An approximate concept of what resources are can be obtained from dictionaries and reference books. To describe this term in your own words, it is enough to outline the scope of the given word. Currently, the term is used in geography, economics, and politics.
Story
The word "resource" appeared in Russian in the mid-18th century. This is the time of active formation of Russian science. In Russia, the works of famous economists and natural philosophers are published and translated, new ideas, methods of managing the economy and management of economic processes are discussed. Then, in articles on economics, the word "resource" first appears. The meaning of the word in the original sources is material stocks, economic opportunities, various sources of profit. The birthplace of the word is most likely France. Ressource - means to rise, rise again, to be reborn.
The modern concept of what resources are, divides this term into two components. Modern science uses natural and economic resources. Natural resources - end-use reserves, they are primary and not renewable. Economic resources are renewable.
Natural resources
Various natural components that find their application in production processes are known in the scientific literature as natural resources. In essence, natural resources are of natural origin, but in the process of their use by humans, they become economic resources.
There is a separation of natural resources in other respects. They are divided into exhaustible and inexhaustible, and exhaustible have in their composition two more categories - non-renewable and renewable. Non-renewable resources include all types of minerals. Renewable resources include biological, recreational, water and land resources. Based on this classification, we can determine what resources are in nature. These include:
- minerals (mineral resources);
- water;
- energy;
- land;
- biological;
- recreational;
- agroclimatic.
Resource provision
Modern science takes into account not only the availability of resources in the region, but also an indicator of the resource of security. This concept is the ratio between the explored reserves of natural resources of the region and the volume of their current use. In the case of minerals, resource supply is estimated in the amount of time during which these resources will be developed until the fields are completely depleted.
Economic resources
And what are resources in economic science? This term complements the concept of economic factors affecting the success of the economy as a whole. The leading economic factors scientists include land, capital, labor, entrepreneurial ability. In the British and American School of Economics, the synonym for the word "resource" is the phrase "economic factor." The works of modern economists translated into Russian easily convince us of this.
Addition to the definition of what a resource lies in the basic principles of the economy. As you know, one of the fundamental laws of capitalism says that demand creates supply. Developing this idea, we can understand that need (demand) provokes an increase or decrease in the level of development of available resources (supply). Thanks to this, the fragile equality of unlimited needs and limited resources is respected.
In this definition, economists do not focus on what a resource is.It is understood that all varieties of this economic function take part in capitalist processes. In modern economic theories, this term covers production results, as well as growth factors and economic downturn. This relationship becomes understandable if we recall that the finished product of one industry becomes a resource for another. For example, oil, which is the final product for the mining industry, becomes a resource in the chemical industry, and later, as fuel, it is actively used in the transport sector of the economy.
Human resource
Many economic studies consider the combination of various knowledge, skills and talents of people as a separate factor, which is called the "human resource". At the same time, human resources are considered as human resources capable of influencing the level of the region’s economy as a whole. Human resources considered at three levels: the first is personal, the second is collective, and the third is public. Personnel policies and principles of human resource management are considered in the context of these three categories, taking into account the geographical and social characteristics of the region.
As you can see, the answer to the question of what a resource can be found in various fields of science. But the basic principles of this concept are unchanged. Any resource can be considered as a potential that can lead to the well-being of both the individual and the nation as a whole.
