Southern Altiplano - Bolivia - page 275

Drinking

30 Bar Huari C3

Dali (see 16)

31 Fruit Juice Stalls D4

Entertainment

32 Bravo Bravo D3

33 Club Social Arabe B3

Metro (see 16)

34 Palais Concert Cinema B4

Shopping

35 ARAO Artesanías Oruro C4

36 Mercado Tradicional B3

Information

37 Aduana Nacional D4

38 Andes Dry Cleaners C5

39 Banco Bisa B4

40 Banco de Crédito B4

41 Migración C3

42 Tourist Information Office C5

History
Founded in the early 17th century, Oruro owes its existence to the mineral-rich 10-sq-km
range of hills rising 350m behind the city. Chock-full of copper, silver and tin, these hills
still form the city's economic backbone.
By the 1920s Bolivia's thriving tin-mining industry rested in the hands of three power-
ful capitalists. The most renowned was Simón Patiño, a mestizo from the Cochabamba
valley who became one of the world's wealthiest men. In 1897 Patiño purchased La Sal-
vadora mine near the village of Uncia, east of Oruro, which eventually became the
world's most productive tin source. Patiño's fortunes snowballed and by 1924 he had
gained control of about 50% of the nation's tin output.
Once secure in his wealth, Patiño emigrated from Bolivia to Britain, where he started
buying up European and North American smelters and tin interests. As a consequence,