Mexico’s unique geography, bridging temperate and tropical zones, dictates an immense wealth of natural resources. The country’s extensive coastlines and varied topography, including mountain ranges and plateaus, create diverse environments. This landscape supports a wide array of commercially valuable assets, ranging from subterranean energy deposits and metallic minerals to rich biological and aquatic resources.
Hydrocarbon Reserves and Energy Production
Mexico’s vast reserves of hydrocarbons, primarily crude oil and natural gas, are the nation’s most significant non-renewable resource and a major driver of the national economy. The largest concentrations of these reserves are found offshore in the Gulf of Mexico. The Sureste Basin alone accounts for over 80% of the country’s proved oil reserves, including key producing fields like the Ku-Maloob-Zaap complex.
The state-owned company, Petróleos Mexicanos (PEMEX), remains the dominant entity in the sector, having historically held a near-monopoly. PEMEX was established in 1938 following the nationalization of the oil industry, cementing state control over these resources. Although Mexico’s oil production has declined since its peak in 2004, it remains a globally recognized producer, ranking fourth largest in the Americas after the United States, Canada, and Brazil.
Mexico possesses considerable natural gas resources, but production is modest relative to consumption, leading to reliance on imports. Proved natural gas reserves are concentrated mainly in the Sureste and Veracruz Basins. Offshore fields are characterized by the production of heavy crude oil, such as the Maya blend, while lighter grades are found in the onshore deposits of the south.
Mineral Wealth and Mining Industry
Mexico holds an exceptional bounty of solid, non-fuel mineral resources that support a long-standing and productive mining industry. The nation is recognized as the world’s leading producer of silver, a distinction held since the Spanish colonial era, when the discovery of massive silver veins fueled the economy.
The country is also a globally significant producer of other precious and industrial metals. Mexico consistently ranks among the top ten worldwide producers of gold, copper, and zinc. These deposits are concentrated largely in the north and west, within the Sierra Madre Occidental and the Mexican Altiplano.
Major mining regions include Sonora, the top producer of copper and gold, and Zacatecas, which leads in silver and zinc production. The mining sector contributes significantly to the national gross domestic product, generating substantial revenue from metal exports.
Biological Diversity and Land Resources
Mexico is classified as one of the world’s megadiverse nations, harboring a disproportionately high percentage of the planet’s species. This status results from its complex topography and location at the junction of the Nearctic and Neotropical biogeographic realms. The country contains approximately 10 to 12% of the world’s total species, exhibiting a high degree of endemism in groups like reptiles and mammals.
This biological richness translates into valuable land resources, supporting diverse agricultural production. Fertile lands, particularly in the central and southern regions, form the basis for several globally significant crops. Maize and beans remain staple foods, deeply rooted in the country’s history and forming the backbone of domestic agriculture.
Mexico is the world’s leading producer and exporter of avocados, with Michoacan being a prominent growing region. Forest resources cover roughly 34.5% of the national territory. These resources primarily consist of temperate forests in the mountains, which historically provided timber from species like pine and oak.
Water Management and Marine Assets
Mexico’s extensive coastline, measuring over 11,000 kilometers, borders the Pacific Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Caribbean Sea. This feature provides rich marine resources, including diverse fisheries and a growing aquaculture sector. The highly productive seas around the Baja California Peninsula contribute a substantial portion of the annual fish catch, including tuna, shrimp, and lobster.
Freshwater resources present a major challenge due to significant regional variations in availability. The arid northern and central parts of the country, where most of the population resides, face severe water scarcity and frequent droughts. Overexploitation of groundwater is a major issue, with nearly 245 of the country’s 653 aquifers currently in a critical state because extraction rates exceed natural recharge.
The unequal distribution of water is compounded by infrastructure inefficiencies, leading to high levels of non-revenue water and intermittent service for many households. Furthermore, the agricultural sector uses the majority of water withdrawn in Mexico (about 78%), further straining limited resources.