The Comarca Minera Geopark is located in the center-south of the

Mexican state A Mexican State (), officially the Free and Sovereign State (), is a constituent federative entity of Mexico according to the Constitution of Mexico. Currently there are 31 states, each with its own constitution, government, state governor, a ...

Hidalgo Hidalgo may refer to: People * Hidalgo (nobility), members of the Spanish nobility * Hidalgo (surname) Places Mexico :''Most, if not all, named for Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla (1753–1811)'' * Hidalgo (state), in central Mexico * Hidalgo, Coah ...

. It extends over nine

municipalities A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...

: Atotonilco el Grande,

Epazoyucan Epazoyucan is a town and one of the 84 municipalities of Hidalgo, in central-eastern Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United ...

Huasca de Ocampo Huasca de Ocampo () is a town and municipality of the state of Hidalgo in central Mexico. It is located 34 km from Pachuca and 16 km from Real del Monte in the Pachuca Mountains. While the town itself is just within the mountain range, ...

, Mineral del Chico,

Mineral de la Reforma Mineral de la Reforma is one of the 84 municipalities of Hidalgo, in central-eastern Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United ...

Mineral del Monte Mineral del Monte, commonly called Real del Monte () or El Real, is a small mining town, and one of the 84 municipalities of Hidalgo, in the Hidalgo (state), State of Hidalgo in east-central Mexico. It is located at an altitude of on a mounta ...

, Omitlán de Juárez, Pachuca de Soto and Singuilucan. These municipalities are articulated by a network of 31 geosites, elected because they express the

geological Geology (). is a branch of natural science concerned with the Earth and other astronomical objects, the rocks of which they are composed, and the processes by which they change over time. Modern geology significantly overlaps all other Earth s ...

history of the territory and highlight the relationship between

mining Mining is the Resource extraction, extraction of valuable geological materials and minerals from the surface of the Earth. Mining is required to obtain most materials that cannot be grown through agriculture, agricultural processes, or feasib ...

and

metallurgy Metallurgy is a domain of materials science and engineering that studies the physical and chemical behavior of metallic elements, their inter-metallic compounds, and their mixtures, which are known as alloys. Metallurgy encompasses both the ...

, and the

historical History is the systematic study of the past, focusing primarily on the human past. As an academic discipline, it analyses and interprets evidence to construct narratives about what happened and explain why it happened. Some theorists categ ...

spaces and

cultural Culture ( ) is a concept that encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and Social norm, norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, Social norm, customs, capabilities, Attitude (psychology), attitudes ...

development of the region. In addition, they are important for

science Science is a systematic discipline that builds and organises knowledge in the form of testable hypotheses and predictions about the universe. Modern science is typically divided into twoor threemajor branches: the natural sciences, which stu ...

and

education Education is the transmission of knowledge and skills and the development of character traits. Formal education occurs within a structured institutional framework, such as public schools, following a curriculum. Non-formal education als ...

and, mostly, have a significant

landscape A landscape is the visible features of an area of land, its landforms, and how they integrate with natural or human-made features, often considered in terms of their aesthetic appeal.''New Oxford American Dictionary''. A landscape includes th ...

value.

Geology

The

Pachuca Pachuca (; ), formally known as Pachuca de Soto, is the capital and largest city of the east-central Mexico, Mexican States of Mexico, state of Hidalgo (state), Hidalgo, located in the south-central part of the state. Pachuca Municipality, Pach ...

and Las Nevajas

mountain ranges A mountain range or hill range is a series of mountains or hills arranged in a line and connected by high ground. A mountain system or mountain belt is a group of mountain ranges with similarity in form, structure, and alignment that have arise ...

constitute the most important physiographic element of the Comarca Minera, with maximum altitudes in the Peña de las Ventanas (3090 m) and in the Cerro de las Navajas (3212 m), respectively. This

orographic Orography is the study of the topographic relief of mountains, and can more broadly include hills, and any part of a region's elevated terrain. Orography (also known as ''oreography'', ''orology,'' or ''oreology'') falls within the broader disc ...

set has a northwest–southeast general orientation, and separates the area of the Sierra Baja and

Barranca de Metztitlán Barranca de Metztitlán is a biosphere reserve in the Mexican state of Hidalgo. It is protected for its dramatic scenery of steep cliffs and deep winding canyons, and its distinctive flora and fauna. Geography The reserve includes the deep and na ...

(at north of the mountain ranges), with altitudes of ~ 1300–2000 m, from the northern end of the Mexico Basin (at south of the mountain ranges), with an altitude of ~ 2200–2400 m. The huge geodiversity of the park, appreciable in its geosites, is due to the fact that two

physiographic provinces physiographic province is a geographic region with a characteristic geomorphology, and often specific subsurface rock type or structural elements. The continents are subdivided into various physiographic provinces, each having a specific characte ...

converge in the area, the

Sierra Madre Oriental The Sierra Madre Oriental () is a mountain range in northeastern Mexico. The Sierra Madre Oriental is part of the American Cordillera, a chain of mountain ranges (cordillera) that consists of an almost continuous sequence of mountain ranges that ...

and the Transmexican Volcanic Belt, as well as two magmatic provinces, one related to the Transmexican Volcanic Belt and the other related to the

volcanism Volcanism, vulcanism, volcanicity, or volcanic activity is the phenomenon where solids, liquids, gases, and their mixtures erupt to the surface of a solid-surface astronomical body such as a planet or a moon. It is caused by the presence of a he ...

of the

Sierra Madre Occidental The Sierra Madre Occidental is a major mountain range system of the North American Cordillera, that runs northwest–southeast through northwestern and western Mexico, and along the Gulf of California. The Sierra Madre is part of the American C ...

. The Comarca Minera is characterized by an outstanding geopatrimony, which includes at least five geological (and cultural elements related to geology) that can be considered of international relevance: # The

epithermal Hydrothermal circulation in its most general sense is the circulation of hot water (Ancient Greek ὕδωρ, ''water'',Liddell, H.G. & Scott, R. (1940). ''A Greek-English Lexicon. revised and augmented throughout by Sir Henry Stuart Jones. with th ...

system ( Ag- Au) of

, one of the largest in the world; its historical production represents 6% of the

silver Silver is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Ag () and atomic number 47. A soft, whitish-gray, lustrous transition metal, it exhibits the highest electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, and reflectivity of any metal. ...

produced globally during the last five centuries. # The type locality, in the Cerro de San Cristóbal de Pachuca geosite, of

tridymite Tridymite is a high-temperature polymorphism (materials science), polymorph of silica and usually occurs as minute tabular white or colorless pseudo-hexagonal crystals, or scales, in cavities in felsic volcanic rocks. Its chemical formula is sili ...

and

cristobalite Cristobalite ( ) is a mineral polymorph of silica that is formed at very high temperatures. It has the same chemical formula as quartz, Si O2, but a distinct crystal structure. Both quartz and cristobalite are polymorphs with all the members o ...

minerals In geology and mineralogy, a mineral or mineral species is, broadly speaking, a solid substance with a fairly well-defined chemical composition and a specific crystal structure that occurs naturally in pure form.John P. Rafferty, ed. (2011): M ...

discovered by

Gerhard vom Rath Gerhard vom Rath (20 August 1830 – 23 April 1888), was a German mineralogist, born at Duisburg in Prussia. Biography Rath was educated at Cologne, at Bonn University, and finally at Berlin, where he graduated Ph.D. in 1853. In 1856 he became a ...

in the years 1868 and 1887, respectively. # The

basalts Basalt (; ) is an aphanitic (fine-grained) extrusive igneous rock formed from the rapid cooling of low-viscosity lava rich in magnesium and iron (mafic lava) exposed at or very near the surface of a rocky planet or moon. More than 90% of a ...

with

columnar jointing Columnar jointing is a geological structure where sets of intersecting closely spaced fractures, referred to as Joint (geology), joints, result in the formation of a regular array of polygonal Prism (geometry), prisms, or columns. Columnar join ...

of Santa María Regla,

, popularly known as the " prismas basálticos" (basaltic prisms), described and drawn by

Alexander von Humboldt Friedrich Wilhelm Heinrich Alexander von Humboldt (14 September 1769 – 6 May 1859) was a German polymath, geographer, natural history, naturalist, List of explorers, explorer, and proponent of Romanticism, Romantic philosophy and Romanticism ...

in 1803; they are generally considered the longest in the world (they reach 40 m in length). # The

industrial heritage, which includes haciendas de beneficio from the

colonial era Colonial period (a period in a country's history where it was subject to management by a colonial power) may refer to: Continents *European colonization of the Americas * Colonisation of Africa * Western imperialism in Asia Countries * Col ...

, as well as various mining works, among which those from the

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Culture, language and peoples * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England * ''English'', an Amish ter ...

mining period (mid-19th century), with splendid examples of ''Cornish''-type machine houses, stand out. #The Cerro de las Navajas, main point of exploitation and supply of

obsidian Obsidian ( ) is a naturally occurring volcanic glass formed when lava extrusive rock, extruded from a volcano cools rapidly with minimal crystal growth. It is an igneous rock. Produced from felsic lava, obsidian is rich in the lighter element ...

for

Mesoamerica Mesoamerica is a historical region and cultural area that begins in the southern part of North America and extends to the Pacific coast of Central America, thus comprising the lands of central and southern Mexico, all of Belize, Guatemala, El S ...

, and exceptional site where obsidian in its golden and green varieties can be found.

Cretaceous

The oldest rocks in the geopark are

limestones Limestone is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Limestone forms when these ...

and

shales Shale is a fine-grained, clastic sedimentary rock formed from mud that is a mix of flakes of clay minerals (hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, e.g., kaolin, Al2 Si2 O5( OH)4) and tiny fragments (silt-sized particles) of other minerals, especial ...

of marine origin, of

Cretaceous The Cretaceous ( ) is a geological period that lasted from about 143.1 to 66 mya (unit), million years ago (Mya). It is the third and final period of the Mesozoic Era (geology), Era, as well as the longest. At around 77.1 million years, it is the ...

age, which are found in the northeastern portion of the territory and outcrop at the bottom of the Barranca de Metztitlán. It can be seen in the geosites: *Barranca de Aguacatitla *Aguas termales de Amajac

Paleogene

During this period, the belt of folds and

ridges A ridge is a long, narrow, elevated geomorphologic landform, structural feature, or a combination of both separated from the surrounding terrain by steep sides. The sides of a ridge slope away from a narrow top, the crest or ridgecrest, wi ...

was formed, geographically known as Sierra Madre Oriental, through a compressive process that thickened and shortened the crust and raised the previously formed rocks in the sea to their current position. Towards the end of this period began the

related to the

subduction Subduction is a geological process in which the oceanic lithosphere and some continental lithosphere is recycled into the Earth's mantle at the convergent boundaries between tectonic plates. Where one tectonic plate converges with a second p ...

of the western

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

. In the northwest sector of the geopark there are deformation structures, mainly asymmetric or even lying folds, of NNO-SSE direction, which can be seen in the geosites: * Barranca de Aguacatitla * Aguas termales de Amajac The

volcanic rocks Volcanic rocks (often shortened to volcanics in scientific contexts) are rocks formed from lava erupted from a volcano. Like all rock types, the concept of volcanic rock is artificial, and in nature volcanic rocks grade into hypabyssal and met ...

from the

Oligocene The Oligocene ( ) is a geologic epoch (geology), epoch of the Paleogene Geologic time scale, Period that extends from about 33.9 million to 23 million years before the present ( to ). As with other older geologic periods, the rock beds that defin ...

are found in: * Depósitos tobáceos de Cubitos * Mirador Cerro del Lobo

Miocene

The

magmatism Magmatism is the emplacement of magma within and at the surface of the outer layers of a terrestrial planet, which solidifies as igneous rocks. It does so through magmatic activity or igneous activity, the production, intrusion and extrusion of ...

initiated at the end of the

Paleogene The Paleogene Period ( ; also spelled Palaeogene or Palæogene) is a geologic period and system that spans 43 million years from the end of the Cretaceous Period Ma (million years ago) to the beginning of the Neogene Period Ma. It is the fir ...

until the Middle

Miocene The Miocene ( ) is the first epoch (geology), geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and mea ...

, and it was responsible for large volumes of silicic

that constitute one of the most southeastern manifestations of the igneous province of the Sierra Madre Occidental. Associated with these rocks the

mineral deposits of

were formed, with an early

age in the case of

Real del Monte Mineral del Monte, commonly called Real del Monte () or El Real, is a small mining town, and one of the 84 municipalities of Hidalgo, in the State of Hidalgo in east-central Mexico. It is located at an altitude of on a mountain pass, it is t ...

deposits, and a somewhat more recent (late

) for those of Mineral del Chico.

Rhyolitic Rhyolite ( ) is the most silica-rich of volcanic rocks. It is generally glassy or fine-grained (aphanitic) in texture, but may be porphyritic, containing larger mineral crystals ( phenocrysts) in an otherwise fine-grained groundmass. The miner ...

tuffs Tuff is a type of rock made of volcanic ash ejected from a vent during a volcanic eruption. Following ejection and deposition, the ash is lithified into a solid rock. Rock that contains greater than 75% ash is considered tuff, while rock cont ...

of the Tezoantla and Cerezo formations as well as rhyolitic and

dacitic Dacite () is a volcanic rock formed by rapid solidification of lava that is high in silica and low in alkali metal oxides. It has a fine-grained (aphanitic) to porphyritic texture and is intermediate in composition between andesite and rhyolite. ...

porphyry Porphyry (; , ''Porphyrios'' "purple-clad") may refer to: Geology * Porphyry (geology), an igneous rock with large crystals in a fine-grained matrix, often purple, and prestigious Roman sculpture material * Shoksha porphyry, quartzite of purple c ...

can be seen in the geosites: * Peña Las Monjas * Peña del Cuervo * Las Ventanas * Depósitos Volcánicos de El Chico The mineralization of late

can be seen in: * Obras Mineras El Milagro

Pliocene

The style and composition of

changes due to the subhorizontal

of the Cocos Plate under the North American Plate, and resulted in the configuration of the Transmexican Volcanic Belt, which is still active today. Examples of volcanic rocks from the

Pliocene The Pliocene ( ; also Pleiocene) is the epoch (geology), epoch in the geologic time scale that extends from 5.33 to 2.58formation Formation may refer to: Linguistics * Back-formation, the process of creating a new lexeme by removing or affixes * Word formation, the creation of a new word by adding affixes Mathematics and science * Cave formation or speleothem, a secondary ...

) * Peña del Diablo y Peña del Comal

Fossiliferous A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserved i ...

lacustrine

sediments Sediment is a solid material that is transported to a new location where it is deposited. It occurs naturally and, through the processes of weathering and erosion, is broken down and subsequently sediment transport, transported by the action of ...

(with remains of plants and fish) are also from the

Pliocene The Pliocene ( ; also Pleiocene) is the epoch (geology), epoch in the geologic time scale that extends from 5.33 to 2.58volcanism Volcanism, vulcanism, volcanicity, or volcanic activity is the phenomenon where solids, liquids, gases, and their mixtures erupt to the surface of a solid-surface astronomical body such as a planet or a moon. It is caused by the presence of a he ...

of the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt is responsible for the volcanic stream of the geosite: * Prismas basálticos (dated in 2.58 Myr) and of the monogenetic volcanoes of Singuilucan, appreciable in the geosite: * Estructuras volcánicas de la Paila

Holocene

Regarding the exploitation of

natural resources Natural resources are resources that are drawn from nature and used with few modifications. This includes the sources of valued characteristics such as commercial and industrial use, aesthetic value, scientific interest, and cultural value. ...

, in the geopark and throughout the

continent A continent is any of several large geographical regions. Continents are generally identified by convention (norm), convention rather than any strict criteria. A continent could be a single large landmass, a part of a very large landmass, as ...

, the greatest change was triggered by the meeting between the Old and the

New World The term "New World" is used to describe the majority of lands of Earth's Western Hemisphere, particularly the Americas, and sometimes Oceania."America." ''The Oxford Companion to the English Language'' (). McArthur, Tom, ed., 1992. New York: ...

; in the

pre-Columbian era In the history of the Americas, the pre-Columbian era, also known as the pre-contact era, or as the pre-Cabraline era specifically in Brazil, spans from the initial peopling of the Americas in the Upper Paleolithic to the onset of European col ...

was intensely exploited and, after the

conquest Conquest involves the annexation or control of another entity's territory through war or Coercion (international relations), coercion. Historically, conquests occurred frequently in the international system, and there were limited normative or ...

, mining was concentrated on

precious metals Precious metals are rare, naturally occurring metallic chemical elements of high economic value. Precious metals, particularly the noble metals, are more corrosion resistant and less chemically reactive than most elements. They are usual ...

. As a manifestation of the active geological phenomena, at the northwest of the geopark there is the

geothermal Geothermal is related to energy and may refer to: * Geothermal energy, useful energy generated and stored in the Earth * Geothermal activity, the range of natural phenomena at or near the surface, associated with release of the Earth's internal he ...

site (and geosite) of: * Aguas termales de Amajac ( hot springs spa)

Geopark geosites

The geopark consists of 31 geosites of geological, biological and cultural interest:

Aguas termales de Amajac
Barranca de Aguacatitla
Cantera de Tezoantla
Cerro de las Navajas
Cerro de San Cristóbal
Cristo Rey
Depósitos tobáceos de Cubitos
Depósitos volcánicos de El Chico
Estructuras volcánicas de La Paila
Ex-Convento de San Agustín
Ex-Convento de San Andrés Apóstol
Ex-Hacienda La Purísima
Mirador Cerro del Lobo
Mirador Las Ventanas
Museo del Paste
Museo de la Mineralogía
Obras mineras El Milagro
Panteón Inglés
Parque Estatal Bosque el Hiloche
Peña del Aire
Peña del Cuervo
Peña del Diablo y Piedra del Comal

Peñas Cargadas
Peñas Las Monjas
Presa El Cedral
Presa San Antonio
Prismas basálticos
Reloj Monumental
Reserva de la Biósfera de la Barranca de Metztitlán
San Miguel Regla
Traquita El Guajolote

Flora and fauna

Flora

Favored by its physiography of contrasts, reflecting its geological complexity, the territory of the Comarca Minera has numerous biomes that alternate with agricultural and urban areas, supporting a very diverse fauna. In the highest areas (altitudes above 2600 m), with a temperate and cold-temperate climate, there are oyamel forests (''

Abies religiosa ''Abies religiosa'', the oyamel fir or sacred fir, (known as in Spanish) is a fir native to the mountains of central and southern Mexico ( Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt, Sierra Madre del Sur) and western Guatemala. It grows at high elevations o ...

''), whose best preservation zone is the Parque Nacional El Chico. The mountainous areas of lower altitude, especially the Las Navajas mountain range and the northern slope of the Pachuca mountain range, are covered by pine forests and mixed pine-oak forests. The diversity of pine species is huge; among which the patula pine (''

Pinus patula ''Pinus patula'', commonly known as patula pine, spreading-leaved pine, or Mexican weeping pine, and in Spanish as ''pino patula'' or ''pino llorón'', (''patula'' Latin = "spreading") is a tree native to the highlands of Mexico. It grows from ...

''), the Hartweg's pine (''

Pinus hartwegii ''Pinus hartwegii'' ( syn. ''P. rudis'', ''P. donnell-smithii''), Hartweg's pine, the Mexican mountain pine, or pino de las alturas, is a pine native to the mountains of Mexico and Central America east to Honduras. It is named after Karl Theodor ...

'') and the teocote (''

Pinus teocote A pine is any conifer tree or shrub in the genus ''Pinus'' () of the family Pinaceae. ''Pinus'' is the sole genus in the subfamily Pinoideae. ''World Flora Online'' accepts 134 species-rank taxa (119 species and 15 nothospecies) of pines as cu ...

''), while the most representative of the oaks is the netleaf oak (''

Quercus rugosa ''Quercus rugosa'', commonly known as the netleaf oak, is a broad-leaved tree in the beech and oak family Fagaceae. It is native to southern North America. Description ''Quercus rugosa'' is an evergreen shrub or tree. The bark is brown and scaly ...

''). In the sunniest slopes of the Pachuca mountain range and at altitudes below 2000 m, at the north end of the geopark

xeric shrublands Deserts and xeric shrublands are a biome defined by the World Wide Fund for Nature. Deserts and xeric (Ancient Greek 'dry') shrublands form the largest terrestrial biome, covering 19% of Earth's land surface area. Ecoregions in this habitat ...

can be found with abundant cactus such as bilberry cactus (''

Myrtillocactus geometrizans ''Myrtillocactus geometrizans'' (bilberry cactus, whortleberry cactus, blue myrtle cactus, or blue candle) is a species of cactus in the genus '' Myrtillocactus'', native to central and northern Mexico.Germplasm Resources Information Network''Myr ...

''), several species of biznaga (''

Mammillaria magnimamma ''Mammillaria magnimamma'', common name Mexican pincushion, is a species of flowering plant in the cactus family Cactaceae. Description ''Mammillaria magnimamma'' is a perennial globose plant reaching a height of 15–30 cm and a diameter ...

'', ''Echinofossulocactus crispatus'') and nopal (''Opuntia streptacantha'', ''O. tomentosa'', '' O. robusta''), cane cholla (''

Cylindropuntia imbricata ''Cylindropuntia imbricata'', the cane cholla (walking stick cholla, tree cholla, or chainlink cactus), is a cactus found in the Southwestern United States and northern Mexico, including some cooler regions in comparison to many other cacti. It o ...

'') and Mexican fencepost cactus ('' Marginatocereus marginatus''), also several species of agave (''Agave horrida'', ''A. triangularis''), highlighting the pulquero agave (''

Agave salmiana ''Agave salmiana'' (also known as ''maguey pulquero'' and green maguey) is a species of the family Asparagaceae, native to central and southern Mexico. It is also reportedly naturalized in South Africa, Italy, Spain, especially in the Canary Isl ...

'') for its use for traditional

pulque Pulque (; ), occasionally known as octli or agave wine, is an alcoholic beverage made from the fermented sap of the maguey (agave) plant. It is traditional in central Mexico, where it has been produced for millennia. It has the color of milk, ...

production.

Fauna

The variety and alternation of natural and agricultural ecosystems supports an important diversity of

birds Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class (biology), class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the Oviparity, laying of Eggshell, hard-shelled eggs, a high Metabolism, metabolic rate, a fou ...

and

reptiles Reptiles, as commonly defined, are a group of tetrapods with an ectothermic metabolism and Amniotic egg, amniotic development. Living traditional reptiles comprise four Order (biology), orders: Testudines, Crocodilia, Squamata, and Rhynchocepha ...

. Among the first, the following species stand out for being easily observable: scarlet flycatcher ('' Pyrocephalus rubinus''), black phoebe ('' Sayornis nigricans''), red warbler ('' Cardellina rubra''), yellow-rumped warbler ('' Setophaga coronata''), house finch ('' Haemorhous mexicanus''), lesser goldfinch ('' Spinus psaltria''), yellow-eyed junco (''

Junco phaeonotus The yellow-eyed junco (''Junco phaeonotus'') is a species of junco, a group of small New World sparrows. Its range is primarily in Mexico, extending into some of the mountains of the southern tips of the U.S. states of Arizona and New Mexico. It ...

''), black-headed grosbeak (''

Pheucticus melanocephalus The black-headed grosbeak (''Pheucticus melanocephalus'') is a medium-sized, seed-eating bird in the family Cardinalidae. It is sometimes considered conspecific with the rose-breasted grosbeak (''P. ludovicianus'') with which it hybridizes on th ...

''), curve-billed thrasher ('' Toxostoma curvirostre''), broad-billed hummingbird (''

Cynanthus latirostris The broad-billed hummingbird (''Cynanthus latirostris'') is a small-sized hummingbird that resides in Mexico and the southwestern United States. Males and females have different features (see sexual dimorphism). The juveniles resemble the female ...

''), white-eared hummingbird ('' Hylocharis leucotis''), Rivoli's hummingbird ('' Eugenes fulgens''), blue-throated mountaingem ('' Lampornis clemenciae''), Lucifer sheartail ('' Calothorax lucifer''), ladder-backed woodpecker (''

Dryobates scalaris The ladder-backed woodpecker (''Dryobates scalaris'') is a North American woodpecker. Description The ladder-backed woodpecker is a small woodpecker about 16.5 to 19 cm (6½ to 7½ inches) in length. It is primarily colored black and white, ...

''), golden-fronted woodpecker ('' Melanerpes aurifrons''), acorn woodpecker ('' Melanerpes formicivorus''), black-vented oriole ('' Icterus wagleri''), bullock's oriole (''

Icterus bullockii Bullock's oriole (''Icterus bullockiorum'') is a small New World blackbird. At one time, this species and the Baltimore oriole were considered to be a single species, the northern oriole. This bird is named after William Bullock, an English am ...

''), Steller's jay ('' Cyanocitta stelleri'') and green kingfisher ('' Chloroceryle americana''). As for

, more than 30 species have been identified; the more relevant, due to their emblematic character and for being listed as threatened (NOM-059-SEMARNAT-2010), is the Mexican plateau horned lizard (''

Phrynosoma orbiculare The Mexican Plateau horned lizard (''Phrynosoma orbiculare'') is a species of horned lizard in the family Phrynosomatidae. The species, also known commonly as the Chihuahua Desert horned lizard, is endemic to Mexico. There are five recognized su ...

''). Among mammals, the rock squirrel (''

Otospermophilus variegatus The rock squirrel (''Otospermophilus variegatus'') is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae. It is native to Mexico and the Southwestern United States, including southern Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, West Texas, and the panha ...

''), Mexican gray squirrel ('' Sciurus aureogaster''), ring-tailed cat (''

Bassariscus astutus The ringtail (''Bassariscus astutus'') is a mammal of the Procyonidae, raccoon family native to arid regions of North America. It is widely distributed and well-adapted to its distributed areas. It has been legally trapped for its fur. Globally ...

''), North American opossum (''

Didelphis virginiana The Virginia opossum (''Didelphis virginiana''), also known as the North American opossum, is a member of the opossum family found from southern Canada to northern Costa Rica, making it the northernmost marsupial in the world and the only marsup ...

'') and eastern cottontail (''

Sylvilagus floridanus The eastern cottontail (''Sylvilagus floridanus'') is a New World cottontail rabbit, a member of the family Leporidae. It is the most common rabbit species in North America. Distribution The eastern cottontail can be found in meadows and shrubby ...

'') are regularly observed. More elusive, they also inhabit the geopark: white-tailed deer (''

Odocoileus virginianus The white-tailed deer (''Odocoileus virginianus''), also known commonly as the whitetail and the Virginia deer, is a medium-sized species of deer native to North, Central and South America. It is the most widely-distributed mainland ungulate ...

''), southern pocket gopher (''

Thomomys umbrinus The southern pocket gopher (''Thomomys umbrinus'') is a species of rodent in the family Geomyidae. It is found in Mexico and the United States, usually in high altitude grassland and shrubland. It feeds on plant material and has an extensive bur ...

''), coyote (''

Canis latrans The coyote (''Canis latrans''), also known as the American jackal, prairie wolf, or brush wolf, is a species of canine native to North America. It is smaller than its close relative, the gray wolf, and slightly smaller than the closely relat ...

'') and the gray fox (''

Urocyon cinereoargenteus The gray fox (''Urocyon cinereoargenteus''), or grey fox, is an omnivorous mammal of the family Canidae, widespread throughout North America and Central America. This species and its only congener, the diminutive island fox (''Urocyon littoral ...

''). Also various

bats Bats are flying mammals of the order Chiroptera (). With their forelimbs adapted as wings, they are the only mammals capable of true and sustained flight. Bats are more agile in flight than most birds, flying with their very long spread-out ...

species (''

Leptonycteris nivalis The greater long-nosed bat or Mexican long-nosed bat (''Leptonycteris nivalis'') is a species of bat in the family Phyllostomidae. It is found in Mexico and the United States. It chiefly consumes pollen and nectar, particularly from agave plant ...

'', ''

Desmodus rotundus The common vampire bat (''Desmodus rotundus'') is a small, leaf-nosed bat native to the Americas. It is one of three extant species of vampire bats, the other two being the hairy-legged and the white-winged vampire bats. The common vampire ba ...

'', '' Choeronycteris mexicana'', '' Dermanura azteca''). This biodiversity also includes 10 species of

amphibians Amphibians are ectothermic, anamniote, anamniotic, tetrapod, four-limbed vertebrate animals that constitute the class (biology), class Amphibia. In its broadest sense, it is a paraphyletic group encompassing all Tetrapod, tetrapods, but excl ...

Protected natural areas

National

* Parque Nacional El Chico * Reserva de la Biósfera de la Barranca de Metztitlán

State-owned

* Parque Ecológico Cubitos * Parque Estatal Bosque el Hiloche * Zona de Preservación Ecológica de los Centros de Población Cerro La Paila-Matías Rodríguez

Human settlement

First settlers

According to the geoarchaeological evidence of the Cerro de las Navajas geosite, the territory of the Comarca Minera played a fundamental role in the economic development and military power of the

pre-Columbian In the history of the Americas, the pre-Columbian era, also known as the pre-contact era, or as the pre-Cabraline era specifically in Brazil, spans from the initial peopling of the Americas in the Upper Paleolithic to the onset of European col ...

states of

, as it was the control center of exploitation and focal point of distribution of

. These activities were carried out successively by the

Teotihuacan Teotihuacan (; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Teotihuacán'', ; ) is an ancient Mesoamerican city located in a sub-valley of the Valley of Mexico, which is located in the State of Mexico, northeast of modern-day Mexico City. Teotihuacan is ...

(100 BC – 650 AD),

Toltec The Toltec culture () was a Pre-Columbian era, pre-Columbian Mesoamerican culture that ruled a state centered in Tula (Mesoamerican site), Tula, Hidalgo (state), Hidalgo, Mexico, during the Epiclassic and the early Post-Classic period of Mesoam ...

(950–1100 AD) and

Mexica The Mexica (Nahuatl: ; singular ) are a Nahuatl-speaking people of the Valley of Mexico who were the rulers of the Triple Alliance, more commonly referred to as the Aztec Empire. The Mexica established Tenochtitlan, a settlement on an island ...

(1325–1521 AD) cultures, extending until the early colonial period.

Geological explorations

The Comarca Minera has been the subject of

studies and surveys for five centuries. In particular, it was in the 19th century when

Mexican Mexican may refer to: Mexico and its culture *Being related to, from, or connected to the country of Mexico, in North America ** People *** Mexicans, inhabitants of the country Mexico and their descendants *** Mexica, ancient indigenous people ...

and foreign scientists conducted detailed studies. One of them was the

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

geologist Friedrich Traugott Sonneschmid (1763–1824) who was commissioned by the

Monarchy of Spain The monarchy of Spain or Spanish monarchy () is the constitutional form of government of Spain. It consists of a hereditary monarch who reigns as the head of state, being the highest office of the country. The Spanish monarchy is constitu ...

in 1788 to carry out the improvement of

, profit and extraction, and to make mineralogical descriptions in

New Spain New Spain, officially the Viceroyalty of New Spain ( ; Nahuatl: ''Yankwik Kaxtillan Birreiyotl''), originally the Kingdom of New Spain, was an integral territorial entity of the Spanish Empire, established by Habsburg Spain. It was one of several ...

. In the course of twelve years he toured the current states of

México Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

Guanajuato Guanajuato, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Guanajuato, is one of the 32 states that make up the Political divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into Municipalities of Guanajuato, 46 municipalities and its cap ...

San Luis Potosí San Luis Potosí, officially the Free and Sovereign State of San Luis Potosí, is one of the 32 states which compose the Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 59 municipalities and is named after its capital city, San Luis Potosí. It ...

Zacatecas Zacatecas, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Zacatecas, is one of the Political divisions of Mexico, 31 states of Mexico. It is divided into Municipalities of Zacatecas, 58 municipalities and its capital city is Zacatecas City, Zacatec ...

Durango Durango, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Durango, is one of the 31 states which make up the Political divisions of Mexico, 32 Federal Entities of Mexico, situated in the northwest portion of the country. With a population of 1,832,650 ...

and

Jalisco Jalisco, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Jalisco, is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the 32 Political divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. It is located in western Mexico and is bordered by s ...

. As a result of this commission there are several studies; one of them, the "Mineralogical description of the important mining regions of Mexico or New Spain", published in 1804, includes valuable data on the Comarca Minera, such as

and

clay Clay is a type of fine-grained natural soil material containing clay minerals (hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, e.g. kaolinite, ). Most pure clay minerals are white or light-coloured, but natural clays show a variety of colours from impuriti ...

s of

and Atotonilco el Chico, as well as the

with

Prussia Prussia (; ; Old Prussian: ''Prūsija'') was a Germans, German state centred on the North European Plain that originated from the 1525 secularization of the Prussia (region), Prussian part of the State of the Teutonic Order. For centuries, ...

n wise

(1769–1859) toured and described several places of

, Las Navajas mountain range, the mines of El Morán, Real del Monte, Regla, La Vizcaína, El Jacal and El Encino, as part of the expedition that he went on between May 15 and 27, 1803. After his visit, he integrated his observations in his vast scientific work; in his book "Views of the mountain ranges and monuments of the indigenous peoples of America" (1810) he dedicated a chapter to the geosite Prismas basálticos, under the title of "Basaltic Rocks and Cascade of Regla", in which he makes comparisons with those of the

Giant's Causeway The Giant's Causeway () is an area of approximately 40,000 interlocking basalt columns, the result of an ancient volcano, volcanic fissure eruption, part of the North Atlantic Igneous Province active in the region during the Paleogene period. ...

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

. After the

Independence of Mexico Independence is a condition of a nation, country, or state, in which residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory. The opposite of independence is the status of ...

, in 1821, numerous foreign capitals arrived in the

country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. When referring to a specific polity, the term "country" may refer to a sovereign state, state with limited recognition, constituent country, ...

, establishing the first mining companies of

and

investors in the most productive former colonial districts, such as

, Chihuahua,

Oaxaca Oaxaca, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Oaxaca, is one of the 32 states that compose the political divisions of Mexico, Federative Entities of the Mexico, United Mexican States. It is divided into municipalities of Oaxaca, 570 munici ...

and

Estado de México The State of Mexico, officially just Mexico, is one of the 32 federal entities of the United Mexican States. Colloquially known as Edomex (from , the abbreviation of , and ), to distinguish it from the name of the whole country, it is the mos ...

. Some foreign

engineers Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who invent, design, build, maintain and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials. They aim to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while consider ...

, travelers and

diplomats A diplomat (from ; romanized ''diploma'') is a person appointed by a state, intergovernmental, or nongovernmental institution to conduct diplomacy with one or more other states or international organizations. The main functions of diplomats a ...

made expeditions and wrote books about the economic possibilities of

. The most emblematic are:

George Francis Lyon George Francis Lyon (23 January 1796 – 8 October 1832) was an English naval officer and explorer of Africa and the Arctic. While not having a particularly distinguished career, he is remembered for the entertaining journals he kept and ...

, Henry Ward, Joseph Burkart,

Henri Guillaume Galeotti Henri Guillaume Galeotti (10 September 1814 – 1858) was a French-Belgian botanist and geologist of Italian parentage born in Paris. He specialized in the study of the family Cactaceae. He studied geology and natural history at the ''Etablissemen ...

, Eugéne Saint Clair Duport, Carl de Berghes and

Friedrich von Gerolt Friedrich Karl Joseph Freiherr von Gerolt (5 March 1797 Bonn – 27 July 1879 Linz am Rhein) was Prussian Privy Councillor, Envoy Extraordinary and German Ambassador to the United States, Minister Plenipotentiary in the United States. Family Gero ...

Mining history

Attracted by the enormous mining wealth of the region, the

Sevillian Seville ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Spanish autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the River Guadalquivir, in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula. Seville ...

metallurgist Metallurgy is a domain of materials science and engineering that studies the physical and chemical behavior of metallic elements, their inter-metallic compounds, and their mixtures, which are known as alloys. Metallurgy encompasses both the ...

Bartolomé de Medina Bartolomé de Medina may refer to: * Bartolomé de Medina (theologian) * Bartolomé de Medina (mining specialist) Bartolomé de Medina (born around 1504 in Seville) was a Spanish merchant known for his invention of the patio process. Biography I ...

arrived in

's territory in 1552. One year later, in the Ex-Hacienda La Purísima (current geopark geosite),

, implemented the method of amalgamation, also known as

patio process The patio process is a process for extracting silver from ore. Smelting, or refining, is most often necessary because silver is only infrequently found as a native element like some metals nobler than the redox couple 2 + 2 ⇌ (gold, mercury ...

; using mercury, this method allowed efficiently extract

from the

ore Ore is natural rock or sediment that contains one or more valuable minerals, typically including metals, concentrated above background levels, and that is economically viable to mine and process. The grade of ore refers to the concentration ...

. The patio process, active until the beginning of the 20th century, was exported to all mining districts of

America The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

, from

Potosí Potosí, known as Villa Imperial de Potosí in the colonial period, is the capital city and a municipality of the Potosí Department, Department of Potosí in Bolivia. It is one of the list of highest cities in the world, highest cities in the wo ...

Bolivia Bolivia, officially the Plurinational State of Bolivia, is a landlocked country located in central South America. The country features diverse geography, including vast Amazonian plains, tropical lowlands, mountains, the Gran Chaco Province, w ...

, becoming essential for the

and economic boom in the

Spanish Empire The Spanish Empire, sometimes referred to as the Hispanic Monarchy (political entity), Hispanic Monarchy or the Catholic Monarchy, was a colonial empire that existed between 1492 and 1976. In conjunction with the Portuguese Empire, it ushered ...

. At the beginning of the 19th century, with the

, mining was opened to

participation. Coming from

Cornwall Cornwall (; or ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is also one of the Celtic nations and the homeland of the Cornish people. The county is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, ...

, in the southwest extreme of

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-west coast of continental Europe, consisting of the countries England, Scotland, and Wales. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the List of European ...

mining migration arrived, bringing with it technical knowledge and capital. Huge fireplaces and '' Cornish'' houses set up a new industrial landscape. However, despite the large investments and numerous efforts, the

failed to recover their investment. In 1848 they sold their rights to

businessmen. The Escandón brothers integrated foreign technology with local knowledge and rethink the way to extract the

, bringing a renewed mining bonanza. This period had a 50-year boom; its decline happened due to the worldwide depreciation of

. The United States Smelting Refining and Mining Company acquired the mining properties in 1906. The

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, p ...

period brought a change of method: the cyanidation. During this period a complex network of air and underground transportation for the mineral was created. The

Americans Americans are the Citizenship of the United States, citizens and United States nationality law, nationals of the United States, United States of America.; ; Law of the United States, U.S. federal law does not equate nationality with Race (hu ...

withdrew in 1947; Since then, the statal period that lasted more than 40 years begins. Currently the Compañía Real del Monte y Pachuca is the owner, as a subsidiary of

Altos Hornos de México Altos Hornos de México, S.A.B. de C.V. (AHMSA) is a steel plant in Mexico. It has corporate offices in Monclova, Coahuila, in the center of the Mexican state of Coahuila, 155 miles from the United States border. History Teódulo Flores Calde ...

and Grupo Acerero del Norte.

Tourism and cultural heritage

Pueblos mágicos (magical towns)

The

Pueblos Mágicos The Programa Pueblos Mágicos (; "Magical Towns Programme") is an initiative led by Mexico's Secretariat of Tourism, with support from other federal agencies, to promote a series of towns around the country that offer visitors "cultural richn ...

tourism program began nationwide in the Comarca Minera, with the designation in 2001 of

, the first in the

. Currently, the geopark includes three Pueblos Mágicos (of the 121 of the program): *

* Mineral del Chico *

Museums in the geopark

* Museo de Mineralogía de la Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Hidalgo * Museo del Paste

Gastronomy

The

pasty A pasty () or Cornish pasty is a British baked turnover pastry, a variety of which is particularly associated with Cornwall, but has spread all over the British Isles, and elsewhere through the Cornish diaspora. It consists of a filling, ty ...

is one of the most typical

gastronomic Gastronomy is the study of the relationship between food and culture, the art of preparing and serving rich or delicate and appetizing food, the cooking styles of particular regions, and the science of good eating. One who is well versed in gastr ...

elements of the Comarca Minera, it is a legacy of the migration that arrived in the middle of the 19th century from the

county A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...

. Traditional

pasties Pasties (singular pasty or pastie) are patches that cover a person's nipples and areolae, typically self-adhesive or affixed with adhesive. They are usually worn in pairs. They originated as part of burlesque shows, allowing dancers to perform ...

are made of

potato The potato () is a starchy tuberous vegetable native to the Americas that is consumed as a staple food in many parts of the world. Potatoes are underground stem tubers of the plant ''Solanum tuberosum'', a perennial in the nightshade famil ...

and

meat Meat is animal Tissue (biology), tissue, often muscle, that is eaten as food. Humans have hunted and farmed other animals for meat since prehistory. The Neolithic Revolution allowed the domestication of vertebrates, including chickens, sheep, ...

, although a wide variety of fillings has been popularized. Other traditional dishes are

pork Pork is the culinary name for the meat of the pig (''Sus domesticus''). It is the most commonly consumed meat worldwide, with evidence of pig animal husbandry, husbandry dating back to 8000–9000 BCE. Pork is eaten both freshly cooke ...

carnitas Carnitas, literally meaning "little meats", in Mexican cuisine, is a dish made by braising, simmering and frying pork in its own fat, lard or cooking oil. The name "''Carnitas''" is, historically, the colloquial name given in Mexico for the Fren ...

barbacoa Barbacoa or Asado en Barbacoa () in Mexico, refers to the local indigenous variation of the method of cooking in a pit or earth oven. It generally refers to slow-cooking meats or whole sheep, whole cows, whole beef heads, or whole goats in a ...

and

mixiote A mixiote is a traditional pit-barbecued meat dish in central Mexico; especially in the Basin of Mexico, in which the meat is cooked inside a wrapper, traditionally in the outer skin of an agave leaf. Ingredients It is usually made with mutton ...

s. The consumption of

insects Insects (from Latin ') are hexapod invertebrates of the class Insecta. They are the largest group within the arthropod phylum. Insects have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body (head, thorax and abdomen), three pairs of jointed ...

and their

larvae A larva (; : larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into their next life stage. Animals with indirect developmental biology, development such as insects, some arachnids, amphibians, or cnidarians typical ...

such as the maguey worm ( Aegiale hesperiaris), escamol ( Liometopum apiculatum) and chinicuil (

Comadia redtenbacheri ''Comadia redtenbacheri'' is a moth in the family Cossidae. It is found in North America, where it has been recorded in Mexico and southern Texas. The moth was first named in 1848 by Austrian entomologist Carl Eduard Hammerschmidt (1800–1874) ...

) is a custom with

roots in various municipalities of

, including those that make up the geopark territory. Thanks to their richness in highly digestible

proteins Proteins are large biomolecules and macromolecules that comprise one or more long chains of amino acid residues. Proteins perform a vast array of functions within organisms, including catalysing metabolic reactions, DNA replication, re ...

, coming from both the terrestrial and aquatic environment, have constituted and constitute today a food of high

nutritional Nutrition is the biochemical and physiological process by which an organism uses food and water to support its life. The intake of these substances provides organisms with nutrients (divided into macro- and micro-) which can be metabolized t ...

value in the Comarca Minera. The Gastronomic Route of Pachuquilla, municipal seat of

, is an exponent of the intangible heritage of the Comarca Minera Geopark. The gastronomic tradition of Pachuquilla dates back to 1917, the year in which the sale of prepared foods began. The gastronomic vocation of the locality was consolidated thanks to the construction of the

Tuxpan Tuxpan (or Túxpam, fully Túxpam de Rodríguez Cano, for Enrique Rodríguez Cano) is both a municipality and city located in the Mexican state of Veracruz. The population of the city was 89,557 and of the municipality was 154,600 inhabitants, ...

highway in 1930, to the change of headquarters of the municipal seat in 1958, and finally, to the closure of some mines of the district of

. With these changes, the number of diners who went there was increased.

Administration

Inclusion in the geoparks network

The Comarca Minera was included in the

Global Geoparks Network UNESCO Global Geoparks (UGGp) are geoparks certified by the UNESCO Global Geoparks Council as meeting all the requirements for belonging to the Global Geoparks Network (GGN). The GGN is both a network of geoparks and the agency of the United Nati ...

on May 5, 2017, when it was recognized as

geopark A geopark is a protected area with internationally significant geology within which Sustainability, sustainable development is sought and which includes tourism, conservation, education and research concerning not just geology but other relevant s ...

of the

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

. On May 26, 2017, in the Achoma District,

Peru Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...

, the Comarca Minera together with three more geoparks ( Araripe,

Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...

; Grutas del Palacio,

Uruguay Uruguay, officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast, while bordering the Río de la Plata to the south and the A ...

; Mixteca Alta,

) founded the UNESCO Global Geoparks Network of Latin America and the Caribbean – Red GeoLAC – which in 2020 has 7 members. The first meeting of the Red GeoLAC took place in the Comarca Minera (in Mineral del Chico) in January 2018.

Institutions

In the process of candidacy, consolidation and promotion of the Comarca Minera Geopark, numerous educational and governmental institutions and dependencies have participated, mainly:

Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México The National Autonomous University of Mexico (, UNAM) is a public university, public research university in Mexico. It has several campuses in Mexico City, and many others in various locations across Mexico, as well as a presence in nine countri ...

, through the Centro de Ciencias de la Atmósfera, Instituto de Geofísica, Instituto de Geología and Secretaría de Desarrollo Institucional; Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Hidalgo; Universidad La Salle Pachuca; the

government, through the Consejo de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación de Hidalgo, Secretaría de Turismo, Unidad de Planeación y Prospectiva and the Instituto de Capacitación Para el Trabajo del Estado de Hidalgo; the geopark municipalities governments; the Servicio Geológico Mexicano; and the Comité del Centro Turístico Prismas Basálticos.

References

{{reflist Parks in Mexico Geology of Mexico Natural history of Hidalgo (state) Global Geoparks Network members