Rare Earth News

Rare earth elements may help bring peace to Afghanistan

Rare earth elements, which are widely used in high-tech products such as smart phones, hybrid vehicles batteries and computers, may be taking on even more importance after a large discovery was made in the war-torn nation of Afghanistan, Bloomberg reports.

According to the the U.S Geological Survey, the recent discovery of up to 1 million metric tons of rare earth element resources in the Khanneshin carbonatite comes after extensive searches performed in the area.

For a country that has seen constant bloodshed for decades, the find comes as a welcome surprise.

"The key to peace in Afghanistan lies in our mineral resources because lasting security and stability is dependent on the amount of economic opportunity available to Afghans," said Afghan embassy spokesman Abduljalil Ghafoory.

The nation is celebrating the find because of the importance and ubiquity of rare earths, which provide unique properties to many manufactured goods, Bloomberg stated.

Other areas of the world are also looking to cash in on the demand for rare earths. Some geologists say 56 percent of potential rare earth deposits outside China are found in Canada, while 41 rare earth mining projects are currently under way in Quebec.