New
New
Year 8

Resources in the Democratic Republic of Congo

I can describe the DRC's natural resources and their role in the global economy.

New
New
Year 8

Resources in the Democratic Republic of Congo

I can describe the DRC's natural resources and their role in the global economy.

These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. The DRC has abundant natural resources, including coltan, diamonds, and copper.
  2. In the DRC, most mining occurs in the east and southeast of the country.
  3. The natural resources of the DRC are essential for global industries, including technology and energy.
  4. Many of the DRC's natural resources are owned by companies in other countries.

Keywords

  • Natural resources - natural resources are those that come from Earth without human influence and can be used for human needs

  • Mining - mining is the process of digging into the ground to remove natural resources

  • Economy - the economy is the way money in a particular area is made and spent

Common misconception

That all natural resources are found deep underground and so need to be mined to extract them.

Some natural resources are found deep underground, like ores of some metals and fossil fuels. Others are not found underground, for example the rainforest trees that are used for timber or as a source of rubber, or water sources like lakes.


To help you plan your year 8 geography lesson on: Resources in the Democratic Republic of Congo, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Put the question to the class to think about whether they have used any items that could contain resources that originated in the DRC. Have they used any technology such as a mobile phone or computer? Could the components of their devices be linked to the DRC?
Teacher tip

Equipment

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Prior knowledge starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
What continent is the DRC located on?

Asia
Correct answer: Africa
Europe
South America

Q2.
Which of the following is a challenge the DRC faces?

Too few natural resources
Frequent snowstorms
Correct answer: Conflict and poor infrastructure
Desertification

Q3.
The DRC is located near the .

Correct Answer: Equator, equator

Q4.
Which of these is a major biome found in the DRC?

Desert
Tundra
Ice sheet
Correct answer: Rainforest

Q5.
What does deforestation mean?

Correct answer: Completely removing trees from an area
Planting more trees
Protecting a forest
Reducing pollution

Q6.
What is the Great Rift Valley?

A large desert
A volcanic mountain range
Correct answer: A huge valley formed by tectonic plate movement
A famous river

Assessment exit quiz

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4 Questions

Q1.
What is a natural resource?

A man-made object
Correct answer: A resource that comes from Earth naturally
A new invention
A building

Q2.
Which of these is an example of a natural resource that does not need mining to use?

Gold
Oil
Correct answer: River water
Copper

Q3.
Which of the following is mined in the DRC?

Timber
Correct answer: Copper
Fish
Water

Q4.
Which statement about natural resources is incorrect?

Correct answer: All natural resources must be mined
Some natural resources, like rivers, are found above ground
Natural resources include things like forests and minerals
Not all resources need digging to be used