The notion about water resources has wide and narrow sense.

In the wide sense, this is all waters of hydrosphere that are included in the rivers, lakes, glaciers, seas and oceans and also in the underground horizons and atmosphere. It can be defined as a huge, inexhaustible and it is no wonder. Because the World Ocean occupies 361 millions km² (about 71% of all planet), and glaciers, lakes, reservoirs, marsh, rivers occupy 20 millions km² (15 %). As a result, hydrospheric total capacity is evaluated in 1390 millions km². You can easily calculate, that one inhabitant of the Earth has 210 millions m² of water. This quantity of water would be enough for the big city during one year! You can also consider the opportunities of the resources usage. 96,4% of water fall on the World ocean from the hydrosphere total capacity; glaciers and ground waters include much water (1,86%) from the land water. Their usage is possible but it is difficult.

That is why, when we say about water resources in the narrow sense, wemean an available fresh water, whichcompound only 2,5 % of the hydrosphere total capacity.

The world climatic resources

Climatic resources are the inexhaustible natural resources that include solar energy, moisture and wind energy. People don’t use such resources directly in material and non-material activity, don’t destroy them in their using, but that resources can be worsened (become dirty) or improved. Resources are called climatic because first of all they are defined by one or other climatic peculiarities.

Recreation resources are natural and anthropogenic objects that have such properties as uniqueness, historical or artistic value, aesthetic attractiveness and health-improving importance, and they can be used for the different kinds of recreation activity.

There are the following territories subject to its character:

ü territories of recreations with the high intensity, there just recreations serve as the main kind of land use (parks, beaches and other recreational areas);

ü territories of recreations with the middle intensity that are used for the other not recreation aims (suburban green plantations, forests);

ü territories of recreations with small intensity.

Answer the following questions:

1. What is natural resource?

2. Give examples of renewable and non-renewable resources.

3. What are mineral resources?

4. What are the peculiarities of land resources?

5. What is more important for people: agricultural or forest lands?

6. What do the world water resources mean in a wide sense?

7. What do the world water resources mean in a narrow sense?

8. What are the world climatic resources?

9. What are recreation resources?

10. What three types of the recreation resources are distinguished?