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China has abundant mineral resources. More than 160 kinds of
minerals have so far been discovered, with total reserves
ranking third in the world. Recoverable deposits of coal
amount to 1,006.3 billion tons, which are mainly distributed
in north and northwest China, with Shanxi and Shaanxi
provinces and Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region having
richest coal reserves. Oil reserves are mainly distributed
in the northwest and are also found in the northeast, the
north and the sub-littoral continental shelf along the
southeastern coast. Energy resources with proven reserves
also include natural gas, oil shale, uranium and thorium.
Ferrous metallic minerals with proven reserves include iron,
manganese, vanadium and titanium, of which the deposits of
iron ores are nearly 50 billion tons, mainly distributed in
Liaoning, Hebei, Shanxi and Sichuan provinces. All
nonferrous metallic minerals that have been discovered in
the world can be found in China. The country ranks among the
world's top in terms of reserves of tungsten, tin, antimony,
zinc, molybdenum, lead and mercury. The reserves of rare
earth constitute 80 percent of the world's total, while
those of antimony 40 percent. The reserves of titanium are
equivalent to the combined total of other countries, and
those of tungsten are quadruple the combined total elsewhere
outside China.
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