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Critical Mineral Crossword Puzzle: Manganese

Manganese is listed as a "critical mineral". Learn about where we get manganese and how we use it by solving the crossword puzzle clues!

More information:

USGS Mineral Resources Program color by number for the critical mineral graphite.

USGS Mineral Resources Program coloring page for cassiterite and the critical mineral tin.

The mineral cassiterite, chemical formula SnO₂, is the most important mineral source for the critical mineral tin. Fun facts: tin is one of the earliest metals used by humans! The chemical symbol for tin, Sn, comes from its Latin name, stannum.

USGS Mineral Resources Program coloring page for the mineral galena and the critical mineral lead.

USGS Mineral Resources Program Critical Mineral Word Scramble Puzzle: Tantalum

USGS Mineral Resources Program coloring page for the critical mineral barite.

Barite, chemical formula BaSO₄, is a critical mineral. Fun fact: barite is one of the heaviest minerals that isn't a metal.

Critical Mineral Crossword Puzzle: Rhenium.

Rhenium is listed as "critical mineral". Learn about where we get rhenium and how we use it by solving the crossword puzzle clues!

More information

2025 List of Critical Minerals

The 2025 List of Critical Minerals includes 60 critical minerals. 50 of these were also included on the 2022 List of Critical Minerals, and 10 are new. There are 15 rare earth elements included on the List. 

The List of Critical Minerals Informs: 

• Supply chain risk mitigation 

• Federal policy and strategy 

• Stockpiles 

• Permitting Processes 

Map showing locations of placer mines in the Alaska Resource Data File (ARDF, red crosses), primary mineral districts that contain targeted critical minerals (black boxes) and locations that were sampled by the USGS in 2022 through 2024 (yellow stars).

Critical Minerals Coloring Sheet: lepidolite

The critical mineral lithium is sourced from lithium brines, spodumene (LiAlSi₂O₆), petalite (LiAlSi₄O₁₀), and lepidolite (a Li-rich mica). Fun fact: lithium is the lightest metal!

Key Minerals in Data Centers

Map of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and nearby areas of Northern Wisconsin, with areas of overflights shaded in yellow (Wisconsin) and green (Michigan).

Mineral Commodities with Net Import Reliance on China

USGS collects the Nation’s data on the global production, supply, demand and trade of minerals to inform strategic policy, trade and land-use decisions.

Gallium is used in gallium arsenide and gallium nitride compound semiconductors. There is additional production capacity for gallium outside China with the potential to produce gallium in Germany, Kazakhstan and South Korea in response to China’s gallium export ban to the U.S. 

The United States continues to rely on foreign sources for some raw and processed minerals materials, including some critical minerals. This map shows the countries that supply nonfuel mineral commodities for which the United States was greater than 50% net import reliant from 2020-2023.

The National Minerals Information Center:

Schematic diagram of water flow for conventional flotation processing of copper ores from Bleiwas, D.I., 2012, Estimated water requirements for the conventional flotation of copper ores: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2012–1089, 13 p., available at https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/ofr20121089

Earth MRI: The First Five Years

The Earth Mapping Resources Initiative (Earth MRI) is modernizing the Nation’s mapping and geoscience data, benefitting regions, states and local communities.

By the Numbers:

40 States and Territories partnered with Earth MRI

Map showing Earth MRI data acquisitions from select years. See all acquisitions here. 

Map showing Earth MRI data acquisitions from select years. See all acquisitions here.