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Natural resources

Grade 7 · Geography · Free lesson

Hi there! I am Studyfin, your geography tutor. Today, we will explore how natural resources shape our world and the choices we make!

Natural resources are useful materials found in nature, like water, oil, and forests. How we manage these resources affects where people live and how countries grow.

In a traditional economy, people distribute goods based on long-held customs and beliefs. Families often hunt, fish, or farm just as their ancestors did, sharing resources directly within their community.

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Governments make policies to control how resources are developed and used. These rules can protect the environment, but they also change energy costs and impact trade with other countries.

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✏️ Worked example

Let us analyze how the discovery of oil in a country affects where people live and what laws the government might make. Walk through the geographic and economic effects step by step.

  1. Step 1: Identify the key resource. In this case, the resource is oil, which is a highly valuable energy source.
  2. Step 2: Describe the movement of people. When oil is found, companies build new drilling sites. Workers move to these areas for jobs, causing nearby towns to grow rapidly.
  3. Step 3: Analyze the economic impact. The country earns more money by exporting oil. However, this can make the economy depend too much on one resource.
  4. Step 4: Evaluate government policies. The government might write safety laws to prevent oil spills. This protects local water resources but can make drilling more expensive for companies.
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