Germany. Minerals and relief

Germany is the most industrialized state in Europe. This was achieved, while there are not many minerals in the country, on the basis of which it would be possible to create large-scale production.

Relief

It is geographic characteristics that are important for the inception or lack of natural resources. Features of the relief of Germany and minerals are closely interrelated. The country can be divided into three distinct regions. In the north are the lowlands formed after a period when for several thousand years there was a massive glacier on this territory. There are especially many ores. The lowland is called the North German. There are many ridges on it, which formed after the melting of ice. Sedimentary rocks are formed in the tundra plains. In the west of this region there used to be many lakes and marshes with peat. However, the centuries-old human economic activity has led to their dehumidification and milling.

In the center of the country, the foothills begin, passing to the Alps in the south, next to the Swiss border, where Germany ends. Minerals here are represented by a variety of metals.

Gas and oil

This is a small part of national resources. Germany, whose minerals are located in different regions of the country, has low oil and gas reserves. The available quantity is not enough for exporting abroad. This is about 90 gas fields and 130 oil fields. They are scattered in the pre-Alpine regions and the Rhine basin. Every year the development is reduced, as the country is focusing on alternative sources of energy. In addition, the creation of large mining and processing complexes will not pay off when developing small amounts of these resources.

Ore Minerals

The relief and mineral resources of Germany are closely interrelated. This is particularly noticeable in the volumes of ore mined, in particular iron. In total they are presented in the form of 44 deposits in different regions of the country. For the poor in Europe, this is a relatively large amount. They are second only to Ukraine, Great Britain and Sweden. In Lower Saxony there is an area of orogenesis, thanks to which there are various natural resources.

Lead and zinc in significant amounts are found in Saxony, more precisely, in Freiberg near the border with the Czech Republic and the Sudeten Mountains. Polymetallic deposits - in large industrial areas near the foothills of the Harz. In local ores, gold, rubidium, indium and silver are often found. This is the answer to the question of which minerals are rich in Germany.

In the south and west of Saxony there are deposits of silicate and potassium salts. Germany, whose natural resources are extremely fragmented and depleted, on the contrary, is the leader of Europe and the third country in the world.

Copper ores are located in the Saar region and Westphalia, where deposits have been developed for many decades. In the foothills of Harz, this metal is distributed due to schists and copper sandstones, with which Germany is rich. Minerals in this region are of high quality.

Fluorite

Harz, Thüringen Forest and Vogtland are also rich in barite and fluorite. They are used in metallurgy as a flux to create a low-melting slag. In addition, high-quality fluorine and aluminum are made of fluorite in chemical production. This is also an important element for the production of ceramics, as it is required for making glazes and enamels. Without fluorite, optics can not do, where it is necessary for the production of lenses.

Of the more extraordinary natural resources, it is worth mentioning uranium. He appeared here thanks to the deposits that formed in the Precambrian and Cretaceous epoch. He is rich in Germany, whose minerals are in Bavaria and the Black Forest.

Coal

Coal and combustible schists have been used for many centuries by the local population for economic needs. This is also due to the fact that habitual resources in recent years are beginning to dwindle, and the remaining ones are at a greater depth. Nevertheless, in Germany, several traditional regions for coal mining are still actively exploited. This is Lower Saxony and the basin in the Lower Rhine area. Due to the deep occurrence of resources, their extraction is extremely complicated, since the available fields have already been developed. For example, Saxon coal lies at a depth of about 300 meters, which is much further than the usual indices of industry.

In the vicinity of Dresden and Cottbus are brown coal deposits. Unlike the stone "fellow", this resource contains more carbon and water. It burns better and gives much more smoke. Used as fuel. According to experts, the existing volumes will last for another 600 years.

Local oil shale is used to extract kerogen oil. It is produced by means of thermal action. In recent years, the volume of extraction of these resources is increasing, since it is behind them - the future of many types of industry and production.