In a form accessible to a wide range of readers, it tells about various minerals, their origin, classification of deposits, reserves. Fuel and energy raw materials (oil, gas, coal, oil shale, uranium), black, non-ferrous, noble metals, diamonds, asbestos, graphite, mica, agrochemical raw materials (potassium salts, phosphorites, sulfur, bromine, iodine, fluorspar), minerals of the bottom of the World Ocean are considered.