Potosà is the capital of the department of Potosà in Bolivia. It is claimed to be the highest city in the world at a nominal 4,090 m. It lies beneath the Cerro de Potosà — sometimes referred to as the Cerro Rico (rich mountain) — a mountain popularly conceived of as being made of silver ore, which has always dominated the city. Founded in 1546 as a mining town, it soon produced fabulous wealth, becoming one of the largest cities in the Americas and the world with a population exceeding 200,000 people.