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Home » natural resources

Top 10 Countries with Least Natural Resources in the World

Modified: Jan 28, 2022 by Nico · This post may contain affiliate links ·

Top ten countries with least natural resources, Natural resources in any country are the major determinants of its richness and economic development. It also increases They are responsible e for the country to be self-sufficient and independent.

But the country’s natural resources may not guarantee ts progress and economic growth because some countries like Liberia and Sierra Leone are rich in natural resources but with that, they have a lingering slow economy and on other hand, Singapore and Hongkong lie countries with very little natural resources have the robust economy.

Thus, dependence on natural resources should be there but not complete dependence. But the natural resources are necessary as the country manages its expenses solely by them. Here is the list of countries with the least natural resources.

Contents

  • 1.VATICAN CITY:
  • 2. COSTA RICA:
  • 3. SWITZERLAND:
  • 4. BELGIUM:
  • 5. TAIWAN:
  • 6. JAPAN:
  • 7. HONG KONG:
  • 8. JAN MAYEN:
  • 9. SINGAPORE:
  • 10. GIBRALTAR:

1.VATICAN CITY:

Top 10 Countries with Least Natural Resources in the World - VATICAN CITY
Rome, Italy. Famous Saint Peter's Square in Vatican and aerial view of the city.

Vatican City is the country with the least natural resources. The country has almost no natural resources at all. The country is suffering from a complete lack of coal reserves. The natural gas reserves are also not existent.

The oil reserves of the state are also null. Therefore, the country has not even precious metals, and gold or silver reserves the country is extremely barren thus stands on number one in the list of natural resources.

2. COSTA RICA:

Top 10 Countries with Least Natural Resources in the World - COSTA RICA
Scenic view of Arenal Volcano in central Costa Rica at sunrise

Costa Rica has less amount of nature’s reserves. It is a green country with an agricultural economy that has the economy flourishing by the tourism industry.

See also  List of Top 10 Largest/ Biggest Deserts in the World

The least natural resources in Costa Rica has an influence on its economy, but the country has been surviving on its tourism industry and production and export of bananas, pineapples, coffee, beef, sugar, rice dairy, and other ornamental plants and flowers otherwise it doesn’t have any metal oil and gas reserves.

3. SWITZERLAND:

Top 10 Countries with Least Natural Resources in the World - SWITZERLAND
Famous Zermatt village with the peak of the Matterhorn in the Swiss Alps

Switzerland’s natural and mineral resources are much limited. There are although small reserves of iron the country is barren regarding oil and gas reserves. A large variety of salt clay gravel clay and marble reserves are available in Switzerland but not much.

4. BELGIUM:

Top 10 Countries with Least Natural Resources in the World - BELGIUM
Aerial view of the City of Brussels with Palace of Justice by twilight

Belgium is also a nation not gifted with many natural resources but despite that, the country is well developed. The major thing the country export is the construction material cement, sand, and some carbonates.

The country also has a small amount of petroleum, hydropower, and other small reserves of commercial value.

5. TAIWAN:

Top 10 Countries with Least Natural Resources in the World - TAIWAN
View of the Taipei Skyline with Taipei 101 at night

Taiwan is a nation with the less natural resources. But as compared to the other above countries it contains some deposits of limestone, power of water, and other resources of the commercial value. But still, the country is having insufficient natural reserves.

6. JAPAN:

Top 10 Countries with Least Natural Resources in the World - JAPAN
pedestrians walking across with crowded traffic at Shibuya crossing square. Shibuya crossing is the busiest road crossing in the world. Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan,

Japan is a country that is growing industrially and, therefore, its mechanical products are then exported throughout the world. It has a high standard of living and is a developed country but is poor in the sense of the natural resources which are very limited.

It lacks complete petroleum reserves. It also doesn’t have enough hydroelectric power and water resources.it also lacks metal resources.

7. HONG KONG:

Top 10 Countries with Least Natural Resources in the World - HONG KONG
Central District - Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong Island, Victoria Harbour - Hong Kong, Aerial View

Hong Kong is a country with few natural reserves. But still, hong kong’s limited natural resources include metalliferous minerals. It also has industrial minerals, onshore sea minerals but in very small quantities. It has a small quantity of quarried rock and building stones and a few sand deposits.

See also  TOP 10 Countries with Most Natural Resources in the World

8. JAN MAYEN:

Jay Mayen is a small island with almost none of the exploitable natural reserves. The country has all traces of minerals and other metals with little petroleum reserves. This country has nothing much except for water resources.

9. SINGAPORE:

Top 10 Countries with Least Natural Resources in the World - SINGAPORE
Singapore, Singapore - May 21, 2016: silhouette of Merlion Statue at Marina Bay against the sunrise. Merlion is a well known marketing icon of Singapore depicted.

Singapore has a tiny amount of natural reserves. Deepwater resources of petroleum have been mined and are exported. But Singapore earns more from technological instruments and computers. Water is used for producing electricity but still, Singapore buys its drinking water even from other countries.

10. GIBRALTAR:

Top 10 Countries with Least Natural Resources in the World - GIBRALTAR
The Rock of Gibraltar, also known as the Rock, is a monolithic limestone promontory located in the territory of Gibraltar, near the southwestern tip of Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.

Gibraltar is a small country and is also poor in natural reserves. It has no significant reserve of the of big nature’s reserves however small amount of sand and limestone can be found here.

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