Geography · Ch 13 — Mineral and Energy Resources
Introduction
Introduction
India is endowed with a rich variety of mineral resources, a direct result of its varied geological structure. The bulk of the country's valuable minerals date back to the pre-Palaeozoic age and are mainly associated with the metamorphic and igneous rocks of peninsular India. In contrast, the vast alluvial plains of north India are largely devoid of minerals of economic use, since alluvium (river-deposited sediment) does not host mineral-ore formation the way ancient crystalline rocks do.
These mineral resources give the country the essential base for industrial development — nearly every manufactured object, from steel structures to electronic devices, ultimately traces back to a mineral extracted from the earth's crust.
What is a Mineral?
A mineral is a natural substance — of either organic or inorganic origin — with a definite chemical composition and definite physical properties. This means minerals are not limited to inorganic, rock-forming substances alone: fossil fuels such as coal and petroleum, which form from the buried remains of plants and animals, are themselves classified as minerals (specifically, organic-origin non-metallic minerals, also called "mineral fuels").
The textbook's own definition is broader than "inorganic rock" — a mineral simply needs a definite chemical and physical makeup, whether it formed organically (like coal or petroleum) or inorganically (like iron ore or mica).
This chapter examines the different types of mineral resources found in India, how they are distributed across the country, and the energy resources that power the nation's economy.