Dhaka, Aug. 14 -- Drive three hours north of Perth, and you'll arrive in Eneabba barren and desolate, just the odd hill in the distance.
This is Western Australia mining territory. Buried in this vast terrain is a massive pit, full of what looks like mounds of worthless dirt.
But appearances can be deceiving this pit is home to a million-tonne stockpile containing critical minerals, better known as rare earths, which are crucial for making electric vehicles, wind turbines and defence equipment.
And Australia is betting big on this discovery with a billion dollar loan to a mining company to extract these metals - and disrupt a supply chain that China has monopolised.
The phrase "rare earths" - referring to 17 elements on the periodic tab...