What is the global distribution and demand for lithium?
What will be an ideal response?
Answer: Lithium is a metal with a wide range of uses, but it has received considerable attention in recent years because of its growing importance in batteries used in a wide variety of devices such as cell phones, laptop computers, and hybrid and electric-powered vehicles. Lithium-based batteries are attractive because they are lightweight, and they also are capable of providing relatively high voltages. Commercially valuable lithium deposits are found in several countries.
Chile and Australia each produce about a third of global output, and China and Argentina are also major producers. Bolivia has vast resources that it is only beginning to exploit, and several other countries including the United States have the potential to increase production. At present rates of production the world's reserves would last about 500 years. However, if the market for electric and hybrid vehicles expands dramatically and if those vehicles use lithium-based batteries, prices will rise and production will increase.
Given the speed of technology change and the potential for new deposits to be developed it is unlikely that world supplies of lithium will be severely limited, but it will be a mineral of considerable importance in coming years.
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