ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the international system of natural resource production and use. Natural resources are not evenly distributed on, below, or above the earth's surface. Even before any human intervention occurs, there are fundamental inequities in natural resource distribution. Land areas vary greatly from country to country, as does the amount of arable land capable of supporting cultivated agriculture. Because of the global impact of local and national resource-use policies, there is a growing recognition of the pressing need for international cooperation in protecting the planet. In seeking new resource reserves or to continue exploiting existing ones, MNCs must pay countries for access in the form of production rights or extraction fees. Natural resources provide the raw materials for industrialization and economic development. The type and pace of development are determined by the political ideology of the ruling elites and a number of other factors.
