(a) Argentina
(b) Botswana
(c) the Democratic Republic of the Congo
(d) Kazakhstan
Answer: (c)
Half of the world’s available cobalt supply is in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Australia is the next cobalt-rich country, followed by Indonesia and Cuba.15 to 30 percent of the Congolese cobalt is produced by artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM). Cobalt is an essential mineral used for batteries in electric cars, computers, and cell phones. Demand for cobalt is increasing as more electric cars are sold, particularly in Europe, where governments are encouraging the sales with generous environmental bonuses. According to recent projections by the World Economic Forum’s Global Battery Alliance, the demand for cobalt for use in batteries will grow fourfold in 2030 as a result of this electric vehicle boom.
