Natural and Mineral Resources Across the World MCQ Quiz - Objective Question with Answer for Natural and Mineral Resources Across the World - Download Free PDF

The correct answer is Kazakhstan.

Key Points

• In 2021 Kazakhstan produced the largest share of uranium from mines (45% of world supply), followed by Namibia (12%) and Canada (10%). Uzbekistan (est.) China (est.) India (est.)
• Over two-thirds of the world's production of uranium from mines is from Kazakhstan, Canada, and Australia.
• An increasing amount of uranium, now over 50%, is produced by in situ leachings.

Important Points

• About Uranium:
  • Uranium is a very important element because it provides us with nuclear fuel used to produce electricity in nuclear power stations.
  • It is also the major material from which other synthetic transuranium elements are made.
  • Naturally occurring uranium consists of 99% uranium-238 and 1% uranium-235.
  • Uranium is generally used in reactors in the form of uranium dioxide or uranium metal.

The correct answer is Sedimentary rock.

• Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock, formed as rock strata called coal seams.
  • Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other elements; chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen.
  • It is also called black gold.
  • Mostly used for power generation and metallurgy.
  • Coal reserves are six times greater than oil and petroleum reserves.

Key Points

• Coal formed millions of years ago when the earth was covered with huge swampy forests where plants – giant ferns and mosses – grew.
• As the plants grew, some died and fell into the swamp waters.
• New plants grew up to take their places and when these died still more grew.
• In time, there was a thick layer of dead plants rotting in the swamp.
• The surface of the earth changed and water and dirt washed in, stopping the decaying process.
• Heat and pressure produced chemical and physical changes in the plant layers which forced out oxygen and left rich carbon deposits.
• In time, material that had been planted became coal.
• Coals are classified into three main ranks or types:
  • ​Lignite
  • Bituminous Coal
  • Anthracite

Additional Information

• China is the highest coal producer in the world.
• India ranks second in coal production.
• Five countries, namely China, the United States, Russia, India and Japan accounted for over 75% of worldwide coal consumption. 

The correct answer is Asia.

Key Points

• Asia continent produces more than half of the world's tin.
• In Asia, China is the major producer of tin.
• Tin is found in the ore cassiterite.​

Additional Information

•  Asia is the largest continent & It covers about one-third of the total land area of the earth.
• The continent lies in the Eastern Hemisphere. The Tropic of Cancer(23 1/2° N) passes through this continent.
• Asia is separated from Europe by the Ural mountains on the west.
• The combined landmass of Europe and Asia is called Eurasia (Europe + Asia).

The correct answer is 2 and 3 only.

In News

• India has applied to the International Seabed Authority (ISA) for rights to explore the Afanasy Nikitin Seamount in the Central Indian Basin, aiming to access cobalt-rich resources and counter growing Chinese influence in deep-sea mining.

Key Points

• Statement 1: Incorrect. The Afanasy Nikitin Seamount is located in the Central Indian Basin, not the Atlantic Ocean. However, it is rich in cobalt, nickel, manganese, and copper. Hence, Statement 1 is incorrect.
• Statement 2: Correct. The ISA is indeed an autonomous body under UNCLOS, responsible for regulating mineral-related activities in the international seabed area. Hence, Statement 2 is correct.
• Statement 3: Correct. The international seabed area includes the seabed, ocean floor, and subsoil beyond the limits of national jurisdiction (i.e., beyond EEZ and continental shelf claims). Hence, Statement 3 is correct.

Additional Information

• India is also exploring the Carlsberg Ridge, along with AN Seamount, to enhance strategic marine presence.
• ISA's regulatory framework aims to ensure that deep-sea exploration is peaceful, equitable, and environmentally sustainable.
• Environmentalists caution about the risks of sediment plumes, ecosystem disruption, and unknown marine biodiversity loss due to deep-sea mining.

The correct answer is Copper.
Key Points

• Japan Copper Industry:-
  • Niihama City in Ehime Prefecture is part of the Seto Inland Sea Industrial Zone.
  • Japan is near self-sufficient in terms of Copper production.
  • The Besshi Copper Mines are located in the Akaishi Mountain Range to the south of this major city in Shikoku.
  • When the Earth was young, this land was under the sea and mineral deposits containing copper were formed by submarine volcanic activity.
  • This copper deposit stretching deep beneath the Earth breached the surface, breaking through the surrounding strata, awaiting discovery by human beings.
  • 1,800 meters in length and 2.5 meters in thickness, the deposit stretches from about 1,200 meters above sea level to about 1,000 meters below sea level with an inclination of about 45 to 50 degrees and is one of the largest in Japan.

Additional Information

• Production of copper in 1917 was 108,000 tonnes, in 1921 54,000 tonnes, in 1926 63,400 tonnes but this production was augmented to 70,000 tonnes in 1931–1937.
• Gold production in Korea was 6.2 tons in 1930 rising to 26.1 tons/year at peak.
• In rivers and mines, other deposits were in Saganoseki (Oita) Honshu, Kyushu, and North Formosa.
• Japan imported gold from overseas.
• Other important iron sources were Muroran (Hokkaido) and Kenji (Korea).
• Total reserves were 90 M tonnes of their own, 10 M or 50 M in Korea (Kenjiho) and Formosa.
• Japan imported iron from Tayeh (China), 500,000 tonnes in 1940, from Malacca, Johore and other points, 1,874,000 tonnes, from Philippines 1,236,000 tonnes, India sent 1,000,000 tonnes and 3,000,000 processed iron in bars and Australia sent a similar quantity.
• The principal silver mines were in Kosaki, Kawaga, and Hitachi, and others in Karafuto with Iron Pyrite.

The correct answer is Australia.

Important Points

• Bauxite:
  • It is an ore of aluminium.
  • It is a light and versatile material, having wide industrial uses such as in aeroplane industry, machine tools, electricals and utensil industry.
  • It is mostly mined in tropical regions but aluminium is manufactured in developed countries where cheap electricity is abundantly available.
  • Australia is the largest producer of Bauxite in the world, accounts for 32% (approx) of the world's production and also has about 40% of Bauxite reserves.
  • Australia produces nearly 100 million metric tons in the year 2019. 
  • Guinea is the second-largest producer of Bauxite in the world for the year 2019 with a production of nearly 80 million metric tons, while China is the third followed by Brazil and India with fourth and fifth positions respectively.

The correct answer is Kazakhstan.

Important Points

• For more than 50 years, Kazakhstan has been a major producer of uranium.
• Kazakhstan has 12% of the uranium deposits in the world.
• Output grew from 2022 to about 22,550 U tonnes per year between 2001 and 2013, making Kazakhstan the world's leading producer of uranium.
• It became the world's top producer of uranium in 2009, with approximately 28% of world supply.
• The volume is approximately 25,000 tU/yr.
• Production was 22,808 tU in 2019, which constituted 43% of the uranium in the world. 

Additional Information

Facts about Kazakhstan:

The correct answer is China.

Key Points

• In 2020, China became the first country to produce over one billion tons of steel.
• In 2019, total world crude steel production was 1869.9 million tonnes (Mt).
• The biggest steel-producing country is currently China, which accounted for 53.3% of world steel production in 2019. 
• The crude steel industry produces blooms, billets, slabs, or plates that are transformed through mechanical processes into rails, structural elements, bars, sheets, or wires.
• Iron ore-based steelmaking accounts for more than two-thirds of the production of crude steel in the world.

Hence, the correct answer is China.

The Correct Answer is limonite

Key PointsIron Ore:

• It is a metallic mineral and is found in the form of ore or a compound in nature.
• Earth's most important iron ore deposits are found in sedimentary rocks.
• They are formed by chemical reactions that combine iron and oxygen in marine and freshwaters.
• There are different types of iron ore:
  • Haematite: 
    • It contains about 60 to 70% iron.
    • It is massive, hard, compact, and lumpy ore with reddish or ochre red in color.
  • Magnetite:
    • It is the best type of iron ore and contains up to 72.4% iron in itself.
    • It is dark brown to blackish in color and is termed black ore.
  • Limonite:
    • The ferrous content of limonite ore varies from 35-50%.It is called brown ore
  • Siderite:
    • It contains iron ranging from 10-48%.
    • It is an inferior variety of iron ore.

The correct answer is Sedimentary rock.

• Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock, formed as rock strata called coal seams.
  • Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other elements; chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen.
  • It is also called black gold.
  • Mostly used for power generation and metallurgy.
  • Coal reserves are six times greater than oil and petroleum reserves.

Key Points

• Coal formed millions of years ago when the earth was covered with huge swampy forests where plants – giant ferns and mosses – grew.
• As the plants grew, some died and fell into the swamp waters.
• New plants grew up to take their places and when these died still more grew.
• In time, there was a thick layer of dead plants rotting in the swamp.
• The surface of the earth changed and water and dirt washed in, stopping the decaying process.
• Heat and pressure produced chemical and physical changes in the plant layers which forced out oxygen and left rich carbon deposits.
• In time, material that had been planted became coal.
• Coals are classified into three main ranks or types:
  • ​Lignite
  • Bituminous Coal
  • Anthracite

Additional Information

• China is the highest coal producer in the world.
• India ranks second in coal production.
• Five countries, namely China, the United States, Russia, India and Japan accounted for over 75% of worldwide coal consumption. 

Option 2 is the correct answer: The mineral deposited in the soil of the lower hills and valleys in the sand are called Placer deposits.

• Placer deposits are formed by the concentration of a particular metal or mineral over a period of time.
• The river while flowing through the rocks extract the minerals from there and they are deposited downstream under the influence of gravity.
• These deposits are a result of depositions made by water, therefore placer deposits are found in or near subaqueous environments.
• They are found in or near water bodies also in the sands of ancient river channels, dried valleys, beaches and coasts.
• Generally, the inert metal like Gold and Platinum forms these kinds of deposits.
• The reaction resistant ores like magnetite, monazite, zircon and rutile are also found in placer deposits.
• The coastal plains of Alaska, India, NewZealand, Indonesia and South Africa are rich in placer deposits.

The correct answer is Kazakhstan.

Key Points

• In 2021 Kazakhstan produced the largest share of uranium from mines (45% of world supply), followed by Namibia (12%) and Canada (10%). Uzbekistan (est.) China (est.) India (est.)
• Over two-thirds of the world's production of uranium from mines is from Kazakhstan, Canada, and Australia.
• An increasing amount of uranium, now over 50%, is produced by in situ leachings.

Important Points

• About Uranium:
  • Uranium is a very important element because it provides us with nuclear fuel used to produce electricity in nuclear power stations.
  • It is also the major material from which other synthetic transuranium elements are made.
  • Naturally occurring uranium consists of 99% uranium-238 and 1% uranium-235.
  • Uranium is generally used in reactors in the form of uranium dioxide or uranium metal.

The correct answer is Asia.

Key Points

• Asia continent produces more than half of the world's tin.
• In Asia, China is the major producer of tin.
• Tin is found in the ore cassiterite.​

Additional Information

•  Asia is the largest continent & It covers about one-third of the total land area of the earth.
• The continent lies in the Eastern Hemisphere. The Tropic of Cancer(23 1/2° N) passes through this continent.
• Asia is separated from Europe by the Ural mountains on the west.
• The combined landmass of Europe and Asia is called Eurasia (Europe + Asia).

The correct answer is Bauxite ore.

Key Points

• Bauxite rock is largely composed of a mixture of hydrous aluminum oxide.
• Bauxite is the main ore of aluminium.
• Bauxites vary physically according to the origin and geologic history of their deposits, with some deposits being soft, easily crushable, and structureless.

Additional Information

• Bauxite is formed by intensive weathering of many different rocks.
• Clay minerals usually represent intermediate stages, but some bauxites appear to be reworked chemical precipitates rather than simple alteration products.
• The constituent minerals are rarely identified in direct samples and even in thin sections, their complete identification can be difficult.
• It has been determined through integrated petrography, X-ray diffraction, and differential thermal analysis that gibbsite, boehmite, and diaspor are individual or mixed components in the minerals.
• Bauxite is found in most countries, but the larger deposits occur in the tropics.
• Major deposits of gravel mixed with sand were discovered in Australia in the 1950s, and it became the world’s top producer of bauxite by the early 21st century.

The correct answer is Gujarat.

Key PointsGujarat has 142,560 MW wind power potential, the highest of all states.

Rajasthan follows Gujarat with 127,756 MW, Karnataka with 124,155 MW, Maharashtra with 98,213 MW, and Andhra Pradesh with 74,906 MW wind potential.

Mistake Points

• The largest producing of Wind Energy is Tamil Nadu but if we talk about the wind energy potential then Gujrat holds the first rank.