Cerro Rico | mountain, mining, tourist attraction

Bolivia / Potosi /
 mountain, mining, tourist attraction
Cerro Rico (also called Cerro de Potosí, Quechua Sumaq Urqu) is a mountain in the Andes near the Bolivian city of Potosí. Cerro Rico was famous for providing vast quantities of silver for Spain during the period of the New World Spanish Empire. The mountain, which is popularly conceived of as being "made of" silver ore, caused the city of Potosí to become one of the largest cities in the New World. After 1800, the silver mines were depleted, making tin the main product. This eventually led to a slow economic decline. Nevertheless, the mountain continues to be mined for silver to this day. Due to poor worker conditions (lack of protective equipment from the constant inhalation of dust), the miners still have a short life expectancy with most of them contracting silicosis and dying around 40 years of age. The mountain is still a significant contributor to the city's economy, employing some 15,000 miners.
Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cerro_Rico
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   19°37'7"S   65°44'53"W

Comments

  • The most productive silver mining area in the World. 500 years and still going.
This article was last modified 11 years ago