Natural Resources
Primary 6 · Social and Religious Studies
Natural Resources
Lesson 2 of 3
15 min
Let's begin
Umutoni's class is looking at a big map of Africa. "Rwanda is small," says Gatete, "so does it have fewer resources than other countries?"
Their teacher smiles. "Every country has some resources and not others. That is one reason countries trade with each other. Let's find out who has what."
| Resource | Examples |
|---|---|
| Lakes and fish | Lake Victoria (Nile perch and tilapia), Lake Tanganyika, Lake Kivu |
| Rivers and waterfalls | The Nile and the Akagera, used for water, farming and hydroelectric power |
| Minerals | Gold in Tanzania; tanzanite, a blue gemstone found only in Tanzania; soda ash at Lake Magadi in Kenya; copper and cobalt in the DR Congo; tin and coltan in Rwanda and the DR Congo |
| Oil and gas | Oil found near Lake Albert in Uganda; natural gas in Tanzania; methane in Lake Kivu |
| Heat from inside the Earth | Geothermal power at Olkaria, in Kenya's Rift Valley |
| Forests and wildlife | The Congo rainforest, Nyungwe, Bwindi in Uganda; the animals of the Serengeti and the Maasai Mara |
| Land and soil | Volcanic soils in the highlands; savanna grass for grazing cattle |
Worked example
Follow the chain from one forest to people far away.
Step 1 Nyungwe Forest catches rain and holds the soil.
Step 2 Its streams feed the Nyabarongo, which becomes the Akagera, which flows into Lake Victoria and on to the Nile.
Step 3 That water supports farms, towns and power stations along the way.
Answer: cutting down Nyungwe would harm people far beyond Rwanda. One resource links many countries.
Tip
The five Fs of natural resources: Food, Fuel, Funds (money), Factories (raw materials) and Forests that keep our air and water clean.
Name a gemstone that is found only in Tanzania.
Answer: tanzanite.
Where in Kenya is heat from inside the Earth used to make electricity?
Answer: at Olkaria, in the Rift Valley.
Which African country is famous for diamonds?
Answer: Botswana (South Africa and the DR Congo are also good answers).
Give three reasons why natural resources are important.
Answer: any three of life, food, energy, jobs, foreign exchange, raw materials, a healthy environment.
What you learned today
Sources and credits
Everything else in this lesson, including the practice questions, was written by Ganzaa.
This lesson adapts CC BY-SA material and is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Quick check
Match each East African country to a natural resource it has.
Tap one on the left, then its partner on the right.
