Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
2.5. Fossil resources-abundance and dependence
The extraction of mineral and organic resources from the subsoil, which started
in the 19th century, contributed to the strengthening of the United States as a
superpower. The country is rich in a large variety of mineral resources, which
enabled the development of a powerful industrial sector. As with forest resources, in
the mid-20th century the United States went from the illusion of having unlimited
resources to the understanding that their domestic production of those resources was
insufficient to meet the demands of the insatiable consumption of their industry,
their transport, and their cities.
Projection:
Polyconic American (100° W)
0
50
0 km
Relative Mining Employment (%
)
Absolute Mining Employment
0 - 0,1
0.1 - 0.7
0.7 - 1.4
1.4 - 2.8
2.8 - 11.0
Designed and made by JM Zaninetti, University of Orleans, CEDETE Institute
3,300
16,500
33,000
Source: US census
Figure 2.12.
Employment in extractive industries in 2000
Although it was less significant than in the 19th century, the mining industry
employed more than 0.9 million people in 1999. Its role at a local level can
sometimes be very important (see Figure 2.12). In the coal belt of eastern Kentucky
and West Virginia, its share of local employment is more than 4 times higher than
the national average. A similar rate is found in the iron mines region around Lake
Superior, near Duluth. The extraction of hydrocarbons, mainly in offshore oilfields,
is one of the main sources of employment in the coastal areas of the states of
