iGeologist Links Page

Web Sites of Interest

Mining Business Digest: The leading monthly mining information service covering the activities of North American mining companies throughout the world. Available online.

Randol: Randol International Ltd. High quality mining conferences on Mexico and world. Mexico conference proceedings available. Excellent 1998 Mexico Mining Directory.

IMDEX: Home of the "Un-Official Mining Directory of Mexico"- a must see site for mineral exploration activity in Mexico. Loaded with company activity news, much useful information and outstanding external links to other relevant websites.

Infomine: InfoMine is the worldwide Mining Portal Site and Business Center on the Internet - the largest, most comprehensive, fully integrated source of news and information concerning all aspects of worldwide mining and mineral exploration. For excellent Mexico coverage click on [countries], then [Mexico].

Activity Update: Mining activity update, a monthly newsletter. Products include tables that rank world deposits by tonnage and grade.

INEGI: Mexico government agency source for topographic maps, geologic maps, air photos, and satellite photos.

Consejo de Recursos Minerales: Excellent site! Mexico’s Geological Survey. On line 1:250,000 maps of 63 quadrangles showing mine locations. Also on-line geologic maps. The Consejo also produces geophysical maps, geochemical maps, satellite imagery and Geologic Monographs for 22 of Mexico’s states. These are very useful for any exploration in Mexico. They are very well done, and inexpensive.

Direccion General de Promocion Minera: Mining production statistics, various reports. Great links (ligas) to other government mining agencies and mining organizations.

Direccion General de Minas (SECOFI): Mining concession information. Site under construction March, 2002

CIESIN: Digital map of Mexico Municipios. Free download of GIS file in Arc/Info export format. Click on [data resources], then [georeferenced population data sets of Mexico] and click on "available through [ftp]. Then click on [/giscover.mexmun/]. This site also has GIS digital map of Mexico state, islands, and georeferenced population data for 30,000 towns and cities.

NOAA: GLOBE v.1 One-km elevation data of land. Free download of digital files. Mexico is covered by Tiles E (17.2mb) and F (19.0mb). Must also download free GeoVu program to export the raw binary data into gridding and contouring programs. Good information, but not an afternoon project.

PhotoSat: Offers high-resolution, five-meter imagery of Mexico and other countries from IRS satellite. Images are panchromatic and orthorectified. Other imagery products of Mexico are also available.

Mining/Metals News

Selected Reading

Travelling

People's Guide to Mexico, "Wherever you go.…there you are!" (1999) by Carl Franz and edited by Lorena Havens and Steve Rogers: This is a must have book for Mexico travelers, new or seasoned. It's worth packing along, and weighs about 32 ounces. www.peoplesguide.com.

Spanish Language Books for Mexico. Only four of the best are listed. They are easy to carry with you. All four total about 26 ounces:

Latin American Spanish phrasebook by Lonely Planet Publications. A small pocketbook that is the best starter to carry.ISBN 0-86442-097-8. www.lonelyplanet.com.
Langenscheidt Jiffy Phrasebook Spanish. Also good to carry. ISBN 0-88729-950-4.
Barron's Spanish Grammar, a pocketbook. IXBN 0-8120-4295-6.
The BEST pocket dictionary: The Bantam New College Spanish & English Dictionary. ISBN 0-553-26714-0.

Road Maps

The Best regional road maps of Mexico are the ITMB Publishing/World Wide series on Mexico. These excellent maps also show regional topographic contours small villages, some mines, etc. Available from: www.itmb.com.

Mexico (All of Mexico) ITMB Map 200 at a scale of 1:3,300,000 ISBN 0-921463-20-0.
Mexico South East. ITMB Map at a scale of 1:1,000,000. Covers from Yucatan west to beyond Acapulco, and north beyond Mexico City. ISBN 0-921463-227
Mexico North West ITMB Map 88X at a scale of 1:1,000,000. Covers Sonora, Sinaloa, and the west half of Chihuahua and Durango. ISBN 0-921463-88X.
Mexico's Baja California ITMB Map at a scale of 1:1,000,000. ISBN 0-921463-09-X.

The BEST state highway maps are produced by the Mexican Government agency SCT, Secretaria de Comunicaciones y Transportes. (Highway Department). These maps range in scale from 1:200,000 to 1:500,000 or so, and have a latitude and longitude grid. They are probably the best highway maps for Mexico. The maps can be hard to find, but several are carried by Sanborn's in any major city in Mexico.

Another good set of highway maps is produced by Guia Roji. Obtain these where the SCT maps are unavailable. They also can be purchased in Sanborns, and from some map stores.

Topographic and other maps:

Topographic maps at a scale of 1:50,000 and 1:250,000 can be purchased from INEGI. For a good index, and orders for digital maps contact www.geografxworld.com.