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Natural & Phyical Resources pt1

The document discusses natural and renewable resources in the Caribbean. It describes two types of natural resources and provides examples. Renewable resources include agricultural land, marine life, forests, and water. Non-renewable resources include limestone, bauxite, gypsum, petroleum, and natural gas. Renewable energy resources like solar, wind, geothermal, and hydroelectric power are also discussed.

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Sonia Omapersaud
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27 views5 pages

Natural & Phyical Resources pt1

The document discusses natural and renewable resources in the Caribbean. It describes two types of natural resources and provides examples. Renewable resources include agricultural land, marine life, forests, and water. Non-renewable resources include limestone, bauxite, gypsum, petroleum, and natural gas. Renewable energy resources like solar, wind, geothermal, and hydroelectric power are also discussed.

Uploaded by

Sonia Omapersaud
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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TOPIC: Natural/Physical Resources

Natural/Physical resources are the features of the physical environment which humans can develop
and use to satisfy their needs.

There are two (2) types of natural resources. These are:

1) Renewable or Inexhausible
2) Non-renewable or exhaustible

Renewable or Inexhausible resources are those resources which remain in existence when they are
used, or which are naturally replaced, e.g. land, water, sun, marine life, etc.

Non-renewable or exhaustible resources are those resources which are not naturally replaced when
they are used, e.g. oil/petroleum, bauxite, gold, diamond, etc.

Every human society depends on resources. All the countries of the Caribbean have natural
resources, which allow them to develop a prosperous economy.

The natural resources of the Caribbean include:

 Resources for agriculture, such as the soil


 Climate resources such as rainfall, moderate temperatures, and cooling winds
 Rivers and other fresh water resources, for drinking, household use, and for irrigating crops
 Forest and wildlife resources, such as growing trees and plants, which may provide pleasure
to people who live there and attract tourists
 Marine resources, such as sandy beaches, fish or coral reefs, and natural harbours for
shipping
 Mineral resources such as limestone, bauxite, gold oil, and natural gas.

Location, Uses and Importance of Renewable Resources

Renewable resources are available throughout the Caribbean in varying amounts.

Agricultural Land

- Agricultural Land is used for the production of crops and for rearing livestock animals.
- Agricultural production takes place on:
 A commercial basis – involving large-scale production for sale and export
 A subsistence basis – involving small-scale production (for self-sustenance and
small sale)
- Agriculture is important in the Caribbean because it:
 Contributes to food security
 Raises foreign exchange earnings through export of agricultural produce
 Provides employment in all three types of industries (Primary, Secondary, Tertiary)

Marine Life

- Consumption of fish, crustaceans and mollusks provide an important source of animal protein.
- Fishing and aquaculture industries provide employment in all three economic sectors (Primary,
Secondary, Tertiary)
- It also provide foreign exchange earnings from exportation.
- Also contribute to the economy through ecotourism and sports fishing activities and events.

Forests

- Wood is used in construction, furniture making, charcoal and paper production, and as fuel.
- Certain trees provide food, some provide medicine, and material used for making rubber
gloves.
- Forests provide habitat (home) for wildlife, prevents soil degradation and erosion, and tourist
attraction.
- Export of timber products is important for economies of countries like Guyana and Belize
because it produces foreign exchange

Water

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-
-

Activity: State 3 uses of water and its importance


Location, Uses and Importance of Non-Renewable Mineral Resources

Main Mineral Resources

- Mineral resources contribute to the economy through:


 Foreign exchange earnings from export
 Employment in the primary, secondary and tertiary sectors
 Providing raw materials needed in the Caribbean (e.g. limestone and gypsum are both
used in the manufacture of cement and there are a number of cement factories in
Jamaica & Dominican Republic.

Mineral Uses Country


Resources
Limestone Construction, cement manufacture Barbados, Jamaica, Trinidad &
Tobago
Bauxite Aluminium production Guyana, Jamaica
Gypsum cement manufacture, ingredients for plaster, Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago
food additive, fertilizer component, soil
conditioner
Petroleum Fuel Trinidad & Tobago, Barbados,
Belize, Guyana
Natural Gas Fuel Trinidad & Tobago
Diamond Jewellery, industrial applications Guyana
Gold Jewellery, artefacts, industrial applications Guyana
Asphalt Road construction Trinidad & Tobago
Marble Flooring, construction Jamaica

Location and Uses of Non-renewable mineral resources in the Caribbean

Uses and Importance of Renewable Energy Resources

Solar energy

Solar systems convert energy from the sun into electricity or use it to heat water (solar water heaters).
Photovoltaic (PV) systems, which use specialized panels to produce electricity, are largely small in
scale in the Caribbean. However, as the technology improves and system costs decrease, there are
more instances of using PV systems to produce electricity on a commercial scale for sale to a
supplier.

Wind energy

Wind turbines generate electricity using the power of the wind. Turbines of various sizes are in use
throughout the Caribbean. Small turbines are useful for domestic purposes. A commercial wind farm
consists of a collection of large wind turbines from which electricity is fed into a country’s national
grid, for e.g. Wigton Farm in Jamaica.

Geothermal Energy

Geothermal energy is derived from the natural heat within the earth. For commercial (large scale)
purposes, a geothermal reservoir that can provide a constant supply of hot water or steam is needed.
Exploitation of geothermal energy is being explored in several Caribbean countries.

Biogas

Biogas is the result of the anaerobic (without oxygen) decomposition/break-down of organic matter.
Sources include animal waste on farms and also landfill sites that contain mostly domestic waste. The
gas is mainly methane, the second most significant greenhouse gas. Capturing it prevents it from
entering the atmosphere and it is also used as a fuel. When captured at a landfill site, it is known as
landfill gas (LFG).

Solid Biomass

Biomass fuels are non-fossil, carbon-based fuels. Some biomass materials available in the Caribbean
are:

- Wood, including forest wood, waste from logging and milling operations
- Agricultural waste from various food-processing activities, such as bagasse, nuts and shells,
husks and straws.
- Crops and trees grown especially for use as fuel, such as miscanthus and reed canarygrass.
Hydroelectric power

Hydroelectric power stations use the energy available in moving water to turn turbines that drive
electricity generators. However, poor agricultural practices and inadequate forest management have
limited this potential.

NOTE:
Primary industries make direct use of natural resources to produce goods. Some of these goods can be used
directly, e.g fish. Others are raw materials which require further processing, e.g sugar cane.

Some primary industries are: Agricultural, Fishing, Oil extraction, Quarrying, Mining.

Secondary industries include manufacturing and construction. Some secondary industries use raw materials
which have been produced by primary industries, e.g sugar cane into sugar. Others make use of materials
which have already been processed by other secondary industries, e.g using sugar to make fruits or
manufacture jams and jellies.

Some secondary industries are: Sugar Processing, Dairy industries, Oil refining, Petrochemicals,
Cement, Alumina, Cotton textiles, Garments, Construction.

Tertiary industries provide services such as banking, hospitality in hotels and restaurant, retailing and consumer
services such as hairdressing. Most jobs are now in service industries.

Tertiary industries may make use of goods and natural resources, but they do not produce goods. Some tertiary
industries are: Education, Health, Banking, Tourism.

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