ABSTRACT
Natural resources are not distributed equally randomly across the globe. Some countries have few or no valuable natural resources, and others have many. Moreover, natural resources are more abundant in some regions within countries than others. Abundance brings opportunities for greater income—and, historically, resources such as coal and iron ore have been critical triggers for development. But at least since the early 1970s, resource abundance has often been associated with unfulfilled potential for economic growth and high risk of large-scale violent conflict.
