A natural resource is anything from nature that humans use. It includes minerals, fossil fuels, timber, fresh water, fertile soil, and fish. Some resources renew quickly, like sunlight and wind. Others take millions of years to form, like coal and oil. The distinction matters for how we use them.

Resources are not fixed. What counts as a resource changes with technology and economics. Uranium was worthless before nuclear reactors. Lithium was a curiosity before batteries. Shale oil was inaccessible before fracking. As technology advances, previously useless materials become valuable. As resources deplete, prices rise and substitutes emerge.

Managing resources is a central challenge. Overuse depletes them. Extraction damages landscapes and communities. Trade distributes them unevenly. Countries rich in oil or minerals often struggle with corruption and conflict. The transition to renewable energy shifts the resource focus to minerals like lithium, cobalt, and rare earths. The geography of scarcity is changing.

Common types

• Minerals and metals
• Fossil fuels
• Timber and biomass
• Fresh water
• Fisheries and soil