![]() ![]() Potosí has been designated a UNESCO world heritage site given its historical economic significance and its preservation of past industrial production. By the 20th century, tin and zinc were being mined at the mountain. Production peaked in the late 1500s, at which time there were more than 600 mines on the mountain. Relatively easy access to these veins prompted the rapid growth of mining. The mountain later eroded, exposing a core that remained riddled with veins of silver. In this view, the city’s close relationship with mining is apparent built structures are visible up to the base of the mountain, and several tailings ponds are visible to its south.Ĭerro Rico is an extinct volcano that developed in the Miocene along a belt of tin and silver. The Operational Land Imager (OLI) on Landsat 8 acquired this image of Potosí and Cerro Rico on November 24, 2022. At the time, the mine was considered the world’s largest industrial complex and supplied most of the world’s silver-creating a source of wealth that helped shape a global economy. Miners began extracting silver ore from the mountain starting in the 16th century, providing a legendary source of currency for the Spanish Empire. The city and nearby mountain are also known for their long relationship with silver. Higher yet is the adjacent Cerro Rico (Spanish for “rich mountain”). ![]() At an elevation of more than 4,000 meters (13,000 feet) in the Bolivian Andes, Potosí is one of the highest cities in the world. ![]()
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