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Natural resources are natural capital converted
to commodity inputs to infrastructural capital processes. They include soil, timber, oil, minerals, and other goods taken
more or less as they are from the Earth.
A nation's natural resources often determine its wealth and status in the world economic system, by determining its political
influence. Developed nations are those which are less dependent
on natural resources for wealth, due to their greater reliance on infrastructural capital for production.
In recent years, the depletion of natural capital and attempts to
move to sustainable development have been a major
focus of development
agencies. This is of particular concern in rainforest regions, which hold
most of the Earth's natural biodiversity - irreplaceable genetic natural capital. Conservation of natural resources is the major focus of
Natural Capitalism, environmentalism, the ecology movement, and
Green Parties. Some view this depletion as a major source of social
unrest and conflicts in developing nations.
See also
Useful Resources For Research
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