Resources

Nations can trade resources with one another. There are 21 tradeable resources in the game. Each nation starts with 2 default resources that can not be changed. You can also gain up to 10 additional resources through trades. If you trade with a nation, you must accept both resources the nation has as their default (you can't choose only one). Having two trades for the same resource does not stack that resource (it's just wasted). Trading with a member of your team gives each nation +1 happiness.

The resources are divided below into general areas for easier reference.

Income and population happiness

 * Furs – Increases citizen’s daily income +$2.00 and increases the natural growth of a nation by 8%.
 * Gems – Increases population happiness +2.5, increases citizen’s daily income +$1.50
 * Gold – Increases citizen’s daily income +$3.00 and lowers technology cost by 5%.
 * Silver – Increases citizen’s daily income +$2.00 and increases population happiness +2.
 * Spices – Increases the natural land growth of a nation by 8% and increases population happiness +2.
 * Uranium – Allow nations to develop nuclear weapons only if that nations government preference supports nuclear weapons. If a nation's government preference favors nuclear technology for the use of nuclear power plants but does not support nuclear weapons then the nation will receive +$3.00 per citizen and +$0.15 for every level of tech purchased up to level 30, but loses -1 population happiness. Also lowers environment -1 (unless default resource).
 * Water – Increases number of citizens per mile before population unhappiness by 30, increases population happiness +1, and improves a nation's environment by 10%.
 * Wine – Increases population happiness +3.

Population count

 * Cattle – Increases number of citizens +5% and lowers initial land cost -10%.
 * Fish - Increases number of citizens +8% and lowers initial land cost -5%.
 * Sugar – Increases the natural growth of a nation by 5%, increases number of citizens +3%, and increases population happiness +1.
 * Wheat – Increases the natural growth of a nation by 5% and increases number of citizens +8%.

Infrastructure

 * Iron – Lowers initial soldier cost -$3.00, lowers infrastructure upkeep costs -15%, lowers initial infrastructure costs -5% and lowers tank upkeep cost -5%/
 * Lumber – Lower inital infrastructure cost -8% and lowers infrastructure upkeep costs -15%.
 * Marble – Lower inital infrastructure cost -10%.

Military

 * Aluminum – Increases soldier count +10%.
 * Coal – Increases the natural growth of a nation by 15% and increases soldier count +8%. Also lowers environment -1 (unless default resource).
 * Pigs – Lowers soldier upkeep cost -$0.50 and increases soldier count +6%.
 * Oil - Increases population happiness +1, lowers initial soldier cost -$3.00, increases soldier count +4%, and lowers tank upkeep cost -5%. Also lowers environment -1 (unless default resource).

Land Growth

 * Rubber - Increases purchased land area of a nation by 18%.

Nuclear and Cruise Missiles

 * Lead – Lowers inital nuclear cost -2%, lowers nuclear upkeep costs -10%, lowers initial cruise missile cost -10% and lowers cruise missile upkeep costs -10%.

Resource packages
Each resource has a set of other resources that it is more likely to be bundled with when a nation is created. These bundles have changed as the game has progressed (and may change in the future). Below is a list of current common bundles, although due to the changing (and mysterious) nature of the game it is not necessarily a complete or accurate list. Older nations may have bundles not shown in either list. Some of these bundles may be more rare than others (in fact, some of the resources may be more rare than others).

Current resource packages

 * Aluminum - Fish, Pigs, Water, ?
 * Cattle - Rubber, Lumber, Oil, Pigs
 * Coal - Wheat, Lead, Silver, ?
 * Fish - Wine, Spices, Lumber, Aluminum
 * Furs - Gems, Gold, Water, Uranium
 * Gems - Silver, Furs, Sugar, Marble
 * Gold - Sugar, Marble, Furs, Wine
 * Iron - Silver, Sugar, Wheat, Marble(?)
 * Lead - Lumber, Coal, Oil, Rubber
 * Lumber - Fish, Cattle, Pigs, Lead
 * Marble - Gems, Gold, Uranium, ?
 * Oil - Silver, Wheat, Cattle, Lead
 * Pigs - Lumber, Aluminum, Rubber, Cattle
 * Rubber - Wheat, Cattle, Lead, Pigs
 * Silver - Gems, Iron, Coal, Oil
 * Spices - Water, Uranium, Fish, ?
 * Sugar - Gems, Gold, Uranium, Iron
 * Uranium - Wine, Spices, Furs, Sugar
 * Water - Wine, Spices, Furs, Aluminum
 * Wine - Fish, Water, Uranium, Gold
 * Wheat - Iron, Coal, Oil, Rubber

Old Resource Packages (before May 6, 2006)

 * Aluminum - Water, Uranium, Cattle, Lead
 * Cattle - Wine, Aluminum, Coal, Oil
 * Coal - Cattle, Sugar, Marble, Lead
 * Fish - Spices, Furs, Lumber, Rubber
 * Furs - Gems, Water, Fish, Iron
 * Iron - Furs, Wheat, Sugar, Lead
 * Gems - Silver, Spices, Furs, Wheat
 * Gold - Silver, Wine, Spices, Marble
 * Lead - Lumber, Iron, Aluminum, Coal
 * Lumber - Water, Wheat, Fish, Lead
 * Marble - Gold, Uranium, Coal, Oil
 * Oil - Silver, Cattle, Marble, Pigs
 * Pigs - Wine, Spices, Oil, Rubber
 * Rubber - Silver, Wheat, Fish, Pigs
 * Silver - Gems, Gold, Oil, Rubber
 * Spices - Gems, Gold, Fish, Pigs
 * Sugar - Water, Uranium, Iron, Coal
 * Uranium - Wine, Sugar, Marble, Aluminum
 * Water - Furs, Sugar, Lumber, Aluminum
 * Wheat - Gems, Lumber, Iron, Rubber
 * Wine - Gold, Uranium, Cattle, Pigs