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40 Examples of Natural Resources

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A natural resource is value that exists naturally without being created by people. This includes renewable resources that can be replenished with time and non-renewable resources that become depleted with use. The following are common examples of natural resources.
Air
Animals
Arable land
Atmosphere
Beaches
Beehives
Biomass
Coral reefs
Ecosystems
Fisheries
Foods
Freshwater
Gems
Geological formations
Geothermal energy
Groundwater
Hydropower
Hydrosphere
Lakes
Medicinal plants
Metals
Minerals
Natural gas
Ocean Currents
Oceans
Oil
Pearls
Plants
Rainwater
Rare earth elements
Rivers
Rocks
Seaweed
Solar energy
Space
Tidal energy
Timber
Topsoil
Weather Systems
Wind energy

Air

The atmosphere of the Earth. Generally speaking, clean air that has a natural composition is more valuable to human quality of life than air that is contaminated with pollutants such as particulate matter.

Water

Water including fresh water, salt water, snow and ice. As with air, clean water is more valuable than polluted water. In many cases, fresh water is more valuable to humans than salt water as it can be consumed and used to grow crops.

Land

Land including soil that can be used to grow food.

Geographical Features

Naturally created features of the planet such as oceans, lakes, rivers, mountains, rock formations and beaches. In some cases, a geographical feature is valued for its beauty or for recreation such as a beach that is good for surfing.

Living Organisms

Living plants, animals, fungus and micro-organisms. People need organisms for food, medicine and other purposes such as gastrointestinal microbiota that are necessary for human life. People may also feel a connection with living organisms that improves quality of life such as the happiness gained from walking in a forest or caring for a pet.

Ecosystems

Living organisms do not survive independently but depend on each other in countless and complex ways. These systems of survival are known as ecosystems.

Sunlight

The sunlight that warms the planet to a suitable temperature for life. Sunlight is important to the health of ecosystems and is an extremely abundant form of energy.

Weather

Weather such as wind and rain have value to people. For example, wind is a source of energy and rain waters plants.

Trees

Trees are important to ecosystems and are an abundant source of renewable materials such as wood, paper and cloth.

Minerals

Minerals such as sulfur, salt, quartz, graphite, granite and potash that are mined and used as materials for the production of goods.

Rocks

Rocks such as limestone and related resources such as gravel and sand.

Gemstones

Precious gemstones such as diamond, emerald, ruby and sapphire and semiprecious gemstones such as aquamarine, garnet, jade, opal and turquoise.

Metals

Metals such as gold, platinum, palladium, silver, copper, aluminum, nickel and iron.

Fossil Fuel

Fuels deposited with a natural process involving the decomposition of organisms. This is a non-renewable resource as such deposits are ancient and do not replenish. The burning of fossil fuels commonly produces pollution such as carbon dioxide.

Rare Earths

A collection of 17 elements that aren't necessarily rare in the Earth's crust but are difficult to mine because they seldom occur in concentrated deposits. The 17 rare earth elements are cerium, dysprosium, erbium, europium, gadolinium, holmium, lanthanum, lutetium, neodymium, praseodymium, promethium, samarium, scandium, terbium, thulium, terbium and yttrium.

Summary

The following are common types of natural resources:

Overview

Natural resources is the value that naturally exists without being created by human society.
Definition: Natural Resources
Type
Definition
Value that exists naturally without being created by people.
Related Concepts

Goods

This is the complete list of articles we have written about goods.
Brown Goods
Business Goods
Capital Goods
Club Goods
Commodities
Common Goods
Common Resources
Complementary Goods
Consumer Discretionary
Consumer Durables
Consumer Goods
Consumer Products
Consumer Staples
Digital Goods
Durable Goods
Economic Goods
Experience Goods
Fashion Goods
Final Goods
Finished Goods
FMCG
Goods & Services
Inferior Good
Information Good
Intangible Goods
Intermediate Goods
Knowledge Product
Luxury Goods
Merit Good
Natural Resources
Necessity Goods
Perfect Substitute
Public Goods
Search Good
Social Goods
Soft Goods
Sporting Goods
Substitute Good
Superior Goods
Supplies
Unsought Goods
Veblen Goods
Virtual Goods
White Goods
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Goods

The common types of goods.

Consumerization

The definition of consumerization with examples.

Perfect Substitutes

The definition of perfect substitute with examples.

Club Goods

The definition of club goods with examples.

Consumer Discretionary

The definition of consumer discretionary with examples.

Fashion Goods

The definition of fashion good with examples.

Public Services

The definition of public services with examples.

Consumer Products

The definition of consumer product with examples.

Luxury Goods

The definition of luxury good with examples.

Sustainability

An overview of sustainability with examples.

Biochar

An overview of biochar.

Economic Security

The definition of economic security with examples.

Sustainable Materials

A list of the common characteristics of sustainable materials.

Global Change

An overview of global change with examples.

Downward Spiral

The definition of downward spiral with examples.

Core Values

A list of common core values with examples.

Green Industry

The definition of green industry with examples.

Environmental Justice

The definition of environmental justice with examples.
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