These are all the possibilities of living and inanimate nature on Earth that can be used for human life in the development and improvement of favorable conditions in society.
Since the earliest historical times, man has used natural resources. Then, for the most part, it was hunting and fishing, and to a lesser extent the use of mineral resources. Subsequently, the growth processes of agriculture and livestock farming relied heavily on soil resources and water. Then, with the development of architecture and culture, the resources of metals and alloys, ceramics, and natural stone began to be used.
With the beginning of the century of industrialization, active extraction and use of various types of minerals began for their use in energy, technical and economic development, which, unfortunately, began to have a negative impact on the environment. Nowadays, more and more humanity is striving to use the resources of the sun and wind, which do not cause a destructive impact on the environment.
Main types of natural resources of the world
Mineral resources
The variety of mineral substances found in the earth's crust makes it possible to extract and develop them in the form of raw materials for various types of industry. Consumption of mineral raw materials ensures the growth of the economy and welfare of the country that produces them, but the availability and reserves of mineral raw materials do not become a factor in the socio-economic development of a particular country in the world...
Having visited Crimea, the Chilean poet and politician Pablo Neruda enthusiastically wrote: “Crimea is an order on the chest of planet Earth!” And indeed, if you look at it from a bird's eye view, you will see that the diamond-shaped Crimean peninsula really resembles an order attached to the European continent by a narrow chain of the Perekop Isthmus and the Arabat Spit. Historian Neil Asherson called Crimea “the big brown diamond”; The climate and nature of the peninsula was admired by all scientists, writers, poets and artists who visited Taurida. Let’s try to talk in a few words about the richness of Crimean nature and its features.
Position: between geography and geopolitics
Geographically located at the junction of Europe and Asia, Crimea took a little from each of these parts of the world: in the north of the peninsula there are Asian steppes, and in the south there are mountains and subtropics, reminiscent of the resort areas of Greece and Italy. The steppe zone, covering most of the central, western and eastern Crimea, begins in Crimea - and stretches far to the east, all the way to Mongolia and Northern China. It is not for nothing that in the Middle Ages this gigantic territory was called the Wild Field - it was from there that countless hordes of Scythians, Sarmatians, Huns, Khazars, Mongols and other nomads came to Europe. Crimea is connected to the continent only by a few narrow strips of isthmuses and sandbanks, waterways through the Sivash salt lakes in the north and east, as well as a long strip of the Arabat Spit. Neil Asherson divided Crimea into three historical zones: the steppe north, inhabited by nomads (the body zone); the south, with its cities and civilizations (zone of reason); the mountains between them are the zone of the spirit, where mountain principalities and monasteries were located. In his opinion, the steppe zone of the body always attacked the southern coastal civilization zone of the mind, and the buffer territory between them was the mountain zone of the spirit. Since May 2018, in the east, Crimea has been connected to the continent by the famous “construction site of the 21st century” - the Kerch (or Crimean) Bridge.
Mountains
The steppe zone is reflected from the warm and humid southern coast of Crimea by three ridges of the Crimean mountains: External, Internal and Main. Each of them looks typologically the same: gentle from the north, these ridges are steep from the south. The outer (northern) ridge is the lowest (up to 350 m); The inner (otherwise the second) ridge is up to 750 m high. The most picturesque is the Main (third, or southern) ridge with peaks more than a kilometer high: Chatyr-Dag (1527 m), Demerdzhi (1356 m) and Roman-kosh (1545 m). Another curious feature of the Crimean mountains is the fact that almost all of them end not with sharp peaks, but, on the contrary, with undulating plateaus, called by the Turkic term “yayla” (translated as “summer pasture for livestock”). The total area of the yayla zones is 1565 km². In Soviet times, various projects were put forward for the reclamation of these high mountain plateaus for subsequent use for agricultural purposes. For various reasons, they were not implemented, and now most of the yayls are nature reserves.
Water resources
The Crimean peninsula is washed by the waters of two seas - the Black and Azov. The length of the Crimean coastline is quite long - 2500 km, however, about half of this space falls on the Sivash region, which is practically unsuitable for recreation and swimming. In general, the water resources of Taurida are more than diverse: there are mountain rivers, lakes, estuaries, waterfalls, reservoirs, and much more. Unfortunately, all this diversity is completely insufficient to provide residents and visitors of the peninsula with fresh water. The situation became doubly tense in 2014 due to the cessation of operation of the North Crimean Canal, cut off from Crimea by order of the Ukrainian authorities. The longest river of the peninsula is the Salgir, which stretches 232 km from Mount Chatyrdag to Sivash, however, the deepest rivers are the Chernaya and Belbek. In summer, many Crimean rivers dry up almost completely. Another curious specific feature of Crimea is the abundance of salt lakes with healing mud; There are especially many of them in the north of Crimea. Despite the fact that it is possible to develop a medical and tourism industry similar to Israel's, this resource is still underutilized.
Flora
The flora of Crimea is amazing and diverse: in total, about 2,500 species of wild higher plants grow here, many of which are listed in the Red Book. What makes Crimean vegetation so special and different? Firstly, about 250 species of so-called endemics grow in Crimea - i.e. plants that are found only in Crimea and nowhere else. Secondly, there are also many relics in Crimea, i.e. types of vegetation that have not changed for many millions of years and have been preserved in their original form. Thirdly, the Crimean vegetation has analogues among plants of other Black Sea and Mediterranean regions - due to a similar climate, and also because about 1000 plant species were brought to Crimea by colonists from their place of residence. It is for this reason that the flora of Crimea has its current, diverse and amazing character. Among the most notable plants of Crimea, it is worth highlighting the Steven maple, Stankevich pine, yew berry, juniper, pyramidal cypress, Crimean thyme, Poyarkova hawthorn, wormwood, feather grass and many others.[С-BLOCK]
The Crimean flora, as well as the fauna, can also be divided into steppe, mountain and south-coast. In northern Crimea and the Kerch Peninsula, steppe vegetation and stunted shrubs predominate. Further, in the foothills, the steppe is replaced by forest-steppe: not only shrubs, but also trees such as oak, juniper, hornbeam and pear appear here. Even further south, in the zone of the Inner Ridge, tree diversity becomes richer, oak and beech forests, hawthorn, mackerel, dogwood, ash and linden appear. At an altitude of 1000 m, already in the area of the Main Ridge, the trees disappear: the majestic expanses of the yayla are practically treeless and resemble high-mountain steppe expanses. It is there that about 25% of Crimean endemics grow. On the southern coast of Crimea you can find a belt of pine forests, which, in general, is not very typical for the peninsula. In addition to natural forests, a significant part of Crimea is also occupied by artificial plantings, parks and botanical gardens. The most famous of them are Alupka and Massandra parks, as well as those founded by Kh.Kh. Stephen back in the 19th century Nikitsky Botanical Garden.
Fauna
The animal world of Crimea is no less unique. Since the peninsula is virtually isolated from the mainland, a unique complex of animal species has formed on it, different from the species composition of nearby Ukraine and mainland Russia. A specific feature of the Crimean fauna is a high level of endemism, i.e. the presence of species unique to Crimea. On the other hand, it is extremely curious that in Crimea there are not many animals living in neighboring territories. In general, more than 60 species of mammals live in Crimea. The largest of them are the Crimean red deer, fallow deer and wild boar. For a long time there were no wolves in Crimea at all, however, in recent years there has been a movement of gray predators to Crimea from the territory of southern Ukraine. As a politically illiterate animal, the wolf does not pay attention to the state border drawn between Crimea and Ukraine in 2014. In the Black and Azov Seas there are three species of dolphins and – extremely rarely – a monk seal. There are more than 300 species of birds in Crimea. The largest are the crane, bustard, swans, geese and large predators: the steppe eagle, black vulture, golden eagle, peregrine falcon and eagle owl. The best place for bird watching in Crimea is the Swan Islands Nature Reserve in the north-west of the peninsula.
Insects
The entomofauna (insects) of Crimea numbers, according to various estimates, from 10 to 15 thousand species. There are about 2000 species of butterflies alone in Crimea! It is not for nothing that the lover of lepidoptera, Vladimir Nabokov, felt so good in Crimea, whose first article in English was dedicated to Crimean butterflies. Of the most notable endemic insect species, it is worth highlighting the Crimean ground beetle, the Black Sea marigold butterfly, the brilliant beauty dragonfly and the Smirnov horsefly. It is especially pleasant that among the animals and insects of Crimea there are practically no poisonous ones, and those that live there (for example, scolopendra, scorpion, tarantula, salpuga, steppe viper) are so rare that cases of attacks on people are rare.
This is a brief summary of the natural beauty of the Crimean Peninsula. There is everything for the most demanding traveler: mountains, sea, bays, waterfalls, steppes, salt and fresh lakes, natural and artificial caves, nature reserves and parks, unique endemic plants, trees, animals and insects. To make sure of this, pack your luggage, put your errands aside, buy tickets - and explore our treasure peninsula on your own. Crimea is waiting for you!
1. What natural resources did primitive man use?
Primitive man used only what was close to him on the surface of the earth or in shallow depths of reservoirs. They did not yet know how to explore the subsoil or great depths, or develop minerals.
They collected vegetation for food, used trees for fires and building houses, and made tools and the same building materials from stones.
It is impossible to live without water, especially fresh water. Also, aquatic inhabitants and land animals were used for food, clothing and household utensils.
2. What natural resources do people use to support life?
For life and development, humanity uses many natural resources: the resources of the world ocean; gifts of forests, fields; soil fertility; minerals from the subsoil.
All natural resources need careful use and protection. It is necessary to prevent the complete disappearance, as well as the inclusion in the Red Book as endangered, of many species of plants and animals. The next generations of people should not only see all the possible gifts of nature, but also increase them.
3. What are the differences between natural conditions and natural resources?
There are significant differences between these two concepts, here are some of them:
1. Involvement in economic activities. Natural resources, in contrast to natural conditions, are almost always involved in the economic activities of mankind.
2. Central characteristic in the concept. For natural conditions, the main characteristic is that they are a set of factors, but natural resources, the understanding of the term is built through the fact that it is a set of non-anthropogenic factors of production.
That is, natural resources are the result of activities in natural conditions.
4. What natural resource is most needed by humanity?
The answer to this question is clear – water. This is one of those resources without which human existence is simply impossible, but in its absence it will be irreplaceable, unlike other vital resources.
5. Based on Fig. 218 of the textbook, determine what types of natural resources are in our area. Give examples.
Resources can be exhaustible (forests, rivers, etc.) and inexhaustible (sun, air, etc.); renewable and non-renewable.
The Chelyabinsk region has rich and varied natural resources.
Mineral resources are concentrated in more than 300 mineral deposits, the most important of which are deposits of iron and copper-zinc ores, gold, refractory raw materials, talc, graphite and quartz.
The Chelyabinsk region is a monopolist in Russia in the extraction and processing of graphite (95%), magnesite (95%), talc (70%), and metallurgical dolomite (71%).
The region has unlimited reserves of facing stones with a wide range of colors and varied patterns.
6. List the continents rich in: oil and gas, non-ferrous metals, water resources, biological resources.
The richest continents in terms of oil and gas deposits include: North America and Eurasia.
Most non-ferrous metals are found in Eurasia, and also, despite its small size, in Australia.
Of course, South America is the richest in water resources; Eurasia comes in second place after this continent.
According to the criterion of the amount of biological resources, the leaders are also Eurasia and South America, only in a different order.
7. List the resources of the World Ocean that people are able to use today and in the future.
In the future, humanity will be able to use only inexhaustible and renewable resources of the ocean, since exhaustible ones can be completely used up. Reserves of oil and gas and minerals mined on the shelf will run out. Biological resources can be used in the future only if they are used rationally today, i.e. It is necessary to prevent the complete extermination of many species of ocean inhabitants. Without restrictions, it will be possible to use the energy of tides, waves and currents, temperature differences, as well as sea water and the substances it contains.
9. Establish a correspondence between the type of use of natural resources and sectors of the economy.
Directly use natural resources – 1,2,3,4,5,8
Processing and processing of natural resources – 4,5,6,12,13
Do not use natural resources – 7,9,10,11,14
School of Regional Geographers
Make a forecast of changes in the nature of the Earth, subject to the disappearance of the cover glaciers of Greenland and Antarctica.
Most of the continents of our planet will be flooded, only a small part of Eurasia will remain on the surface.
Having visited Crimea, the Chilean poet and politician Pablo Neruda enthusiastically wrote: “Crimea is an order on the chest of planet Earth!” And indeed, if you look at it from a bird's eye view, you will see that the diamond-shaped Crimean peninsula really resembles an order attached to the European continent by a narrow chain of the Perekop Isthmus and the Arabat Spit. Historian Neil Asherson called Crimea “the big brown diamond”; The climate and nature of the peninsula was admired by all scientists, writers, poets and artists who visited Taurida. Let’s try to talk in a few words about the richness of Crimean nature and its features.
Position: between geography and geopolitics
Geographically located at the junction of Europe and Asia, Crimea took a little from each of these parts of the world: in the north of the peninsula there are Asian steppes, and in the south there are mountains and subtropics, reminiscent of the resort areas of Greece and Italy. The steppe zone, covering most of the central, western and eastern Crimea, begins in Crimea - and stretches far to the east, all the way to Mongolia and Northern China. It is not for nothing that in the Middle Ages this gigantic territory was called the Wild Field - it was from there that countless hordes of Scythians, Sarmatians, Huns, Khazars, Mongols and other nomads came to Europe. Crimea is connected to the continent only by a few narrow strips of isthmuses and sandbanks, waterways through the Sivash salt lakes in the north and east, as well as a long strip of the Arabat Spit. Neil Asherson divided Crimea into three historical zones: the steppe north, inhabited by nomads (the body zone); the south, with its cities and civilizations (zone of reason); the mountains between them are the zone of the spirit, where mountain principalities and monasteries were located. In his opinion, the steppe zone of the body always attacked the southern coastal civilization zone of the mind, and the buffer territory between them was the mountain zone of the spirit. Since May 2018, in the east, Crimea has been connected to the continent by the famous “construction site of the 21st century” - the Kerch (or Crimean) Bridge.
Mountains
The steppe zone is reflected from the warm and humid southern coast of Crimea by three ridges of the Crimean mountains: External, Internal and Main. Each of them looks typologically the same: gentle from the north, these ridges are steep from the south. The outer (northern) ridge is the lowest (up to 350 m); The inner (otherwise the second) ridge is up to 750 m high. The most picturesque is the Main (third, or southern) ridge with peaks more than a kilometer high: Chatyr-Dag (1527 m), Demerdzhi (1356 m) and Roman-kosh (1545 m). Another curious feature of the Crimean mountains is the fact that almost all of them end not with sharp peaks, but, on the contrary, with undulating plateaus, called by the Turkic term “yayla” (translated as “summer pasture for livestock”). The total area of the yayla zones is 1565 km². In Soviet times, various projects were put forward for the reclamation of these high mountain plateaus for subsequent use for agricultural purposes. For various reasons, they were not implemented, and now most of the yayls are nature reserves.
Water resources
The Crimean peninsula is washed by the waters of two seas - the Black and Azov. The length of the Crimean coastline is quite long - 2500 km, however, about half of this space falls on the Sivash region, which is practically unsuitable for recreation and swimming. In general, the water resources of Taurida are more than diverse: there are mountain rivers, lakes, estuaries, waterfalls, reservoirs, and much more. Unfortunately, all this diversity is completely insufficient to provide residents and visitors of the peninsula with fresh water. The situation became doubly tense in 2014 due to the cessation of operation of the North Crimean Canal, cut off from Crimea by order of the Ukrainian authorities. The longest river of the peninsula is the Salgir, which stretches 232 km from Mount Chatyrdag to Sivash, however, the deepest rivers are the Chernaya and Belbek. In summer, many Crimean rivers dry up almost completely. Another curious specific feature of Crimea is the abundance of salt lakes with healing mud; There are especially many of them in the north of Crimea. Despite the fact that it is possible to develop a medical and tourism industry similar to Israel's, this resource is still underutilized.
Flora
The flora of Crimea is amazing and diverse: in total, about 2,500 species of wild higher plants grow here, many of which are listed in the Red Book. What makes Crimean vegetation so special and different? Firstly, about 250 species of so-called endemics grow in Crimea - i.e. plants that are found only in Crimea and nowhere else. Secondly, there are also many relics in Crimea, i.e. types of vegetation that have not changed for many millions of years and have been preserved in their original form. Thirdly, the Crimean vegetation has analogues among plants of other Black Sea and Mediterranean regions - due to a similar climate, and also because about 1000 plant species were brought to Crimea by colonists from their place of residence. It is for this reason that the flora of Crimea has its current, diverse and amazing character. Among the most notable plants of Crimea, it is worth highlighting Steven's maple, Stankevich pine, yew berry, juniper, pyramidal cypress, Crimean thyme, Poyarkova's hawthorn, wormwood, feather grass and many others.
The Crimean flora, as well as the fauna, can also be divided into steppe, mountain and south-coast. In northern Crimea and the Kerch Peninsula, steppe vegetation and stunted shrubs predominate. Further, in the foothills, the steppe is replaced by forest-steppe: not only shrubs, but also trees such as oak, juniper, hornbeam and pear appear here. Even further south, in the zone of the Inner Ridge, tree diversity becomes richer, oak and beech forests, hawthorn, mackerel, dogwood, ash and linden appear. At an altitude of 1000 m, already in the area of the Main Ridge, the trees disappear: the majestic expanses of the yayla are practically treeless and resemble high-mountain steppe expanses. It is there that about 25% of Crimean endemics grow. On the southern coast of Crimea you can find a belt of pine forests, which, in general, is not very typical for the peninsula. In addition to natural forests, a significant part of Crimea is also occupied by artificial plantings, parks and botanical gardens. The most famous of them are Alupka and Massandra parks, as well as those founded by Kh.Kh. Stephen back in the 19th century Nikitsky Botanical Garden.
Fauna
The animal world of Crimea is no less unique. Since the peninsula is virtually isolated from the mainland, a unique complex of animal species has formed on it, different from the species composition of nearby Ukraine and mainland Russia. A specific feature of the Crimean fauna is a high level of endemism, i.e. the presence of species unique to Crimea. On the other hand, it is extremely curious that in Crimea there are not many animals living in neighboring territories. In general, more than 60 species of mammals live in Crimea. The largest of them are the Crimean red deer, fallow deer and wild boar. For a long time there were no wolves in Crimea at all, however, in recent years there has been a movement of gray predators to Crimea from the territory of southern Ukraine. As a politically illiterate animal, the wolf does not pay attention to the state border drawn between Crimea and Ukraine in 2014. In the Black and Azov Seas there are three species of dolphins and – extremely rarely – a monk seal. There are more than 300 species of birds in Crimea. The largest are the crane, bustard, swans, geese and large predators: the steppe eagle, black vulture, golden eagle, peregrine falcon and eagle owl. The best place for bird watching in Crimea is the Swan Islands Nature Reserve in the north-west of the peninsula.
Insects
The entomofauna (insects) of Crimea numbers, according to various estimates, from 10 to 15 thousand species. There are about 2000 species of butterflies alone in Crimea! It is not for nothing that the lover of lepidoptera, Vladimir Nabokov, felt so good in Crimea, whose first article in English was dedicated to Crimean butterflies. Of the most notable endemic insect species, it is worth highlighting the Crimean ground beetle, the Black Sea marigold butterfly, the brilliant beauty dragonfly and the Smirnov horsefly. It is especially pleasant that among the animals and insects of Crimea there are practically no poisonous ones, and those that live there (for example, scolopendra, scorpion, tarantula, salpuga, steppe viper) are so rare that cases of attacks on people are rare.
This is a brief summary of the natural beauty of the Crimean Peninsula. There is everything for the most demanding traveler: mountains, sea, bays, waterfalls, steppes, salt and fresh lakes, natural and artificial caves, nature reserves and parks, unique endemic plants, trees, animals and insects. To make sure of this, pack your luggage, put your errands aside, buy tickets - and explore our treasure peninsula on your own. Crimea is waiting for you!
Russia is a truly vast country. To get to know it well, you need to spend many years traveling to different places. Its extraordinary nature will never cease to amaze. This is true, since Russia unites many different natural and climatic zones. Many regions are very different from each other. The natural wealth of our country is also great and quite diverse. The article will talk about what resources Russia has, and will talk about their types and characteristics.
Natural wealth - what is it?
To begin with, it’s worth understanding this term directly. In a broad sense, natural wealth is those resources that can be obtained in a particular place. Thus, we can say that these are all the things and benefits that a person can receive from nature. All of them are components of the environment, where people receive them from. These resources have been used by humans for various purposes for many years; without them, the development of society and the emergence of new technologies in all industries would be impossible.
Probably, many will be interested in what Russia’s natural resources include. The answer to this question can be very broad. Among such resources we can separately highlight forest, water, biological, recreational, minerals, fertile soils and much more. People actively use all these components for various purposes. Thus, it becomes clear that the wealth of natural resources in our country is truly great. It has been actively developed for many centuries.
Oil, gas and coal reserves
Of course, the first thing worth talking about is our country’s raw materials and fuel and energy reserves. Russia's natural resources include a large number of deposits of such important resources as oil, coal, and natural gas. Tin, aluminum, gold, nickel, platinum, mica and many other materials are also actively mined.
It is interesting that more than 20 thousand different deposits are already known in our country. If you compare Russia with other countries in terms of mineral reserves, you can see some really interesting data. Our country is in 1st place in the world in terms of the amount of natural gas and 6th in terms of the amount of oil reserves. Their deposits are mainly located in the northern part of Russia.
We also need to talk about such an important resource as coal. Russia is in 3rd place in the world in terms of the amount of its reserves. There are several areas where active coal mining is carried out. The main ones are the Kuznetsk, South Yakutsk and Pechora coal basins.
Other minerals
It is important to note other reserves of various raw materials in our country. Russia is rich not only in oil and gas, but also in peat, shale, and iron ores.
Peat in Russia is mined in many regions, both in the European part and in the Asian part. The largest deposits of this material are located in the Northern Urals and Western Siberia.
Oil shale sources are also being actively developed. They are mainly located in the European part of the country. The largest of them is located in the St. Petersburg area. In addition to it, there are 3 more large shale basins in Russia.
Another natural wealth of our country is iron ore. There are many springs on the territory of Russia, most of them lie deep. Large deposits are located in the European part, the most famous of them is called the Kursk magnetic anomaly.
Forest resources
We got acquainted with the mineral resources of Russia. Now it’s worth talking about forest resources, which also constitute the natural wealth of our country.
If we talk about large green areas, they make up more than 40% of the territories of the Russian Federation. Coniferous forests are more common. They occur about 80%. The remaining forests are broad-leaved. Most often they are located in the European part of Russia. Coniferous forests are mainly represented by spruce, fir, cedar, and pine trees. Many types of wood are of great importance for industry and production. There is also one feature - the uneven distribution of forests throughout the country. Most of the green spaces are in the Far East and Siberia.
Of course, the industrial importance of forest resources is quite large. However, they are also used for other purposes. Some forests play an important role in nature conservation. They are water protection and sanitary zones. Some of them have the status of national parks or reserves.
Another group of forests is environment-forming and protective. They allow you to maintain the desired environmental balance in places where it is especially necessary, for example, in large cities and other places with large populations, dense buildings and developed transport networks.
Water resources
So, we discussed Russia's minerals and forest resources. Of course, the list doesn’t end there. The main natural resources include water resources, which are also very abundant in our country. These include all reservoirs that are used in the national economy. This includes lakes, rivers, reservoirs, canals, seas, groundwater and some other sources. Rivers have long been considered the most important because they served as trade routes. The main settlements were located along the rivers, and large cities began to emerge near them.
Nowadays, most of the water resources are used to generate electricity. Many hydroelectric power plants operate in Russia. They provide electricity to a large share of the country. In addition to these purposes, water resources are also used for water supply, cargo transportation, shipping, recreation and others.
Biological resources
Of course, it is necessary to pay attention to such an important component as biological resources. This is another element that makes up natural resources. Man has long been interested in the animal and plant world. Biological resources then began to be used for the benefit of society. These include various types of plants and animals that participate in human economic activities. We can say that they are evenly distributed throughout the country. Lands are included in this group. The most effective of them are meadows, since they are used in livestock farming as pastures and occupy a large proportion of the territory of our country.
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