UPSC Prelims 2023 · Question 37 of 97
UPSC Prelims 2023 question on Cobalt Production Congo
- ExamUPSC CSE
- Year2023
- PaperGeneral Studies Paper I
- SubjectGeography
- TopicHuman and Economic Geography
- DifficultyEasy
- TypeDirect
About three-fourths of world's cobalt, a metal required for the manufacture of batteries for electric motor vehicles, is produced by
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Answer: C. The Democratic Republic of the Congo
Cobalt has emerged as a vital ingredient of the shift to a lower-carbon energy system, but reserves of the metal are concentrated heavily in just a single country.
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is home to half of the world's known resources, and currently accounts for around 70% of global production.
The metal's use in electronic goods — particularly the rechargeable batteries used in electric vehicles and other forms of energy storage — means interest in it is growing as the electrification of the global energy system continues to gather pace.
Hence option (c) — The Democratic Republic of the Congo — is the correct answer.