Page "Economy of Afghanistan" Paragraph 19

Afghanistan is endowed with a wealth of natural resources, including extensive deposits of natural gas, petroleum, coal, marble, gold, copper, chromite, talc, barites, sulfur, lead, zinc, iron ore, salt, precious and semi-precious stones, and many rare earth elements.

In 2006, a U. S. Geological Survey estimated that Afghanistan has as much as of natural gas, of oil and condensate reserves.

According to a 2007 assessment, Afghanistan has significant amounts of undiscovered non-fuel mineral resources.

Geologists also found indications of abundant deposits of colored stones and gemstones, including emerald, ruby, sapphire, garnet, lapis, kunzite, spinel, tourmaline and peridot.

In 2010, U. S. Pentagon officials along with American geologists have revealed the discovery of nearly $ 1 trillion in untapped mineral deposits in Afghanistan.

Plans are being made by the Afghan government to begin extracting these but with the Taliban insurgency and the corruption there is no telling what will happen.