Potosí Department
Potosí
| |
|---|---|
Cerro Lipez, a stratovolcano | |
Location within Bolivia | |
| Coordinates: 20°40′0″S 66°40′0″W / 20.66667°S 66.66667°W | |
| Country | Bolivia |
| Capital | Potosí |
| Government | |
| • Body | Departmental Legislative Assembly of Potosí |
| • Governor | Jhonny Mamani (MAS-IPSP) |
| Area | |
• Total | 118,218 km2 (45,644 sq mi) |
| Population (2024 census) | |
• Total | 856,419 |
| • Density | 7.2/km2 (19/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC-4 (BOT) |
| HDI (2019) | 0.631 medium · 9th of 9 |
| GDP (2023) | in constant values of 2015 |
| - Total | US$ 1.8 billion Int$ 4.2 billion (PPP) |
| - Per capita | US$ 1,900 Int$ 4,400 (PPP) |
Potosí (Spanish pronunciation: [potoˈsi]; Quechua: P'utuqsi; Aymara: Putusi) is a department in southwestern Bolivia. Its area is 118,218 km2 and its population is 856,419 (2024 census). The capital is the city of Potosí. It is a mostly barren, mountainous region with one large plateau to the west, where the largest salt flat in the world, Salar de Uyuni, is located.
Cerro Potosí was the richest province in the Spanish Empire, providing a great percentage of the silver that was shipped to Europe.
Potosi is also the location of the San Cristóbal silver, zinc and lead mines, developed by the US company Apex Silver Mines Limited of Colorado and sold in November 2008 to the Japanese Sumitomo Corporation.