Natural resources

Biodiversity

Mexico is ranked the fourth country with the largest biodiversity, not only because it has a wide variety of species, but because of its genetic and ecosystem biodiversity.

Wildlife conservation and protection are priorities of Mexico's environment policy. The National Commision for Protected Natural Areas manages 174 federal natural areas which cover more than 25 million hectares.

 

Ecosystem Diversity

Mexico's ecosystem diversity is significant, and it allows to produce a wide variety of agricultural products. The largest areas concentrate on spring-summer harvests.

Irrigation farming is practiced mainly in dry and semi-dry areas with modern technology that is single-crop-farming-oriented.

Energy

Mexico has many natural resources that favor the development of a large number of production activities, including those related to renewable energy generation.

Some of Mexico's strengths in this area are:

• Potential to generate wind power estimated at 71,000 megawatts.

• Potential to generate hydroelectric power estimated at 53,000 megawatts.

• Potential to generate geothermal energy estimated at 2,400 megawatts.

Mining

Mexico has a long tradition of mining production which plays an important role in the country's economic activity, namely in the industrial sector.

Mexico is globally renewed for its mineral production, particularly silver, copper, bismuth, arsenic, lead and zinc.

Some of Mexico's strengths in this area are:

• The world's second largest silver producer.

• The world's fifth largest cadmium producer.

• Ranked fifth in terms of mining potential (from a sample of 72 economies, countries and provinces), according to The Fraser Institute in Canada.