Zacatecas is located in the country’s north-center. Its main economic activities are mining, agriculture and tourism. This state is known for its great silver and other mineral deposits, its colonial architecture and its importance during the Mexican Revolution. The agricultural products cultivated in this area are cereals and maguey. The cyclic crops most used are beans, corn, oatmeal, peppers and barley, in addition to onions, garlic, peaches, cactus and alfalfa. The mining industry is the main productive vocation of Zacatecas, specialized in extracting silver, gold, mercury, iron, zinc, lead, salt, copper, quartz, kaolin, quarry and cadmium. The mineral wealth of this state was discovered soon after the Spanish conquest and some of the mines (the most famous in Mexico) date back to 1546, the most productive mines are silver producers in Alvarado. This mine alone produced more than 800 million dollars from 1548 to 1867, according to preserved records. Currently, Mexico is the leading silver producer in the world. Zacatecas has 13 mining districts, the most important are Concepción del Oro, Sombrerete, Chalchihuites, Mazapil and Noria de Ángeles, with 86 economic units within the mining industry. For its tradition and history, the tourism vocation of Zacatecas represents one of the population’s main tasks because this state has colonial communities recognized worldwide, such as Zacatecas, the state capital, Guadalupe, Fresnillo, Sombrerete and Jerez de Garcia Salinas. Source: Gobierno del Estado de Zacatecas