MineralsA total of 128 varieties of minerals, above 70% of that found in China, have been discovered in the province, and the amount is very high: gold, natural sulphur and gypsum rank the first in the nation; petroleum, diamond, magnesite, cobalt, hafnium, and granite rank second; and kali salt, graphite, talc, bentonite, and limestone rank third. Also, the quantity of other mineral resources like natural gas, iron and diatomite are also very affluent.
|
Agricultural Products
As the biggest agricultural base in China, Shandong is known as "a warehouse of grains, cotton, and oil, and the land of fruits and aquatic products." The apples produced in Yantai, pears from Laiyang, peaches of Feicheng, and jujubes from Leling are all famous and produced in a large quantity and quality.
|
Non-Market Values
|
Costs and Benefits
In the short term, the extraction of the mineral resources would be able to meet the energy and material demand of the large population and benefit the economy, but it has also been polluting the environment in a large scale. In the long run, the amount of the mineral resources are limited, the government will have to transform the resources they use to avoid running out of these mineral resources. In the short term, the production of the agricultural goods will be able to feed all the population within the province, and its export to the other provinces will bring Shandong economic gains. But in the long term, the soil quality might degrade because of the constant agricultural practices on the soil. |