Chapter 8 of 10All chapters
Chapter 8 of 10
Resources
What the ground holds.
Distribution
Oil, gas, metals and fertile soil are distributed unevenly, which shapes trade, wealth and conflict far more than land area does.
- A few countries dominate supply of several critical minerals.
- Resource wealth can weaken institutions rather than strengthen them.
Food and land
About half of habitable land is farmed, most of it for livestock relative to the calories produced. Soil loss and water availability are the binding constraints.