Resources

More than 132 kinds of mineral resources have been found in the province and its deposits of natural gas are the second largest in the country. Reserves of 11 mineral resources such as vanadium, titanium and lithium are the largest in China. The Panxi region alone possesses 13.3 per cent of the national reserves of iron, 93 per cent of titanium, 69 per cent of vanadium and 83 per cent of cobalt. Other mineral sources include coal, phosphate rocks, symbiotic iron ores, well salt, mirabilite, asbestos, mica and marble. With more than seven million hectares of forest cover, the province is a leading producer of tung oil. Water resources are especially rich with more than 1.370 rivers criss- crossing the province. Sichuan is one of the major agricultural production bases in China. Cash crops include rapeseed, citrus fruits, peaches, sugar canes and sweet potatoes. Sichuan also has the highest output of pork and the second largest output of silkworm cocoons in China.