La Rinconada, Peru
Encyclopedia
La Rinconada is a city in the Peru
vian Andes
located near a gold mine. It is considered to be the highest city in the world.
, San Antonio de Putina Province
. It lies at a height of 5,100m (16,732.28 feet) above sea level. Near La Rinconada there is the Laguna La Rinconada.
Many miners work at the gold mine owned by Corporación Ananea. Under the cachorreo system they work for 30 days without payment. On the 31st day they are allowed to take with them as much ore
as they can carry on their shoulders. Whether the ore contains any gold or not is a matter of luck.
is heated to remove the mercury.
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
vian Andes
Andes
The Andes is the world's longest continental mountain range. It is a continual range of highlands along the western coast of South America. This range is about long, about to wide , and of an average height of about .Along its length, the Andes is split into several ranges, which are separated...
located near a gold mine. It is considered to be the highest city in the world.
Geography
The city is located in the Ananea DistrictAnanea District
Ananea District is one of five districts of the province San Antonio de Putina in Peru.- External links :* *...
, San Antonio de Putina Province
San Antonio de Putina Province
San Antonio de Putina Province is a province of the Puno Region in Peru.- Political division :The province measures and is divided into five districts:- References :...
. It lies at a height of 5,100m (16,732.28 feet) above sea level. Near La Rinconada there is the Laguna La Rinconada.
Economy and Infrastructure
The economy is mainly based on the production of gold in the nearby mine.Many miners work at the gold mine owned by Corporación Ananea. Under the cachorreo system they work for 30 days without payment. On the 31st day they are allowed to take with them as much ore
Ore
An ore is a type of rock that contains minerals with important elements including metals. The ores are extracted through mining; these are then refined to extract the valuable element....
as they can carry on their shoulders. Whether the ore contains any gold or not is a matter of luck.
Environmental Problems
The city has no plumbing and no sanitation system. Besides having no sewage system there is significant contamination with mercury due to the mining practices. Local miners will refine the ore by grinding and treating it with mercury and pressing the mass through a cloth to filter it. The resulting amalgamAmalgam (chemistry)
An amalgam is a substance formed by the reaction of mercury with another metal. Almost all metals can form amalgams with mercury, notable exceptions being iron and platinum. Silver-mercury amalgams are important in dentistry, and gold-mercury amalgam is used in the extraction of gold from ore.The...
is heated to remove the mercury.
External links
- Documentary film shown on www.alternativchannel.tv