An important prerequisite to the long-term use of nuclear energy is information on uranium ore deposits from which uranium can be economically exploited. Hence the basic purpose of this book is to present an overview of uranium geology and data characteristic for uranium districts and deposits in the United States of America and Latin American countries. With respect to the classification terminology of uranium deposits used in this volume, the reader is referred to the typological classification system of uranium deposits presented in Part I Typology of Uranium Deposits in the first volume of the series Uranium Deposits of the World - Asia (Dahlkamp 2009).

A nation’s endowment of nonfuel mineral resources, relative to the world’s endowment, is a fundamental consideration in decisions related to a nation’s economic and environmental well being and security. Knowledge of the worldwide abundance, distribution, and general geologic setting of mineral commodities provides a framework within which a nation can make decisions about economic development of its own resources, and the economic and environmental consequences of those decisions, in a global perspective. The information in this report is part of a U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) endeavor to evaluate the global endowment of both identified and undiscovered nonfuel mineral resources.