Rare earth minerals are of much more importance than most of use realize. A few years ago many people probably hadn't even heard the term 'rare earths' but now, the question of who owns and supplies these raw materials has become an urgent one.

This is because these minerals, and the metal elements of which they are made up, are essential in making the electronic devices we use every day in modern life. The major use is in mobile phones, computers, MP3s, televisions and similar devices. They are also used in industries such as glass and petroleum. Increasingly, they are now playing a role in military technology such as night vision equipment.

In some areas such as the Congo, the drive to get control over supplies of rare earth deposits is a major factor in ongoing wars. As the demand for them gets greater, there is likely to be even more trouble. At present, for example, China is the world's largest rare earths producer, and tensions are growing over the amount it is supplying.