Russian Federation: Need of Minerals

Russia is the largest country in the world; it covers a vast amount of topographically varied territory (17.1 million square kilometers) (Karavanova 2010). According to Cherkasov and Rundqvist (2007), Russia’s mineral resources, in relation to world resources, are impressive. In the area of energy resources, Russia has 12% of the coal world’s explored reserves. Russia has 40% of the world’s platinum, 90% of the palladium, 35% of the niobium, 80% of the tantalum], 50% of the yttrium, 28% of the lithium, 15% of the beryllium, and 12% of the zirconium. Russia’s share of other metals used in industry is 36% of the nickel, 27% of the iron ore, 27% of the tin, 20% of the cobalt, 16% of the zinc, and 12% of the lead. Russia also has agrochemical ores, ranking first in the world in deposits of potassium salts and second for apatite and phosphorite. Russia has the largest diamond resources in the world and ranks third in gold.

According to MINEX Russia 2014, Russia ranks among the top ten...