Mineral identification and mineral mapping constitute one of the most successful field in the application of imaging spectra. This paper has classified the spectral identification techniques and identification models of minerals into two types:  one is the spectral matching of rebuilt spectral data with standard spectra or measured spectra based on spectral similarity measure, while the other is the knowledge-based or intelligent methods based on mineralogical and mineral spectral knowledge. The classification of spectral matching, spectral similarity measure, whole spectral matching, partial spectral matching, sub-pixel identification, spectral un-mixing, end-member selection and dimensional reduction are analyzed and reviewed. The existent problems and research tendency in spectral mineral mapping are also discussed. The development of the identification technology by using whole spectral region from visible to middle and thermal infrared domain seems to be one of the most important trends in spectral mineral identification and mineral mapping.