Afghanistan does sit atop huge deposits of copper, iron, marble, talc, coal, lithium, chromite, cobalt, gold, lapis lazuli, gemstones, and more—making Afghanistan one of the world's most resource-rich countries on paper.
Afghanistan has over 1,400 mineral fields, containing barite, chromite, coal, copper, gold, iron ore, lead, natural gas, petroleum, precious and semi-precious stones, salt, sulfur, lithium, talc, and zinc, among many other minerals. Gemstones include high-quality emeralds, lapis lazuli, red garnet and ruby.
A year-end DAB report dated from December 2020 revealed that the central bank had stored gold worth 100 billion afghanis—or $1.32 billion—inside the Federal Reserve. The statement also revealed that around $6 billion of the bank's holdings had been invested in U.S. Treasury securities inside the United States.
August 30, 2021
Afghanistan is sitting on a gold mine. I don't mean that figuratively. The country sits atop what could be one of the world's largest reserves of various metals and minerals, including not just gold but also platinum, silver, copper, iron, aluminum and uranium.
Afghanistan is believed to hold more than $1 trillion worth of mineral resources and metals but faces many challenges in tapping them.
The United States has the largest gold reserve, with more than 8,000 metric tons of gold. This was more than twice the gold reserves of Germany and more than three times the gold reserves of Italy and France.
Australia and Russia hold the largest reserves of gold
Australia and Russia hold a large share of the world's gold mine reserves, accounting for 8,400 metric tons and 6,800 metric tons, respectively. Worldwide, the production of gold reached an estimated 3,100 metric tons in 2022.
The best estimates currently available suggest that around 208,874 tonnes of gold has been mined throughout history, of which around two-thirds has been mined since 1950. And since gold is virtually indestructible, this means that almost all of this metal is still around in one form or another.
About 244,000 metric tons of gold has been discovered to date (187,000 metric tons historically produced plus current underground reserves of 57,000 metric tons). Most of that gold has come from just three countries: China, Australia, and South Africa.
Iran's total gold reserves (below ground) are estimated at 320 metric tons.
“The United States has discovered nearly $1 trillion in untapped mineral deposits in Afghanistan, far beyond any previously known reserves and enough to fundamentally alter the Afghan economy and perhaps the Afghan war itself, according to senior American government officials.”
Afghanistan Exports - values, historical data and charts - was last updated on June of 2023. In Afghanistan, exports account for around 20 percent of GDP. Afghanistan main exports are: carpets and rugs (45 percent of total exports); dried fruits (31 percent) and medicinal plants (12 percent).
Australia is estimated to have the world's largest gold reserves, with 9,500 tonnes or 17 per cent of the total world estimated gold reserves of 57,000 tonnes.
No country in the world has 100 percent pure gold with absolutely no other alloys added—a goal that's virtually impossible to achieve, given how soft this precious metal is in its natural form. The purest type of gold available is 999.99.
Some of the veins produce up to one quarter of an ounce of gold per ton of rock. What makes Dahlonega gold so different from other gold found around the world is the purity. Dahlonega has the purest gold in the world, which is 98.7 percent pure.
China may invade Taiwan, or it may not. Either way, there is financial uncertainty. Precious metals are the counterbalance to that uncertainty. Russia, China, Brazil, Egypt, India, Turkey, Qatar, and many other countries are stockpiling gold to overthrow the Dollar and ensure sovereignty.
Data collected by the World Gold Council – compiled using International Monetary Fund statistics – showed that the Philippines had 157.06 metric tons of gold in the fourth quarter of 2022. This is a far cry from that of the US, which topped the list with 8,133.46 metric tons of gold reserves.
Mirwais Azizi (born 1962) is a Dubai based Afghan businessman. He is the founder and chairman of Azizi Group of companies which he founded in 1989 with a presence in realty, banking, investment, and hospitality.
The Country Is Rich In Natural Resources
One of the top things that the country is rich in is its natural resources. That is because Afghanistan has significant reserves of gold, natural gas, marble, coal, and other materials.
The Brezhnev Doctrine severely limited reforms by Soviet-bloc countries in the ensuing decades. In addition, it was used to justify the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979. The Soviets sought to prop up the country's communist government in its battle with anticommunist Muslim guerrillas.