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About three-fourths of world's cobalt, a metal required for the manufacture of batteries for electric motor vehicles, is produced by
Explanation
The correct answer is option C: the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
74% of the world's cobalt comes from Congolese mines[1], which clearly establishes that approximately three-fourths of global cobalt production originates from the DRC. This is further corroborated by data showing that almost 70% of the world's cobalt came from the DRC in 2022[2], and in 2019 alone, DRC provided about 70 percent of global cobalt output, producing about 100,000 tons of cobalt compared to approximately 140,000 tons for the rest of the world[3]. Cobalt is indeed a critical raw material for manufacturing batteries used in electric vehicles, making the DRC's dominant position in global cobalt supply strategically significant. None of the other countries listed—Argentina, Botswana, or Kazakhstan—are major cobalt producers, making them incorrect options. The DRC's geological advantage and extensive mining operations have established it as the world's leading cobalt producer by a significant margin.
Sources- [1] https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/ATAG/2024/757828/EPRS_ATA(2024)757828_EN.pdf
- [3] https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/099500001312236438/pdf/P1723770a0f570093092050c1bddd6a29df.pdf
PROVENANCE & STUDY PATTERN
Guest previewThis is a 'Sitter' disguised as a geography question. It sits at the intersection of Static Geography (Mineral distribution) and Current Affairs (EV Battery supply chains). While standard books mention DRC's deposits, the 'three-fourths' statistic is a headline fact from the global debate on critical mineral security.
This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.
- Statement 1: What percentage of the world's cobalt production in 2023 was produced by Argentina?
- Statement 2: What percentage of the world's cobalt production in 2023 was produced by Botswana?
- Statement 3: What percentage of the world's cobalt production in 2023 was produced by the Democratic Republic of the Congo?
- Statement 4: What percentage of the world's cobalt production in 2023 was produced by Kazakhstan?
Shows how the book reports mineral production as country shares (e.g., copper: Chile 34.8%, others listed).
A student could use this pattern to look up a similar table for cobalt (e.g., USGS or UN data) and compare Argentina's share to major listed producers.
Another example of a mineral (manganese) presented as percentage shares by country, illustrating that some minerals have a small set of dominant producing countries.
Use the idea that minerals often concentrate in a few countries to check whether Argentina appears among the top cobalt producers in authoritative 2023 datasets.
Natural gas table again demonstrates the book's consistent format of listing leading producers and their percent shares, implying the need to consult a comparable list for cobalt.
Apply the same method: find a 2023 producer-share list for cobalt and see if Argentina is listed and what percent it has.
Shows Argentina appears in some world-production tables (wool: Argentina 6.5%), implying the country's presence is noted where it is a significant producer.
If Argentina is absent from mineral tables in the same reference style, a student could infer it is unlikely to be a major cobalt producer and should verify with 2023 cobalt statistics.
Lead production table lists top producing countries with percentages, illustrating that specific metals have distinct producer lists and Argentina is not shown among these lead leaders.
By analogy, check whether Argentina appears among the top cobalt-producing countries in 2023 lists — absence would suggest a very small share.
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This statement analysis shows book citations, web sources and indirect clues. The first statement (S1) is open for preview.
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