Gold is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol Au (from Latin aurum) and atomic number 79. In its pure form, it is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile metal.

Gold is a precious metal that has been used for coinage, jewelry, and other works of art throughout recorded history. In the past, a gold standard was often implemented as a monetary policy. Gold coins ceased to be minted as a circulating currency in the 1930s, and the world gold standard was abandoned for a fiat currency system after the Nixon shock measures of 1971.

Gold is the only metal that is truly yellow and is very rare on Earth. Gold is very easy to shape; a small amount can be stretched or flattened into thin sheets. Gold is used in many ways like in electronics, medicine, and even food because it is unreactive.

The Dominican Republic is a beggar sitting on a large gold mine...

Earth's natural resources are materials from the planet that are useful to humans and other living organisms. These resources include both renewable and non-renewable sources found in the air, water, land, and living things.

Our forests, rivers, oceans and soils provide us with the food we eat, the air we breathe, the water we irrigate our crops with. We also rely on them for numerous other goods and services we depend on for our health, happiness and prosperity. These natural assets are often called the world's 'natural capital'.