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ORURO , a See also:department and See also:town of See also:Bolivia. The department is bounded N. by La Paz, E. by See also:Cochabamba and See also:Potosi, S. by Potosi, and W. by See also:Chile; it forms a See also:part of the See also:ancient Titicaca lacustrine See also:basin, and has an See also:area of 19,127 sq. m., the greater part of which is semi-arid and covered with extensive saline deposits. It is bordered by Cordilleras on the E. and W., and by transverse ridges and detached See also:groups of elevations on the N. and S. The slope and drainage is toward the S., but many of the streams are waterless in the dry See also:season. The outlet of See also:Lake Titicaca, the Desaguadero See also:river, flows southward into Lake See also:Pampa-Aullaguas, or Poopo, on the eastern See also:side of the department near the See also:Cordillera de Ios Frailes. Lake Poopo is 12,139 ft. above See also:sea-level, or 506 ft. See also:lower than Titicaca, and its See also:waters See also:discharge through a comparatively small outlet, called the Lacahahuira, into the See also:lagoon and saline morasses of Coipasa (12,057 ft. See also:elevation) in the S.W. corner of the department. Oruro is almost exclusively a See also:mining department, the See also:country being too arid for See also:agriculture, with the exception of a narrow See also:strip in the foothills of the Cordillera de los Frailes, where a few See also:cattle, mules and llamas, and a considerable number of See also:sheep are reared. The See also:mineral See also:wealth has not been fully See also:developed except in the vicinity of the See also:capital, in the See also:north-See also:east part of the department, where there are large deposits of See also:tin, See also:silver and See also:copper, Oruro being the second largest producer of tin in the See also:republic. There are See also:borax deposits in the western part of the department, but the output is small. The capital of the department is ORURO, 115 M. S.S.E. (See also:direct) of La Paz; it is an old mining town dating from the 17th See also:century, when it is said to have had a See also:population of 70,000. The See also:census of 1900 gave it a population of 13,575, the greater part of whom are See also:Indians. A considerable number of foreigners are interested in the neighbouring mines. The elevation of Oruro is 12,250 it. above sea-level, and its See also:climate is characterized by a See also:short cool summer and a See also:cold See also:rainy See also:winter, with severe frosts and occasional See also:snow-storms. The mean See also:annual temperature is about 430 F. Oruro is the Bolivian See also:terminus of the See also:Antofagasta railway (0.75 See also:metre See also:gauge), 574 M. See also:long, the first constructed in Bolivia. A See also:law of the 27th of See also:November 1906 provided for the construction of other lines, of metre gauge, from La Paz (Viacha) to Oruro, from Oruro to Cochabamba, and from Oruro to Tupiza, making Oruro the most important railway centre in Bolivia. Oruro enjoys the nominal distinction pf being one of the four capitals of the republic, an See also:anomaly which was practically ended by the revolution of 1898, since which See also:time the See also:government has remained at La Paz. Additional information and CommentsThere are no comments yet for this article.
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