Map on Monday: Sixteen Rare Metals and Minerals

The map above (click to enlarge) depicts the location and amount of sixteen of the world's rare minerals and metals. These sixteen minerals and metals include: Aluminium, Antimony, Chromium, Copper, Gold, Hafnium, Indium, Lead, Nickel, Phosphorus, Platinum/Rhodium, Silver, Tantalum, Tin, Uranium, and Zinc (click on the link for more information about how these resources are commonly used).

Some nations stand out for having a diverse amount of mineral resources. The United States and South Africa possess eight of the sixteen resources; with South Africa holding a third of the world's Chromium, 40% of the world's gold, and 88% of the world's Platinum/Rhodium. China and Australia are also blessed -- with Australia possessing ten of the sixteen resources, and China eleven. Brazil ranks fifth on this map with six of the sixteen resources found within its borders.

While some nations have a diverse collection of mineral and metal resources, others stand out for large quantities of one or two of them. Morocco and Western Sahara, for example, possess 42% of the world's Phosphorus. Other countries include: Poland (25% of the world's silver), Canada (33% of the world's Indium),  Chile (38% of world's copper), Brazil (48% of the world's Tantalum), Australia (52% of the world's Tantalum and 53% of the world's Hafnium), Kazakhstan (60% of the world's Chromium), and China (62% of the world's Antimony and 31% of the world's tin). The three top Uranium countries (with combined 50% of world supply) are Australia, Kazakhstan, and Canada.