A belt of forest between 500 and 2100 kilometres wide stretches across the country. Canada is the largest exporter of wood pulp and newsprint in the world. It is the leading producer of zinc and uranium. Ranking second in the world for asbestos, nickel, sulphur and potash, it has almost half the world's potash reserves. It is the third-largest producer of aluminum and platinum, fourth for copper, coal, silver, cadmium and molybdenum, and fifth for gold Vast reserves of oil and natural gas are found in Alberta, in the northern 'tar stands' and off the east coast of Canada.
Rich farmland makes Canada a major agricultural nation, exporting about half of what it produces.
Thus, Canada was among the first countries to regulate industry and establish laws discouraging pollution and environmental degradation. Canadian engineers have developed environmentally-sound technologies and solutions for pulp and paper mills, mining operations, oil wells, hazardous waste disposal and many other industries. It is also one of the top five employers in Canada with an estimated 4,500 companies employing 92,000 people. Sustainable development is the goal of Canadian industry. Reforestation is an ongoing commitment.