Mapping Africa's Natural Resources

Oil and gas

Africa is home to five of the world's top oil-producing countries, with an estimated 57 percent of Africa's export earnings from hydrocarbons.

• Algeria, Angola, Cameroon, Chad, Republic of Congo, Egypt, Eritrea, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Libya, Nigeria, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and Mozambique are all rich in oil and gas.
  
• Proven oil reserves have grown by almost 150 percent, increasing from 53.4 billion barrels since 1980, to 130.3 billion barrels by the end of 2012.
• The region is home to five of the top 30 oil-producing countries in the world, and nearly $2tn of investments are expected by 2036.

Other resources

Besides oil and gas, Africa is rich in precious minerals, forests and:

• Diamonds: Angola, Botswana, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo.
  
• Gold: Benin, Burkina Faso, Djibouti, Mali, South Africa, Tanzania.    
  
• Nickel and Uranium: Burundi.
  
• Pozzolana: Cape Verde.
  
• Fish: Comoros, Guinea-Bissau, Mauritius, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles.
  
• Timber: Liberia.
  
• Titanium: Gambia.
  
• Graphite: Madagascar. 
  
• Tobacco: Malawi.
  
• Iron Ore: Mauritania.
  
• Phosphates: Western Sahara, Morocco.
  
• Aluminium and Gas: Guinea, Mozambique.
  
• Copper: Uganda, Zambia.