Potosi (English spelling)

Japanese: ポトシ（英語表記）Potosí

The capital of Potosi Department, in the southwestern tip of Bolivia. It is located in the central Andes mountain range, about 400 km southeast of La Paz, on a cold and desolate plateau on the northwestern slope of Mount Potosi. It is one of the highest cities in the world, at 3,976 m above sea level. After the discovery of a large silver deposit in Mount Potosi in 1545 (→Potosi Silver Mine), the city was built by the Spanish as a mining center, and developed rapidly with the development of the mines. At its peak in the early 17th century, the population numbered 160,000, but as the ore was depleted, the population decreased, and by the early 19th century, it was less than 10,000. However, as the demand for tin, which the Spanish had not been interested in until then, increased, the development of the tin deposits in Mount Potosi began, and the city began to develop again. In addition to mining and refining tin, lead, copper, silver, etc., it is one of Bolivia's leading industrial cities, manufacturing soft drinks, furniture, electrical appliances, etc. Although it has often suffered damage from floods and earthquakes, the city still retains traces of its colonial era, and old buildings dating back to the 16th century have been preserved, and it was registered as a World Heritage Site in 1987. It is a key transportation hub, with the Pan-American Highway running from La Paz to Buenos Aires, and a railway line branching off from the main railway line linking La Paz with Antofagasta, a port on Chile's Pacific coast. Population: 112,291 (estimated 1992).

Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia About Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia Information

Japanese:

ボリビア南西端，ポトシ県の県都。ラパスの南東約 400km，アンデスの中部山脈中にあり，ポトシ山北西斜面の寒冷で荒涼とした高原に位置する。世界で最も高いところにある都市の一つで，標高 3976m。 1545年ポトシ山で大規模な銀鉱床が発見されたのち (→ポトシ銀山 ) ，その採掘中心地としてスペイン人によって建設され，鉱山の開発に伴って急速に発展。 17世紀初めの最盛時には人口 16万を数えたが，その後鉱脈の枯渇に伴って人口が減少，19世紀初めには1万人以下になった。しかしその後，それまでスペイン人が関心をもたなかったスズに対する需要が高まると，ポトシ山のスズ鉱床の開発が始まり，市は再び発展しはじめた。スズ，鉛，銅，銀などの採掘，精錬が行なわれるほか，ボリビア有数の工業都市として，清涼飲料，家具，電気製品などを製造する。しばしば洪水や地震により被害を受けたが，植民地時代の面影をとどめる市街は，16世紀にさかのぼる古い建築物も保存されており，1987年世界遺産の文化遺産に登録。交通の要地で，ラパスからブエノスアイレスへ通じるパンアメリカン・ハイウェーが通るほか，ラパスとチリの太平洋岸の港アントファガスタを結ぶ幹線鉄道から分岐する鉄道が通じる。人口 11万 2291 (1992推計) 。

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