I am trying to guess what corporation names they would be using if it is based on real life and real resources:

Gems- De beers
Bananas- Del Monte
Sugar- Coca Cola?
Fish- Birds Eye?
Cows- Macdonalds/Burger King
Paper- Some Publishing company
Oil- Shell


Even so I doubt they would do it this way and just have Corporations being founded by great merchant and spread just like religion...

I believe the dangers of trade mark infringement won't allow Firaxis to use real company names - if there are names at all - but I do see the potential for fictious names like ACME Beef King, or Del Fruiti, or Rosepetal Fisheries, or Oilyrock Petroleum; nonsense like that. :D If there are company names, hopefully we don't have to swallow anything too cheezy...

Maybe there will be a little pop-up box that allows us to create our own corporation names - cheez factor thus avoided!

Probably the name of the company will be connected to the name of the founding city, like "Moscow Oil Company".