Baltimore, MD--North of the United States lies a treasure chest of natural resources. Yet the potential wealth in Canada is still relatively unknown. In other words, there is still enough time left to secure your investments before these companies skyrocket.

Between the oil sands of Alberta and a vast quantity of precious and base metals, there's one thing I'm absolutely sure of . . .

Canada has everything an investor could ever want.

I'll be taking a closer look at the country's latest surge in oil sands exploitation on Thursday, but today I want to focus on another sector: Canada's burgeoning mining industry.

Trust me, it's about to get even bigger . . .

Mining Explosion

The huge boom that metals have been experiencing is no secret. As we speak, gold is threatening to surpass the $700/oz. mark. It's only a matter of time.

And some experts are expecting to see gold breach $1,000/oz. over the next few years!

Furthermore, copper has consistently fetched higher prices. China alone accounts for 20% of the demand for copper, and its GDP has been growing year after year with no signs of slowing.

In fact, base metals across the board have been impressive lately.

Just look at the metals explosion over the last five years:

And the best part is that there's no end in sight!

Countries like China are going to need these metals well into the future. And that's where our plays in Canada come in.

Last year, more than seven hundred Canadian mining companies spent nearly two billion dollars on exploration. That's almost a third higher than in 2005.

But this is why I like Canadian junior mining companies . . .

We can get into them before they take off. Junior miners spent $1.12 billion on exploration in 2006.

Clearly the focus is mainly on gold and other precious metals. However, as you can see in the charts above, base metal profits offer an added bonus for miners.

But the beauty is that these penny stocks can shoot to dollars on just one significant discovery.

Personally, whenever I look into a junior mining company, the most important thing is the management. These are the guys that will make you those triple-digit profits. A company can have the most attractive portfolio in the world, but its properties will go to waste without the right guys behind the wheel.

Naturally, I can't discuss Canadian mining without mentioning uranium.

And my readers know my bullish stance on uranium. Even if we see a slight price correction this year, it won't stop uranium's rise. If you're interested in catching up on the future, just click here.

Since Cigar Lake isn't expected to begin production again until 2010, uranium supply will continually fail to meet demand. We can expect prices to keep rising steadily over the next five years.

So here's the bottom line . . .

Investing in Canadian juniors will always bring a certain degree of risk. But with the right plays in your book, you'll unquestionably see those huge returns.

Of course, there's only one place to look for Canadian juniors--the Toronto Venture Exchange (TSX-V). This is where these mining companies start out, and the perfect place to find your next blockbuster.

The bad part (and in a way good for you) is that these smaller companies are relatively unknown. However, investors at The Venture Insider are taking full advantage of these junior companies. Click here to find out more about these opportunities.

Until next time,

Keith Kohl