Page 152 - SST Class 08

g Eastern Europe and Russia have deposits of g Large reserves of gold, silver, zinc, manga-
copper, manganese and nickel.
g Sulphur and potash are also found in many
parts of Europe.
North America
North America is blessed with a rich variety of
mineral resources. The three main regions where
minerals are found are the Canadian Shield, the
Appalachian region and the mountain ranges of
the West.
g Iron ore is found around the Great Lakes.
USA is the second largest producer of iron
ore in the world.
g The Canadian Shield region has vast
deposits of iron ore, gold, nickel, uranium
and copper.
g The western mountain have rich deposits of
copper, lead, zinc, gold and silver.
g The largest deposits of lead and zinc are
found in British Columbia in Canada.
g Mexico is the largest producer of silver in the
world.
South America
Brazil is the largest producer of high grade iron
ore. Chile and Peru are the leading producers of
copper. Brazil and Bolivia are among the leading
producers of tin. Deposits of gold, silver, zinc,
chromium, manganese, bauxite, mica, platinum,
asbestos and diamond are also found in South
America. Mineral oil is found in Venezuela,
Argentina, Chile, Peru and Columbia.
g Brazil is the largest producer of iron ore in
the world.
g Rich deposits of copper are found in Chile
and Peru.
g Brazil and Bolivia are the leading producers
of tin in the world.
g Bauxite deposits are mainly found in
Guyana, Suriname and Brazil.
Social Science-8 152
nese, chromium, mica, platinum and
asbestos are also found in this continent.
g Nitrates, used in the making of chemical
fertilizers, are found in the Atacama Desert.
Chile is the main producer.
Africa
Africa has vast reserves of valuable minerals.
This continent is the largest producer of gold,
diamond, platinum, cobalt and chromium in the
world. However, it is poor in iron and coal.
g The copper belt of Africa runs from the
Democratic Republic of the Congo to
Zambia.
g Guinea is the leading producer of bauxite.
g Gold is mined in South Africa, Zimbabwe
and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
g The Democratic Republic of the Congo is
the largest producer of Cobalt.
g Uranium deposits are mostly found in South
Africa and Niger.
g Manganese occurs in Ghana and Gabon.
g Diamonds are mostly found in Kimberley in
South Africa.
Australia
The rich mineral resources attracted the settlers
to this remote and barren continent.
g Australia is the largest producer of bauxite
in the world.
g Rich deposits of gold, diamond, iron ore, tin
and nickel are found here.
g Other mineral deposits include manganese,
lead, zinc, silver, copper, nickel, uranium
and tin.
g Gold deposits are mostly found in
Kalgoorlie and Coolgardie.
Antarctica
Due to thick ice cover, it is difficult to explore and
exploit the mineral resources of this continent.