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resources — English
The concept of “resources” can be applied in almost any field of study, which leads to a variety of definitions for the term, depending on the context in which it is used. In Geography, resources can be defined as those things of natural origin which are needed by and are of value to humankind. The most important distinguishing factors are that resources have to be naturally occurring, must be exploitable and need to be perceived by society to be useful to support its economic and material well-being. Geographers understand that "resources" is a cultural concept and that natural materials are only regarded as resources once humans value them. This aspect varies from culture to culture and over time. The distribution of resources varies spatially in terms of both quantity and quality across the world. In addition, some resources are finite and can be used up (they are non-renewable), while others can be replenished at varying rates (they are renewable). See “commodification”, “environmental resources”, “exploitation”, “fossil fuel”, “precautionary principle”, “resource management”, “recycling”, “renewable energy”, “soil erosion”, “tourism resources” and “wetlands”.
