Can Afghanistan Satisfy Tech Industries' Insatiable Appetite For Rare Earths?
Afghanistan is rich! The world's "poorest country" is known to have trillions of dollars worth of rare earths and other minerals buried underground. Rare earths are essential for the global supply chain of the technology industry. They are considered a "critical resource" for US national security. Afghan Mineral Resources. Source: Aljazeera A US Defense Department report has described Afghanistan as " Saudi Arabia of Lithium ". Pakistan , too, is believed to be rich in rare earths. Peace and security are key to unlocking the potential mineral riches in both Afghanistan and Pakistan. That is where both nations need to focus for a brighter future for their peoples. Uses of Rare Earth Elements. Source: Natural Resources of Canada Rare earth elements (REEs) are a group of 15 elements referred to as the lanthanide series in the periodic table of elements. Scandium and yttrium, while not true REEs, are also included in this categorization because they exh...