Potosí (Spanish pronunciation: [potoˈsi]; Quechua: P'utuqsi; Aymara: Putusi) is a department in southwestern Bolivia. It comprises 118,218 km² with 823,517 inhabitants (2012 census). The capital is the city of Potosí. It is mostly a barren, mountainous region with one large plateau to the west, where the largest salt flat in the world, Salar de Uyuni, is located.

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Quick Facts Departamento de Potosí (Spanish)P'utuqsi Suyu (Quechua), Country ...

Potosí Departamento de Potosí (Spanish) P'utuqsi Suyu (Quechua)
Department
Cerro Lipez, a stratovolcano
Flag Coat of arms
Location within Bolivia
Coordinates: 20°40′0″S 66°40′0″W
Country	Bolivia
Capital	Potosí
Government
• Body	Departmental Legislative Assembly of Potosí
• Governor	Jhonny Mamani (MAS-IPSP)
Area
• Total	118,218 km2 (45,644 sq mi)
Population  (2020)
• Total	901,600
• Density	7.6/km2 (20/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC-4 (BOT)
HDI (2019)	0.631[1] medium · 9th of 9
GDP (2023)	in constant values of 2015[2]
- Total	US$ 1.8 billion Int$ 4.2 billion (PPP)
- Per capita	US$ 1,900 Int$ 4,400 (PPP)

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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 in November 2008 sold to the Japanese Sumitomo Corporation.

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.^[3] Shortly after the strike an agreement with the central government could be reached, stipulating the construction of motorways and a cement plant and further discussions about mining conditions.^[3]

The department is divided into 16 provinces which are further subdivided into 40 municipalities^[7] (municipios) and 219 cantons (cantones).

The languages spoken in the department are mainly Quechua, Spanish and Aymara. The following table shows the number of those belonging to the recognized group of speakers.^[8]

• Eduardo Avaroa Andean Fauna National Reserve
• Torotoro National Park
• Laguna Colorada
• Laguna Verde
• Laguna Blanca
• Salar de Uyuni
• Potosí
• Uyuni

• 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.

• Provinces of Bolivia