Potosí (; Quechua: P'utuqsi; Aymara: Putusi) is a department in southwestern Bolivia. Its area is 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.
History
In March 2023, social organisations in four regions of Potosí, with the support of regional MAS-IPSP lawmakers, called for a strike spanning over 72 hours, to force the government to raise infrastructure investments in the department and to receive an increased amount of the profits generated through lithium mining in the region. Shortly after the strike an agreement with the central government was reached, stipulating the construction of motorways and a cement plant and further discussions about mining conditions.
Government Executive offices The chief executive office of Bolivia departments (since May 2010) is the governor; until then, the office was called the prefect, and until 2006 the prefect was appointed by the President of Bolivia. The current governor, Jhonny Mamani of the Movement for Socialism – Political Instrument for the Sovereignty of the Peoples was elected on 7 March 2021.
Took office Office expired Prefect/Governor Party Notes 23 Jan 2006 30 May 2010 Mario Virreira Iporre MAS-IPSP First elected prefect. Elected in Bolivian general election, December 2005 30 May 2010 31 May 2015 Félix Gonzáles MAS-IPSP Elected in regional election on 4 April 2010 with 63.1% of the vote; first governor. 31 May 2015 15 Nov 2019 Juan Carlos Cejas MAS-IPSP Elected in regional election on 29 March 2015. 15 Nov 2019 3 May 2021 Omar Veliz Ramos MAS-IPSP 3 May 2021 Jhonny Mamani MAS-IPSP Elected in regional election on 7 March 2021.
Legislative Assembly Under the 2009 Constitution, each Bolivian department has an elected Departmental Legislative Assembly. The first elections were held 4 April 2010.
The current executive committee consists of Jacinto Sunagua Dorado as president, Raimunda Cordero Caba as vice-president and Alberto Quispe Mamani as secretary and Blanca Celia Burgos Quispe and Leon Jancko Condori as first and second committee member, respectively.
Demographics
Provinces of Potosi Department
The department is divided into 16 provinces which are further subdivided into 40 municipalitieswww.bolivia.com (English) (municipios) and 219 cantons (cantones).
ProvinceCapitalArea km2Population (2012 census)Map NumberAlonso de Ibáñez Sacaca2.17029.8211Antonio QuijarroUyuni14,89054,94712Bernardino BilbaoArampampa64010,2242CharcasSan Pedro de Buena Vista2,96441,2143ChayantaColquechaca7,02697,2515Cornelio SaavedraBetanzos2,37555,1007Daniel CamposLlica12,1065,85013Enrique BaldiviesoSan Agustín2,2541,68415José María LinaresPuna5,13649,6198Modesto OmisteVillazón2,26044,64511Nor ChichasCotagaita8,97942,2489Nor LípezColcha K20,89214,05714Rafael BustilloUncía2,23586,9474Sud ChichasTupiza8,51655,87910Sud LípezSan Pablo de Lípez22,3556,83516Tomás FríasPotosí3,420229,0476
Economy
Mining Salar de Uyuni mine (Lithium) San Vicente mine (Silver)
Languages
The main languages spoken in the department are Quechua, Spanish and Aymara. The following table shows the number of speakers of recognized languages in Potosí and in all of Bolivia.obd.descentralizacion.gov.bo (Spanish)
Language Department BoliviaQuechua514,4212,281,198Aymara57,7381,525,321Guaraní37462,575Other native 35649,432Spanish 438,2046,821,626Foreign3,771250,754Only native226,967960,491Native and Spanish301,2802,739,407Spanish and foreign136,9804,115,751
Places of interest
Eduardo Avaroa Andean Fauna National Reserve Torotoro National Park Laguna Colorada Laguna Verde Laguna Blanca Salar de Uyuni Potosí Uyuni
Notable people Juana Azurduy de Padilla, guerrilla military leader. Manuel Ascencio Padilla, namesake of the town of Padilla, Bolivia. Modesto Omiste Tinajeros, writer, politician, and namesake of the province Modesto Omiste.
See also Oruro–Potosí boundary conflicts Provinces of Bolivia
References
External links
Weather in Potosi Bolivian Music and Web Varieties Full information of Potosi Department
yi:בעני דעפארטמענט