Cerro de Pasco
[key], city, capital of Pasco dept., central Peru. At an altitude of
13,973 ft (4,259 m), it is one of the highest cities in the world. Cerro de
Pasco is noted for its silver mines, which, according to tradition, were
discovered in 1630. When silver deposits declined late in the 19th cent.,
the exploitation of other metals, chiefly copper, again made Cerro de Pasco
Peru's leading mining center. Its products include bismuth, zinc, lead, and
gold. From the nearby Minasraga mines comes about 80% of the world's supply
of vanadium.
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