AFGHANISTAN RESOURCES

MINERALS Afghanistan is rich in mineral resources. The important ones are coal, iron ore, copper, beryl, manganese, salt, lapis lazuli, precious ,gold, zinc, lead and micaand semi precious stones. Crude Oil and Gas have also been found. Gas could become the most important source of foreign exchange earnings and in the future to be used as a source of energy in the foundries producing steel out of Afghanistan’s own supplies of iron ore. COAL The coal deposits are mainly found in the north of the country It is present at Darwaza, Shabashak and Dahane Tor, Darrah-I-Suf district. Iron ore The major iron or deposits occur at Hajigak ,Khaish, Bamyan province, Furmarah, Badakhshan province and at Zerak Baghlan province. Gold Gold deposits are located in the Badakhshan and Ghazni provinces. The primary deposits are at Zarakhshan, Vekadur, Kudalyan and Ahankashan. Silver It is in Kandahar province. Manganese At Farenjal, Parwan province. Chromium In the Logar valley. Lead and Zinc There are 5 identified deposits, 65 occurrences and 26 mineral showings odd lead and zinc in the country. Aluminum The Obatu-Shela bauxite deposit in Zabul province. Tin Exist in zones in Heart, Farah and Ghazni. Mercury Iin Ghowr province Lithium In Badakhshan, Nangarhar, Laghman and Urozgan provinces. Cesium and Rubidium In Parun and Alinghar pegmatite fields and Nilaw-Kalum field . Uranium In the Helmand Province. Sulfur In Balkh province Salt In Andkhoi deposit in Faryab province,the Dowlatabad deposit in Faryab province,the Tashqurghan deposit in Samangan province Precious stones: Ruby In Kabul Province. Emerald In the Parwan Province. Building and construction materials In Heart, Baghlan, Parwan, Badakhshan, Maidan Shahr Wardak province , Kabul, Helmand etc. Copper In the Kabul-Loghar province. There are three major copper deposits namely Aynak, Jawkhar and Darbank .