Rare earth minerals have become the backbone of modern technology, fueling everything from smartphones and electric vehicles to advanced military systems. As nations race to secure these vital resources, a new geological map has revealed the world’s most valuable deposits, reshaping global power dynamics. With China holding the largest reserves, the U.S., Europe, and other major economies are now scrambling to find alternative sources—and even striking controversial deals to gain access.
Where Are the World’s Rare Earth Mineral Deposits?
A new global map, based on U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) data, pinpoints the richest rare earth mineral reserves on the planet. While these elements are not as “rare” as their name suggests, finding them in high concentrations is uncommon, making extraction difficult and expensive.
The map highlights key locations, including:
- China, which dominates global production with 44 million metric tons of reserves.
- Africa, particularly Morocco and South Africa, where rich zinc, lithium, and cobalt deposits have made the region a critical supplier for batteries and renewable energy.
- South America, where Chile and Brazil hold vast lithium reserves essential for electric vehicles.
- Ukraine, which is emerging as a geopolitical flashpoint due to its significant titanium and lithium resources.
- Greenland, where untapped deposits of rare earth elements and natural gas have fueled interest from global powers.
Despite these widespread deposits, mining and refining remain heavily concentrated in China, creating a supply chain bottleneck that the rest of the world is desperate to break.
Why Are Rare Earth Minerals So Important?
Rare earth elements are a group of 17 metallic elements with unique properties that make them indispensable for high-tech industries. They are used in:
- Smartphones, laptops, and electric vehicles, where they enable high-performance batteries and efficient energy storage.
- Military applications, including missile guidance systems, radar, and advanced weaponry.
- Renewable energy technology, such as wind turbines and solar panels, which rely on rare earths for high-efficiency power generation.
Sophia Kalantzakos, a professor of Environmental Studies and Public Policy at NYU Abu Dhabi, emphasized their growing geopolitical importance:
“[Rare earths] are very valuable because of their various tech applications, military applications, renewable energy applications—you name it, they contain rare earths.”
As demand skyrockets, control over these minerals has become a strategic battleground, with countries competing to secure stable supplies.
A New Resource War: Who Controls the Supply?
With China holding the world’s largest rare earth reserves, the country has gained tremendous leverage over the global market. Beijing has restricted exports in the past, sending shockwaves through global supply chains and forcing Western nations to rethink their dependence.
This has led to a rush to develop alternative sources, with countries like the United States, Canada, and Australia investing heavily in rare earth mining projects. The European Union is also prioritizing domestic mining and recycling programs to reduce reliance on China.
Robert Muggah, a fellow at Princeton University, and Rafal Rohozinski, a senior fellow at Canada’s Center for Governance Innovation, recently wrote:
“Ukraine’s mineral resources are not only pivotal to Ukraine’s sovereignty but also to Europe’s energy independence and the competition between the United States and China for technological dominance.”
This underscores the high-stakes competition between global superpowers to secure control over these critical resources.
Look how about this leave the damn ele.ents alone, holy crap, we are raping the damn planet of every freaking resource, we keep doing this we are doomed. Bad enough we are doing enough to this planet. Let somethings be left alone.