Previous Year Question
Which one of the following countries is known for very important uranium ore deposits?
Canada
China
Pakistan
Zaire
Correct Answer: A
Detailed Solution
Canada is one of the world's major uranium-producing and uranium-resource countries. In particular, the Athabasca Basin of northern Saskatchewan is famous for exceptionally high-grade uranium deposits.
The most important feature of Canada's uranium deposits is their extremely high ore grade. Some deposits in the Athabasca Basin contain uranium concentrations many times higher than those found in typical uranium deposits worldwide.
McArthur River and Cigar Lake are well-known high-grade uranium deposits in Canada. Cigar Lake is counted among the world's major high-grade uranium deposits.
An important distinction is that having the world's largest total uranium resources and possessing the highest-grade uranium deposits are different things. Countries such as Australia may have larger total identified uranium resources, but Canada is particularly renowned for its exceptionally high-grade uranium deposits.
The “Zaire” mentioned in the question is the former name of the present-day Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Current Status
Canada continues to retain this distinction. In 2024, Canada produced about 14.3 thousand tonnes of uranium and remained the world's second-largest uranium producer.
Current Canadian government data indicate that Saskatchewan hosts some of the highest-grade uranium deposits in the world, with uranium concentrations in some ores reaching roughly 100 times the global average.