THE 5 MOST RELEVANT NATURAL RESOURCES OF DURANGO - GEOGRAPHY - 2025

The natural resources in Durango are mainly minerals, among them silver, gold and sulfur; the forestry ones, where the pine forests stand out; and water, such as the Hueyapan and San Diego rivers.

The state of Durango is located northwest of the central part of Mexico. It is the fourth largest state in the Mexican Republic, occupying 6.2% of the national territory. It borders the states of Chihuahua to the north, Coahuila and Zacatecas to the east, Jalisco and Nayarit to the south, and Sinaloa to the west.

Politically, Durango is divided into 39 municipalities, and its capital is the city of Durango. The entity is famous for its waterfalls and hot springs in La Joya and San Juan, as well as the protected forests and wetlands of Laguna Santiaguillo.

Five main natural resources of Durango

1- Mineral resources

Durango's main natural resources are related to mining. The Sierra Madre Occidental is loaded with minerals. Mining activity has been going on for years.

However, deposits of silver, gold, sulfur, tin, coal, mercury, copper, and other minerals have only been partially exploited.

In this sense, in the municipality of Cuencamé there are deposits of gold, silver, iron and mercury. Some municipalities are rich in marble.

Among the mining districts are Mapimí, Santa Clara, San Juan de Guadalupe, Nombre de Dios, Papasquiaro and San Juan del Río.

2- Forest resources

Among the most important natural resources of Durango, from the point of view of production and conservation, are forestry.

Its forests are located along the Sierra Madre Oriental. This is a volcanic formation that extends through the state to southern Arizona.

In these forests the pure ecosystems of pine or pine-oak predominate. Those of great diversity and of high ecological importance occur only in some isolated locations, such as the Santa Bárbara Valley.

These forests, made up of sparsely distributed conifers such as the genera Picea, abies and pseudotsuga, are located in very particular shady and humid sites, mainly in ravines.

3- Water resources

In the state of Durango, the large amount of water, product of the rains, supplies five hydrographic basins and countless wells in other states.

Most of Durango's rivers and streams run from the mountains into the Pacific Ocean. These include the Hueyapan, Tamazula, Los Remedios, San Diego and Mezquital rivers.

The Nazas and Aguanaval rivers flow into the Bolson de Mapimí, a sterile hydrographic basin. To the east, from the Sierra Madre, is the largest river in the state, the Nazas.

This river runs approximately 600 kilometers. During the spring rains, it is the main source of water for irrigated crops. For its part, the Florido River flows into the Gulf of Mexico.

4- Flora and fauna

With regard to flora, in the mountains there are coniferous and oak forests. There are also grasslands, shrubs and, in the southwest, rainforest.

Some of the members of the fauna in Durango are: Mexican wolf, bobcat, kangaroo rat, field mouse, squirrel, raccoon, skunk and others.

For the protection of flora and fauna, there is a reserve in Michilía and another in Bolson de Mapimí.

5- Farmland

Much of the land is not suitable for cultivation. However, some areas take advantage of river water to grow cotton, wheat, corn, tobacco, sugar cane, vegetables and fruits.

The Gómez Palacio, Lerdo and Tlahualilo municipalities, in the lagoon region, constitute the most relevant agricultural area.

References

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3. Durango. (s / f). Encyclopedia of Municipalities and Delegations of Mexico. Durango state. Retrieved on September 19, from Siglo.inafed.gob.mx
4. Aguirre Calderón, OA; Hui, G.; von Gadow, K. and Jiménez Pérez, J. (s / f). Structural analysis of natural forests in Durango, Mexico. In Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Retrieved on September 19, from fao.org
5. Soto Marquez, I. (2007, September 15). Durango misses its natural riches. In El Siglo de Torreón. Retrieved on September 19, from elsiglodetorreon.com.mx
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