Mapuera (State of Amazonas). Ore veins and stockworks are localized in albitized granites. Ores are complex, they include cassiterite, columbite, tantalite, pyrite, cryolite, fluorite. Reserves of primary tin ores - 1.19 million tons; sir. the metal content in ores here is 0.141%.

The ores also contain 6 million tons of cryolite, 4 million tons of zircon (average content 1.5%), industrial concentrations of columbite-tantalite (average content of Ni pentoxide 0.223%, Ta pentoxide - 0.028%), fluorite, and yttrium, mainly in xenotime . The main reserves are concentrated in weathering crusts and placers that have arisen due to them and occupy an area of ​​about 250 km2.

The main ones are the alluvial placers of Little Madeira, Jabuti and Keyshada. Ore sands occur at a depth of about 6 m. Ore reserves in placers amount to 195 million tons, tin - 343 thousand tons with an average cassiterite content of 2.0 kg / cubic meter. m, niobium pentoxide - 435 thousand tons with an average content of Nb2O5 4.3%, tantalum pentoxide - 55 thousand tons with an average content of Ta2O5 0.3%, zirconium dioxide - 1.7 million tons. reserves of niobium pentoxide until 2000 amounted to 30 million tons of ore with an average content of 4.1% (1.2 million tons of Nb2O5).

The basis of the country's manganese ore base is the Urukum deposits (Mato Grosso do Sul state, Corumba region) with proven reserves of 15.8 million tons, Azul and Buritirama (Para state, Carajas ridge region) - 10 million tons, Serra do- Navi (Federal Territory of Amapa) - 5.8 million tons, Miguel Konge in the area of ​​the "iron ore quadrangle" and other deposits in the state of Minas Gerais, as well as a number of smaller objects in the Precambrian metamorphic strata. The largest deposits of manganese ores are associated with basement rocks. Lenses of manganese-containing spesartite rocks (gondite, carbonate rhodonite) are 10–30 m thick and 200–1000 m long.

In terms of bauxite reserves, Brazil ranks first in Lat. America (2000) and 2nd place in the world (after Guinea). Prom. bauxite deposits associated with lateritic weathering crust. Main resources are concentrated in the Amazon River basin in the state of Para (deposits of Trombetas, Paragominas and others).

Lateritic deposits of gibbite bauxite - aluminum raw materials, are located in the states of Para (municipalities of Oriximina, Paragominas, Faro, Domingo de Capim and Almairim) and Minas Gerais (mainly the municipalities of Poços de Caldas, Preto and Cataguazes). The Porto Trombetas (total reserves 1700 million tons, confirmed - 800 million tons) and Paragominas (total reserves 2400 million tons, confirmed - 1600 million tons) fields are gigantic. Deposits are usually located close to the earth's surface and are mined in an open way. In terms of production rates close to modern, Brazil is provided with proven reserves for 340 years.

Tungsten ores, represented by shelitovim skarnakh - deposits of Brezha, Kishaba, Malyada within the Borborem region. Deposits of nickel ores in the base of the silicate type are represented by garnierite ores. Ore bodies occur at shallow depths, about 75% of the reserves are located in the state of Goias (Nickeland deposits and others). There are several copper ore deposits in Brazil, the largest of which is Caraiba (Baya state). In Brazil, there are more than 100 small polymetallic hydrothermal deposits, explored rich tin placers.

Rare elements (beryllium, niobium, tantalum, zirconium, and others) in Brazil are found mainly in complex pegmatite ores confined to the basement.

Gold reserves were discovered in the second half of the 20th century in the Amazon basin. The predicted resources of Brazil's IHL are insignificant and amount to up to 300 tons (about 0.6% of the world).

About 35% of the world's predicted beryllium resources (up to 700 thousand tons) are concentrated in Brazil, which determines its leading (together with Russia) place in the world.

Brazil occupies the 1st place among the countries of the world in terms of predicted niobium resources. The main deposits of niobium pentoxide in the country are Arash, tapirs. The deposits are located mainly in the well-known mining regions of the states of Minas Gerais and Goiás. The ores are localized in lateritic weathering crusts of carbonatites and do not require intensive crushing. The thickness of the ore-bearing cores reaches 200 m, the covers - from 0.5 m to 40 m. The average content of Nb2O5 in ores is 2.5%. Development is carried out in an open way.

Phosphate ore resources are of great importance in Brazil, which include three main industrial types: apatite (Jacupiranga deposit), repeated apatite (genus Arasha, tapirs, Catalan) and phosphorite sedimentary deposits in the Bambui series. Particularly promising are the phosphorites of the deposit - Patus di Minas (reserves 300 million tons).

Brazil has the world's largest deposits of precious and ornamental stones: rock crystal, jewelry beryl, topaz, tourmaline, amethyst, agate; also known prom. deposits of emerald, diamond, noble opal, etc. Jewelry beryl, topaz and tourmaline are found in granite pegmatites, common in the states of Minas Gerais (diamantino diamond-bearing region), Bahia.

The main deposits of high-grade sheet mica - muscovite are associated with outcrops of the Archean basement and form the Brazilian mica region. In Brazil also childbirth. barite (Ilha Grande, Miguel Calmon), potash salt (Contiguleba), rock salt (Maceio), fluorite (Salgadinho, Catunda), magnesite (Iguatu), graphite (Itapaserica, San Fidelis), asbestos (Ipanema), bentonite (Lapsis, Bravo).

The Amazonian lowland lies in the region of the equatorial and subequatorial climate. The temperature is 24 - 28C all year round, precipitation is 2500 - 3500 mm per year. The Amazon River is the largest in the world in terms of basin size (7.2 million sq. km) and water content. It is formed by the confluence of two rivers - Maranion and Ucayali. The length of the Amazon from the source of Marañon is 6400 km, and from the source of Ucayali - more than 7000 km. The Amazon flows into Atlantic Ocean, forming the largest delta in the world (over 100 thousand sq. km) and funnel-shaped mouths - sleeves covering the huge island of Marajo.

In the lower reaches, the width of the Amazon reaches 80 km, and the depth is 1335 m. Selva - humid equatorial forests of the Amazonian lowland. This is over 4 thousand species of trees, which is 1/4 of all species existing in the world. Animals, each in its own way, have adapted to their existence in the midst of a dense forest intertwined with vines. Monkeys - howler monkey, capuchin, marmosets, slender-bodied saimiri spider monkeys with a muzzle coloring resembling a skull - spend their whole lives on trees, holding on to branches with a strong tail. Even tree porcupine and anteater, raccoon and marsupial opossum have tenacious tails. Cats - jaguars and ocelots - feel confident in the forest thicket. Not a hindrance forest thickets and for bats. Bakers and tapirs prefer swampy river floodplains. The capybara, the largest rodent in the world, is kept near the water. Amphibians and reptiles are diverse, including poisonous snakes (bushmasters, coral asps, rattlesnakes), boas - boas, huge anacondas. In the rivers, caimans and flocks of bloodthirsty piranha fish lie in wait for a careless victim. Predatory harpies soar above the forest, vultures urubu carrion eaters; multi-colored parrots fly in the crowns of trees; and toucans sit on the branches - the owners of a huge beak. The smallest birds on earth - hummingbirds - flash in the air with bright colorful sparks and hang over the flowers.

To the east of the Amazon, the green forest sea is gradually replaced by stony woodlands - caatinga. Poor soils barely cover the rocks, there is almost no grass. Everywhere there are thorny semi-bushes and all kinds of cacti. And above them are dry-loving shrubs and trees, columnar cacti and tree-like spurges. Bottle trees grow at some distance from each other, like skittles. These thickets are almost devoid of foliage and offer no shelter at all from the burning rays of the sun or from rainstorms. During the winter-spring dry period, which here lasts 8-9 months, precipitation is less than 10 mm per month. At the same time, the average air temperature is 26 - 28 C. At this time, many plants shed their leaves. Life stops until the autumn rains, when more than 300 mm of precipitation falls per month with an annual amount of 700 - 1000 mm. As a result of rains, the water level in the rivers rises rapidly. Floods are regularly repeated, destroying houses and washing away the fertile layer of soil from the fields.

Brazil is diverse in natural conditions. It stands out: the Amazonian lowland and the Brazilian plateau, which differed in relief, moisture conditions, vegetation, etc. In general, the natural conditions are favorable for the population and the economy.

Brazil is extremely rich in natural resources. Among them, the main place belongs to forest resources - moist equatorial forests, which occupy 2/3 of the country's territory and are actively used at present. Recently, these forests have been subjected to ruthless destruction, which leads to a change in the entire natural complex as a whole. The Amazonian forests are called the "lungs of the planet", and their extermination is a problem not only for Brazil, but for the whole world. Brazil's mineral resource base is diverse. About 50 types of minerals are mined here. These are, first of all, iron, manganese ores, bauxites and non-ferrous ores metals.The main reserves are concentrated in the eastern part of the country on the Brazilian plateau.In addition, Brazil has oil and potash salts.

Water resources are represented by a huge number of rivers, the main of which is the Amazon ( greatest river worldwide). Almost a third of this big country occupies the Amazon River basin, which includes the Amazon itself and more than two hundred of its tributaries. This gigantic system contains a fifth of all the river waters of the world. The landscape in the Amazon is flat. The rivers and their tributaries flow slowly, during the rainy seasons they often overflow their banks and flood vast areas of tropical forests. The rivers of the Brazilian Plateau have significant hydropower potential. The largest lakes in the country are Mirim and Patos. Main rivers: Amazon, Madeira, Rio Negro, Parana, Sao Francisco.

Agro-climatic and soil resources are great, contributing to the development of agriculture. Brazil has fertile soil that grows coffee, cocoa, bananas, grains, citrus fruits, sugar cane, soybeans, cotton, and tobacco. Brazil occupies one of the leading places in the world in terms of cultivated land. Due to the fact that the main part of the country is located in the intertropical zone with a predominance of low altitudes, Brazil is characterized by average temperatures exceeding 20 degrees. Brazil has six types of climate: equatorial, tropical, tropical highlands, tropical Atlantic, semi-arid and subtropical.

In the north - eastern outskirts of Brazil, tropical forests give way to desert areas and steppes covered with shrubs, but the humid Atlantic coasts abound with lush vegetation. Between the coastal cities of Porto Alegre in the south of the country and El Salvador in the east stretches a narrow strip of land only 110 kilometers wide, and immediately after it the central and southern plateaus begin. The northern regions of the country are in the equatorial zone, and Rio de Janeiro lies just north of the Tropic of Capricorn - so the climate in most of Brazil is very warm. In the Amazon basin, the temperature is around 27 degrees all year round. The seasons of Brazil are distributed as follows: spring - from September 22 to December 21, summer - from December 22 to March 21, autumn - from March 22 to June 21, winter - from June 22 to September 21. 58.46% of Brazil's relief is formed by plateaus. The main ones in the north are Guiana, in the south - Brazilian, which occupies most of the territory and is divided into the Atlantic, Central, Southern and the plateau of Rio - Grande do Sul. The remaining 41% of the territory is occupied by plains, the most important among them are the Amazon, La Plata, San Francisco and Tocantins. All natural conditions and resources create very favorable conditions for economic development.

Brazil is a large country with a rich list of natural resources. Brazil's geographic location helps the country to afford minimal imports of foreign goods. Brazil really has a lot of its forests, reservoirs and minerals. Consider the wealth of the Brazilian state in more detail.

Fresh water reserves

The Amazon River flows through Brazil. It is the largest in the country and contains strategic reserves of fresh water.

The hydropower reserves of the state can be estimated at 120 million kW. This figure is not too large in relation to the area of ​​the country, the Brazilian government is working to increase the number of hydroelectric power plants..

There are almost no lake reservoirs in these territories. But other large rivers successfully replenish the fresh reserves of the country.

Land riches

The Brazilian state is located in several climatic zones. Agriculture is well developed there.

Brazilians can boast that sugarcane, coffee and traditional cocoa are grown on their lands. There are also many fruits and vegetables on agricultural land, which, due to the climate, ripen almost all year round. Grain stocks in the country are quite impressive.

Only 20% of the land is allocated for agricultural needs in the state. But even these percentages are enough to get excellent yields.

brazilian forests

The championship in the amount of forest resources belongs to Russia, but Brazil is the second country in the world where there are more forests than anywhere else on the globe.

The equatorial type forests occupy 5 million square kilometers in Brazil. In addition, a quarter of all known to science plant species.

Not only sugar is produced from sugar cane in the state. Ethanol is successfully produced from it, which is used as automotive fuel. So the Brazilians cover a fifth of the society's need for their own fuel.

Natural resources

The mineral resources of the country include the following:

• manganese ore;
• Iron ore;
• Bauxite;
• Zinc ore;
• Uranus;
• Tantalum;
• Nickel;
• Tungsten;
• Zinc;
• And much more.

In the Southern states of the state, impressive reserves of gold are hidden underground. Emeralds, sapphires and diamonds are also mined in Brazil.

alternative energy

In Brazil, in addition to standard methods of generating energy, solar energy is also being actively developed. Wind farms are also regularly built on Brazilian lands. So far, these areas are in the initial stage of development, but today they are actively being introduced into major centers states.

Brazil is a sunny and multiethnic country capable of providing its citizens with all the resources necessary for life. Natural values ​​are also harvested on its territories, which are successfully exported to neighboring states.

On economic resources - natural, labor, capital - national economies and the entire world economy function. Economic resources Together they form the potential of the national economy, a region of the world or the entire world economy. The natural resource potential of the world economy is diverse. It contains energy, land and soil, water, forest, biological (plant and animal world), mineral (minerals), climatic and recreational resources. All natural resources are a necessary condition for economic development.

The influence of the natural resource factor on the economy of developed countries is noticeably weakening. Achievements of scientific and technical progress lead to this. All natural resources are interconnected. Thus, land resources (agricultural lands), as a rule, give a greater volume of production, if they are processed by machinery driven by fuel (mineral resources), as well as using artificial fertilizers (made on the basis of also mineral resources).

Most often, natural resources are identified with mineral resources (such minerals as coal, oil, natural gas, metal ores, non-metal raw materials - phosphates, potassium salts, asbestos, etc.). Natural resource potential of the world economy Natural resource resources are most often identified with mineral resources (such minerals as coal, oil, natural gas, metal ores, non-metal raw materials - phosphates, potassium salts, asbestos, etc.). Often, due to the special importance of fuel, a combination of "mineral raw materials and fuel" is used. Geological reserves of minerals have a different degree of exploration.

According to the degree of reliability of determining reserves, they are divided into categories. There are four categories of reserves in Russia: A, B, C1 and C2. Category A includes detailed explored deposits with precisely defined boundaries of occurrence; B - explored deposits with approximately defined boundaries of occurrence; С1 - deposits explored in general terms with reserves calculated taking into account extrapolation of data on well-known deposits; C2 - estimated reserves. There is also a category of probable geological reserves assessed as possible. In foreign countries, a different classification of reserves is used: explored (final recoverable), i.e. those that are proven by geological exploration; reliable (retrievable with the current level of technology development); predictive, or geological (the presence of which in the bowels of the Earth is assumed on the basis of scientific forecasts and hypotheses).

The uneven distribution of mineral resources in the bowels of the Earth, as well as the different provision of countries with land and forest resources, contribute to the development of the international division of labor and, on this basis, international economic relations. In the early 90s. sold through export channels, % of extraction or production: tin - 97, iron ore - about 70, manganese ore - over 60, oil - more than 50, aluminum - about 50, coal and natural gas -11, lumber - 34, coffee - 83 , grain - 11. As a result of a decrease in the resource intensity and material intensity of the economy of developed countries and the development of their own mining in some of them (USA, Canada, Australia, Norway), there has been a significant weakening of the dependence of Western countries on imports from developing countries.

At the same time, the industrialization of a number of developing countries (the newly industrialized countries of Southeast Asia, India, Pakistan) leads to a significant increase in the consumption of raw materials and fuel, and, consequently, to a reduction in raw material exports from these countries and an increase in imports of these goods. The reduction in the share of fuel and raw materials in world trade is due to a decrease in the material and energy intensity of production in developed countries. Moreover, along with a relative decrease in the export of unprocessed raw materials, the export of specially prepared raw materials of increased quality (for example, pellets instead of iron ore) and semi-finished products is gaining priority. The decline in food exports is explained by the increase in the level of self-sufficiency in a number of major regions and countries ( Western Europe, China, India), who previously imported grain, as a result of the implementation of measures to develop agriculture, including through the "green revolution". The decrease in the share of raw materials of plant origin in world exports is associated with the introduction of synthetic materials, fibers and plastics.

In general, the export of minerals, fuels and foodstuffs is of particular importance, especially for developing countries, since these commodity groups make up the bulk of their exports. Conclusion: production in the developed countries of the world is becoming less resource-intensive, their GDP is less and less dependent on the resource component, but developing countries are embarking on the path of industrialization and needing natural resources more and more, which can lead to a change in the balance of power and goals in the world. Features of the distribution of natural resources in the world economy. As we can see from these tables 5, 6 of the appendix, Saudi Arabia is the absolute leader in terms of oil reserves and production. And although in other countries (Iraq, Kuwait, UAE) oil reserves will last for a longer period, this is mostly expressed insufficiently. high level its production in these countries.

The concern is the discrepancy between high production rates and relatively small reserves in countries such as the United States and China, because they are unlikely to peacefully accept the fact that their oil reserves have come to an end, while other countries have them for another 100 years. American aggression against Iraq is a wake-up call for everything free world! Northern European countries are engaged in offshore oil production in limited quantities.

As for Latin America, Venezuela stands out here, and, which cannot but rejoice, last elections the socialist Hugo Chavez, who takes a blatant anti-American stance, won there. As for natural gas (Tables 7, 8), the picture here is somewhat different: Russia ranks first in terms of production, but at this level of gas production, gas will be enough for a maximum of 80 years, and this is not a necessary level of production to support life in the country, it mainly export of raw materials, which cannot but cause resentment. In the US, the picture is the same as with oil: the level of production is high, and the remainder is only 10 years.

The world financial oligarchy is unlikely to confine itself exclusively to peaceful actions, because, as history shows, it has never disdained to unleash another war, if only it had a favorable effect on the financial condition of their TNCs and other organizations formed through investments of international capital. With regard to coal mining (Table 9), it is very uneven: the incomparable leader is China (40%), followed by the United States (20%). This is an integral part of the steel industry, and, therefore, in this industry, these countries have the greatest tendency to maintain leadership.

Russia occupies only the sixth place (4.5%) in terms of coal production, behind such countries as Australia and the Republic of South Africa. Consider lignite mining (Table 10): we see that almost all lignite mining takes place in Europe, due to the lack of known reserves in other parts of the world. The absolute leader is Germany (20%).

Apart from European countries the industry is dominated by the United States, China and Australia. European deposits of brown coal also extend to the western part of Russia, which gives us at the moment 8% of its world production. Considering tables 11-17, one can judge a certain leadership of China in the extraction of many ore minerals (iron, zinc, lead and tin ores). As for copper ores, the undisputed leader here is Chile, a country that emerged from the deepest economic crisis and became one of the leading industrial countries in Latin America thanks to the harsh regime of Augusto Pinochet.

But in the field of nickel ore mining, our country occupies the first place, overtaking Australia and Canada. The presence of this resource in Latin America should be noted, as evidenced by its concentrated production in Colombia, Brazil and even in such small countries as Cuba and the Dominican Republic. It cannot be said that Australia is rich in all types of ores and occupies a leading position in the extraction of almost all types of ores, except for tin. It must be said that Australia also entered the top ten in terms of the extraction of tin ores (0.3% of world production). Let us turn to the data in Table 18, which reflects the level of gold production.

The first place in production is occupied by the Republic of South Africa. This rather promising colony was still at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. defended its independence on the fronts of the Anglo-Boer War and now it is the most economically developed African country. Approximately 10% of production comes from Australia and the United States. Australia, as we can see, is in every way a resource-rich continent.

Next come China, Peru and Russia. Consider the level of production of non-ferrous metals (tables 19-26). Here we can see that in addition to the former leaders, there are also countries in which there are no deposits of ores of these metals, which indicates the import component of their metallurgical industry. Such countries include, for example, Japan, Germany, the Republic of Korea.

Russia, nevertheless, holds the first place in the production of nickel, although Japan confidently holds the second place due to the import of raw materials, since nickel is not mined in Japan itself. China occupies the first place in the world in the production of primary aluminum, which indicates great prospects for the development of its aviation industry, including the military one. In ferrous metallurgy, the absolute leader is China, which can testify to many things, but most importantly, the heavy military industry has received tremendous opportunities for development, which cannot but cause concern, including in Russia. But on the other hand, such a powerful ally in the struggle for geopolitical superiority over Western countries is an incomparable advantage. The share of Russia, the USA, Japan and Germany in the industry is high, which is explained by structural changes in the economies of these countries during the Second World War, as well as the Cold War.

Conclusion: energy resources are very limited and can cause many conflicts, China comes out on top in many respects, which indicates the emergence of a new force in the unipolar world, and, given political regime in China, one can also expect aggressive actions from the latter. Peculiarities of regulating the use of natural resource potential in the global economy social progress increasingly dependent on the decision global problems- universal problems affecting the interests and destinies of all countries and peoples that are important for the progress of human civilization as a whole. In the beginning of the century, successful solution major global problems will lay the foundation and predetermine the possibility of the world community's transition to sustainable development. One of the main global problems is raw materials.

There is so much literature devoted to this problem that even a mention of the main works would require a special publication. At the same time, in all the variety of concepts regarding the future of the raw material component of the world economy, two main directions can be distinguished - pessimistic and optimistic. Supporters of the pessimistic approach believe that already in the 20-30s. the beginning of the century, it will become impossible to provide the developing world economy with the necessary raw materials and, above all, energy resources, which can subsequently lead to a catastrophe of human civilization. "Optimists" consider the very problem of providing the world economy with mineral raw materials far-fetched. In their opinion, humanity will never run out of natural resources, and in the case of the development of one mineral, there will always be some kind of substitute.

Supporters of the first approach are certainly right when they express genuine concern about the possible depletion of natural resources and concern for their more rational use. But they make a mistake, not taking into account the progress of science and technology, which counteracts the depletion of minerals, allowing the development of new deposits, the extraction of minerals from the bottom of the seas and oceans, the use of new energy sources, and helps to increase the efficiency of the use of energy resources. Thus, over the past thirty years, the economic efficiency of the use of energy resources, according to our estimates, has increased by more than 1.4 times (Table 2). But even today the reserves for its increase are by no means exhausted.

The overall efficiency of the use of energy carriers (including all stages from extraction to final consumption) at the end of the 20th century. was 40% in industrialized countries, and 25-30% in developing countries. This means that at least 60% of economically viable energy resources are still lost in the process of extraction, processing, transportation, distribution and final consumption. Economists with an "optimistic bias", absolutizing possibilities human mind and scientific and technological progress, underestimate the objective difficulties in the search for and development of minerals, as well as the huge increase in the associated costs.

Although they are right in that they consider the category of raw materials not as a frozen reality, but in dynamics, taking into account the development of science and technology. We will not analyze in more detail the pros and cons of the pessimistic and optimistic approaches to assessing the future of the raw material component of the world economy. We only note that the truth lies, as usual, between extreme concepts.

In other words, there is no reason to talk about an inevitable global catastrophe as a result of a shortage of raw materials, but at the same time, one cannot help but share concerns about the trend towards the depletion of non-renewable natural resources, which will lead to the emergence and exacerbation of crises if accumulated over the entire history of the Earth natural resources people will not carefully and rationally use. The development of the economies of individual countries and the world economy as a whole largely depends on how fully their needs for raw materials are met. This is due to the fact that in almost all branches of material production, the main substance of the products produced is raw materials, either consumed in the form of auxiliary materials, or ensuring the flow of the production process. And although in recent decades In connection with the entry of a number of countries into the post-industrial stage, the need for materials and raw materials is declining in favor of an increase in the share of industries producing knowledge and information products in the national product; nevertheless, on a global scale, the role of the raw material factor remains very significant. Thus, the share of raw materials and materials costs accounts for more than half of world GDP, and in the world industrial production this share exceeds 70%.

As the data in Table. 1, the expansion of the scale of world production is inextricably linked with the absolute increase in the consumption of fuel and energy resources. With the growth of world GDP in 1950-2000. 6.4 times the consumption of fuel and energy raw materials increased 4.9 times. With an average annual growth rate of world GDP (3.8%) and an average annual growth rate of industrial output (4.0%), the consumption of fuel and energy resources increased annually by an average of 3.2%. At the same time, there was a trend towards a decrease in the growth rates of GDP and industrial output and, accordingly, to a decrease in the increase in energy consumption.

The structure of world consumption of primary energy resources in the period under review changed towards an increase in the share of highly efficient energy sources - oil and gas. The share of oil in the structure of world consumption of primary energy resources increased from 26% in 1950 to 39% by the end of the century, and natural gas - from 10 to 24%. Despite a significant increase in the absolute volumes of coal consumption, its share in the world consumption of energy resources during this period fell from 61 to 25%. The share of renewable energy consumption (mostly hydropower) has risen from just over 3% in 1950 to 5% today.

As for nuclear energy, today it provides about 6% of total energy consumption, while 27.6% of the energy produced by nuclear power units comes from the United States; 17.9 - France; 12.4 - Japan; 5.6% - Russia. Table 1 Dynamics of world consumption of fuel and energy resources, world GDP in world industrial production

Brazil occupies almost half of the area of ​​South America and makes up 5.7% of the planet's land mass. The largest river system is located here, many exotic animals live and coffee is grown for the whole world. In this article we will talk about the natural conditions and resources of Brazil.

What country is it?

Brazil is the largest country on the continent and the strongest economy among the countries of Latin America. It covers an area of ​​8,515,770 km² and is home to 212 million people. The capital is the city of Brasilia, built in 1960 in just 41 months.

The state is located in the eastern part of South America. It is surrounded by Suriname, Guyana, French Guiana, Venezuela, Colombia, Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay, Argentina and Uruguay. From the east it is washed by the Atlantic Ocean.

Briefly about the natural resources of Brazil, we can say this: full-flowing rivers, dense tropical forests with valuable tree species, huge mineral reserves. Due to its vast territories and successful geographic location it has significant potential for economic development.

The country gained independence in 1822. Prior to that, it was a colony of Portugal, which had a strong influence on its culture. Thus, Brazil is the only Latin American country where the official and most common language is Portuguese. About 65% of the inhabitants profess Catholicism.

Portugal also influenced the composition of the population. Colonialists arrived here, brought African slaves, and in the 19th century, immigrants from Asia were actively attracted. As a result, the indigenous population, Indians, now make up only 0.3%, and 43% are mixed races.

Climate

The country is located in equatorial latitudes, within the equatorial, tropical and subequatorial and subtropical natural areas. In most of the territory, Brazil's agro-climatic natural resources support agriculture almost all year round. The country occupies one of the first positions in the world in the cultivation of coffee, sugar cane, citrus fruits, and soybeans. Approximately 1/5 of its territory is occupied by pastures.

Brazil has a different climate in different regions. The most arid and unfavorable place for farming is the northeast with rainfall up to 500 mm. On the coast and the Amazon, on the contrary, there is the most precipitation (up to 3000 mm). The air is very humid here, it often rains, but it is rarely too hot.

In the center and east of the country, precipitation is less - about 1500 mm. There is a drought for about four months of the year. Summers in this part of Brazil are warm and humid with temperatures of 28-30°C, while winters are cool and dry. Minimum temperatures throughout the country do not fall below +18. It is colder only on high mountain ranges.

Brazilian waters

Brazil's natural water resources are mainly represented by rivers. There are few lakes in the country. The largest of them are Patus and Lagoa Mirin, interconnected. They are located in the south of the country, and Lagoa Mirin even enters the territory of Uruguay. Lake Patus stretches for 280 km in length and 70 in width, in size it is largest country and second in all of Latin America.

The largest rivers in Brazil are the Amazon, Parana, San Francisco, Rio Negro, Madeiro. Their main currents and tributaries form a dense network that covers almost the entire territory of the country. Thanks to mountainous terrain, many of them have hydropower potential, which is estimated at 120 million kW. However, now it is only half used.

One of the main natural resources of Brazil is the Amazon. It represents the largest and most full-flowing river system in the world and reaches a length of almost 7 thousand kilometers. The area of ​​its basin is almost equal to the size of Australia. Recently, under it, at a depth of 4 km, a large underground current of Hamza was discovered. It has a high salinity and is only a kilometer short of the Amazon in length.

forest resources

In terms of the amount of forest natural resources, Brazil is second only to Russia, but in terms of the diversity of species, it has practically no equal. Approximately 25% of all known plants are located in the country, but every year scientists discover more and more new species. In terms of the amount of hardwood, Brazil ranks first in the world.

On the territory of the country there are prairies, woodlands, mangroves. Some types of vegetation are unique to the Brazilian region, for example, selva, campos, serrada, sertan, mata.

In the selva forests of the Amazon basin, there are more than 4 thousand tree species, of which about 600 are of economic importance. In addition, heveas, cocoa, melon trees, cacti, numerous ferns and palm trees grow here.

Pineraya is located in the southeast of the country. This area is covered with mixed subtropical forests, represented by deciduous and coniferous trees. Most of the coniferous species are araucaria, which is why it is often referred to as the "araucaria forest". Rocks of this genus have a special strength and are used in construction. The undergrowth for them is usually yerba mate or "Paraguayan tea".

Minerals

The mineral natural resources of Brazil represent approximately 40 types of fossils. Diamonds, sapphires, aquamarines, amethysts, topazes, quartz and mica are mined in the bowels of the country. Metals include uranium, manganese, nickel, cobalt, copper, silver, lead, gold, chromium, titanium, etc.

The main number of deposits is located in the eastern part of the Brazilian plateau. There are much fewer of them in the Amazon basin, but this area is not very well explored due to the impenetrable jungle. The country has large reserves of iron ore (40 billion tons), and in terms of the amount of niobium, beryllium and tantalum, it ranks first in the world.

Despite the abundance of natural resources, Brazil is inferior to the leading states in terms of oil reserves and is only in 16th place in the world. In total, about 17 deposits have been discovered, the three largest of them are in the ocean. Production volumes do not cover all the needs of the country, so part of the raw materials have to be imported.

The mining industry is dominated by iron, manganese, as well as zirconium, niobium, mica and tungsten. Most of them are exported as raw materials. Nickel, zinc and copper are used only for internal needs. The manufacturing industry mainly involves the chemical (production of dyes, fertilizers, acids) and oil industries.

Recreational resources

Proximity to the ocean, warm climate and exotic nature - these factors are enough to make the country a popular tourist destination. About a million people visit it every year. The natural recreational resources of Brazil are the numerous beaches of the Atlantic coast, tropical islands, the Amazonian jungle, waterfalls and national parks. Fishing, hunting, rafting, yachting are also developing.

The northern regions of the country are more visited by tourists. Expeditions to tropical forests are organized here; diving to coral reefs is possible off the northeastern shores. However, the southern region also has something to surprise. One of the highlights of this part of Brazil are the waterfalls on the Iguazu River. They are located on the border with Argentina and are part of national park Iguazu. They are a complex of 275 waterfalls, 60-80 meters high. The attraction is under the protection of UNESCO and has even been named one of the wonders of the world.