Natural resources of Colombia

Natural resources are those elements that nature provides spontaneously, without human intervention. There are renewable and non-renewable natural resources , these are used by human beings and satisfy their needs for their vital and economic development. Although it is true that natural resources are offered by nature spontaneously, it is also true that many of them are intervened by human hands to obtain greater yield and production from them, as can be the case with crops. Among the natural riches of Colombia are gold, silver, emeralds, oil, coal, many animal and plant species , among others.

We recommend you read this other article to go deeper into the Definition of natural resources and their types .

The coffee plantations are one of the pillars of social and economic stability of the country, being among the countries with the highest production of coffee in the world .

However, in recent years, factors such as climate change, the evolution of the territorial and local socio-political scenarios that define the environment for production and also the geography, are causing great transformations in the main coffee departments.

Cocoa, or scientifically known as Theobroma cacao L, for approximately 2,000 years has been part of the economy of many peoples of the world. Colombia is a tropical country with optimal geographic and climatic conditions for growing cocoa . Mainly, cocoa is used as food and different by-products can be extracted from it, such as cocoa liquors, chocolates, cosmetic products, etc.

The cultivation of bananas in the Colombian country is considered a traditional activity that is part of the country’s economy and, in addition, it has a significant geographical presence and an important socioeconomic contribution.

It is in the department of Antioquia where the main production of this Colombian natural resource takes place . The Colombian banana today is widely exported to different countries, as it is characterized by its excellent flavor and texture, which is why it is widely recognized as a tropical ethnic food.

Emerald is a mineral cyclosilicate of aluminum and beryllium that, in addition, in its composition there are also small amounts of chromium and vanadium, which are responsible for its green color. Colombia is one of the main world producers of gem-quality emeralds , found mainly in the department of Boyacá. It is a stone of great value, demanded for the manufacture of jewelry and for sale to museums and collectors, but it is also especially linked to religious and cultural factors.

Colombia is the country that contains the largest coal reserves in all of Latin America , thus satisfying domestic demand and guaranteeing its participation in the international market. The coal industry is a great economic potential in Colombia, generating money and a large number of jobs.

Coal is an inorganic mineral , composed mainly of sulfur, nitrogen, oxygen, hydrogen and carbon, which originates in chemical and physical transformations of large plant accumulations that have been deposited over the years in swamps, lagoons or deltas. It is classified among energetic materials, since it is used for power generation.

Here you can learn more about how coal is formed .

The oil industry is another of the economic engines and main natural resources of Colombia . Petroleum is a mixture of organic compounds, mainly hydrocarbons that are not soluble in water. In this other article we tell you more about How oil is formed .

Oil is of great importance and is in high demand, since it is not only used for energy purposes for agriculture, industries, transportation and domestic use, but also for other products such as paraffins, asphalt, plastics, paints, containers, etc.

As we have said before, natural resources serve to satisfy the subsistence needs of living beings. In the case of the human being, among these needs are those related to food, health, economy and leisure.

In the case of Colombia, many of them are great great economic potentials, so that their mismanagement leads to a negative impact on the country’s economy and the environment. As a result of these impacts, the rest of the needs could not be fully satisfied, some of them, as in the case of food and health, essential for human life.

Now that you have learned about Colombian natural resources, we encourage you to learn more about this country with this other article about the natural regions of Colombia .

If you want to read more articles similar to Natural Resources of Colombia , we recommend that you enter our category of Other Environment .