Sumaq Urqu Mountains

The Sumaq Urqu mountains rise in the dry highlands west of Potosí, amid the ridges and basins of the southern Bolivian Andes. Nearby Cerro Rico, also known as Sumaj Orcko, became famous for its silver after Spanish mining began in 1545. The surrounding mountain country supplied the setting for mines and roads that connected Potosí with communities across the high plateau.