The problem of depletion of Earth's interior is exacerbated by the extreme unevenness of distribution of deposits that did not contribute to the stability of the world economy. In fact, no country in the world has no reserves all the right kinds of mineral raw materials and can not do without importing it. So, the United States fully ensure their needs only 22 kinds of mineral raw materials (excluding stroitel?nokamennyh material), while for many types of strategic raw materials (uranium, strontium, cobalt, tantalum, cadmium, tungsten, chromium, manganese, etc.) are chronically dependent on imports (table 15). Total United States imports 15-20% (in value terms) of minerals, Western Europe is 70-80%, Japan, 90-95%. Even China, a little inferior to the range of its mineral resources, large quantities of imports the chromites.
Special talk about Russia and the CIS countries. As you know, in the Soviet Union was the highest degree of security of mineral resources of all the big states, which gave him undeniable strategic advantages. However, the collapse of the country led to the fact that the security of Russia and especially other countries has fallen sharply. The new situation can be clearly illustrated by the example of manganese, all three producing fields which were in Ukraine (Nikopol), Georgia (Chiatura) and Kazakhstan (Dzhezdinskoe).
However, high availability of mineral raw materials in the former Soviet Union traditionally "fetishized" to the detriment of the overall efficiency of the economy. It is no secret that the production of many kinds of raw materials dispensed and still more expensive than buying them in the world market. In the literature, the question of long hushed astronomical investment in development of hydrocarbons in the extreme conditions of Siberia and the Circumpolar North. In the context of the military confrontation of the Great Powers "resource autarky" was the strategic line of the Soviet Union. Today, after an explicit "warming" of international relations the feasibility of developing specific fields in extreme conditions should be considered from an economic point of view.
However, the level of self-sufficiency in mineral resources determined by political considerations and voennostrategicheskimi not only in the USSR but also in other leading countries of the world. Suffice it to say that in the early 90s the military sector consumed 11.1% of all of the world's copper, 8.1% lead, 6.3% aluminum and nickel, 6% zinc and silver. Of course, the major military powers, these figures are much higher.
For each country, the importance factor is the completeness of its mineral resources. For example, for the organization of the steel industry in a particular country, it is desirable to have not only the resources of iron ore, but also manganese, chromite, coking coal. And if they are still located relatively close to each other, it is a great success.
There is no country in the world that would not have the one or other mineral resources. In that case, if they are small, and some not at all, the state is not doomed to poverty. After all, the national wealth of any country can be measured not only the totality of its tangible assets and inventory of natural resources, but also the people, their expertise and hard work, the degree of use of their energy, knowledge and skill.
For example, Japan has achieved outstanding success in the economy, has very limited mineral resources. It has a stockpile of sulfur and pyrite, while it severely lacking in oil, natural gas, iron ore, rare metal ores, phosphate, potash, and so on. D. Contrary to Japan, there are examples of many countries that are rich in mineral resources raw materials, but are under great strides in socio-economic development.
The particulate nature of the mineral wealth of accommodation in the crust contributes, on the one hand, the development process of the international division of labor and international economic relations, on the other - gives rise to certain (and in terms of raw crisis - huge) difficulties in the countries deprived of mineral resources.
Dispersibility of deposits