Using data from the CIA Factbook, we labeled every country in the world by its highest valued export — the commodity that makes the country the most money in the global market. Click on any of the maps below to see an enlarged version.
Unsurprisingly, much of the world runs on oil, particularly the Middle East and Central Asia. Europe is the world's workshop, where most of the machinery and motor vehicles are made, from optical instruments to BMWs. Latin America brings a blend of food products and oil to the trading table. Asia is the world's manufacturing center, where the world's clothing, wood products, and semiconductors are made. Africa is extremely rich in natural resources, particularly precious metals and oil. A substantial part of the continent makes its money on diamonds, gold or oil.
This article, by Simran Khosla, originally appeared at GlobalPost.
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