The highest city on earth. All my life under the clouds: the highest city in the world. Lowest cities - New Orleans, USA
Just like microscopic bacteria, humans have learned to develop and thrive in extreme conditions - from the scorching heat of the Sahara Desert to the freezing tundra of Siberia. For thousands of years, people have lived even on inhospitable, high mountains, where the oxygen content is quite low. An estimated 140 million people live permanently at high altitudes above 2,500 meters in the Himalayas, Asia, the Andes of South America and the Ethiopian Highlands of Africa, and some actually thrive in sprawling cities. Below are seven cities and towns that are at very high altitude - each of them is at an altitude of at least 3,048 meters.
La Rinconada
La Rinconada in Peru is an old gold mining camp in the remote Peruvian Andes that has grown to the status of a "major city". More than 50,000 people live in this mountain city at an altitude of 5,100 meters above sea level. It claims to be the "highest city in the world." 
Although the city's economy is fueled almost entirely by the nearby gold mine, the city's infrastructure remains poor. The city has no running water or sewer system and is heavily polluted by mercury from mining. 
Almost all the residents of this city are workers who have moved to the remote area, hoping to get work and their share of the wealth. They work on a fun payment system called Cachorreo. Workers work for 30 days without pay, and on the 31st day can take as much ore from the mine as they can carry. Whatever the miners get from the ore they take belongs to them. Despite companies using this unconventional payment system, miners continue to come to the region. In the last decade alone, La Rinconada's population has grown by an incredible 230 percent. 
El Alto
The city of El Alto is one of the largest and most dynamic urban centers in Bolivia. With a population of over 1.1 million people living at an altitude of 4,150 meters, it is also one of the highest major cities in the world. Once upon a time, El Alto was just a suburb of the neighboring department of La Paz (the photographs show this incredible mountain town), located in the Altiplano highlands, but due to migration from rural Bolivia to the La Passed in the 1950s, the region grew and in less than 40 years began to claim city status itself. 
The region where El Alto is located is quite arid and there are frequent adverse weather conditions, so until 1903 the area was uninhabited. However, in 1903, when the completed railroads from Lake Titicaca and Arica reached the edge of the canyon, and when the La Paz train station, marshalling yards and warehouses, as well as railroad workers' settlements were built here, people began to move here. stretch. 
In 1925, an airfield was built here as a base for the new air force, which also attracted additional population. The first one opened in 1939 Primary School El Alto. El Alto began to grow rapidly starting in the 1950s, when the community was connected to La Paz's water supply. Before this connection, all water had to be transported from La Paz in tanks. In 1985, the area of El Alto and its surrounding area was politically separated from the city of La Paz, and in 1987, El Alto was officially incorporated as a separate city.
Potosi 
Another candidate from Bolivia, the city of Potosi, is located at an altitude of 4,090 meters. Founded in 1545 as a mining town, it soon became fabulously wealthy, becoming one of the largest cities in the Americas and the world, with a population of over 240,000 people. Potosí lies at the foot of the Cerro de Potosí - a mountain that, according to folk legends, consists of silver ore, the peak of this mountain, located at an altitude of 4,824 meters, has always towered over the city. Cerro Rico was the reason for Potosi's historical importance, as it was the main flow of silver into Spain during the New World Spanish Empire. 
Most of the silver supplied through the "Spanish mainland" (territory South America and the adjacent seas, captured by the Spanish conquerors) (Spanish Main) was mined in Potosi. Between 1556 and 1783, almost 45,000 tons of pure silver were mined from Cerro Rico, of which almost 9,000 tons went to the needs of the Spanish monarchy. Due to such extensive mining, the mountain itself has decreased in height by several hundred meters. 
In 1672, a mint was established here to produce silver coins, and a reservoir was built to meet the needs of the growing population. At that time, more than eighty-six churches were built and the city's population grew to almost 200,000 people, making it one of the largest and richest cities in the world. After 1800 silver mines were depleted, and tin became the main product. This ultimately led to a slow economic decline. However, silver mining continues on the mountain. Due to poor working conditions, lack of protective equipment and constant inhalation of dust, miners' life expectancy remains short, and most of them develop silicosis and die at around 40 years of age.
Shigatse 
Shigatse is the second largest city in the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) in the People's Republic of China. It is one of the largest cities in Tibet with a population of 100,000 people. The city is located at an altitude of 3,840 meters, at the confluence of the Yarlung Tsangpo River (also known as the Brahmaputra) and the Nyang River (Nyang Chu or Nyanchue), in western Tibet . 
Shigatse is located on flat terrain surrounded by high mountains, and the urban area is located south of the Yarlung Tsangpo River, located in the south-central part of the Tibet Autonomous Region. The city was the ancient capital of Ü-Tsang Province, and is currently the administrative center of modern Shigatse Prefecture. administrative district Tibet Autonomous Region.
Juliaca 
Juliaca is the capital of the province of San Roman in the Puno Region, in southeastern Peru. It is the largest city in the region with a population of 225,146 inhabitants (as of 2007) and is located at an altitude of 3,825 meters above sea level, on the Altiplano plateau. 
It is the largest center of trade in the Puno region. It is also a major transit point in the region and maintains close connections with southern cities of Peru, including Arequipa, Puno, Tacna, Cuzco, Ilo, and with Bolivia.
Oruro
Founded on November 1, 1606 as a silver mining center in the Urus region, Oruro is now a major city in Bolivia with a population of 235,393 (2010 census), located at an altitude of 3,706 meters above sea level. After the silver mines were exhausted, Oruro became a center for tin mining at the end of the nineteenth century. 
For a time, the La Salvadora tin mine in Oruro was the most important source of tin in the world. Gradually this resource began to be depleted and Oruro fell into decline again, although its main employer is still involved in mining.
Lhasa
The city of Lhasa is located in the lower part of the small basin and is surrounded by the Himalayan mountains. It is located at an altitude of approximately 3,600 meters, in the center of the Tibetan Plateau and is surrounded by mountains that rise to 5,500 meters. The Lhasa River (Kyi River) or Gyi Chu (Kyi Chu), which is a tributary of the Yarlung Tsangpo River, flows throughout the southern part of the city. This river, known to local Tibetans as the "cheerful blue waves", flows through the snow-capped peaks and ravines of the Nyainqentanglha Mountains, stretches for 315 kilometers, flows into the Yarlung Tsangpo River in the territory of Chüxü Administrative District, and forms scenic areas unsurpassed beauty. 
Lhasa is the second most populous city on the Tibetan Plateau with a population of over 550,000 people. The city is home to many culturally significant sites for Tibetan Buddhists, such as the Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple and Norbulingka Palaces, many of which are located in Chengguan District, where the city council is located.
Satellite image showing the mountainous area surrounding Lhasa.
The famous Potala Palace.
On our planet there are amazing cities and settlements located high above the ground. During your summer vacation you can visit these unforgettable places.
1. La Rinconada (Peru, 5100 m)
The city of La Rinconada is the highest mountain city on Earth, located in the Andes, in the area bordering Bolivia. Despite the harsh living conditions, the population of this city is growing rapidly. Particularly rapid growth has been observed in the last fifty years. According to statistical agencies, in 2009 the population of La Rinconada was more than thirty thousand people. The reason for the rapid development of the city and the rapid increase in the number of its inhabitants is associated with the development of gold deposits. Living conditions in this city are quite difficult. In the daytime, the air temperature barely rises above zero, but at night the thermometer drops below twenty to twenty-five degrees. Constantly blowing winds, low temperatures, as well as oxygen starvation in high altitude conditions contribute to high population migration. After people stop working in the mines, they usually move to more comfortable conditions on the plain, and only a small part permanently settles in the highland city of La Rinconada.
2. El Alto (Bolivia, 4150 m)
El Alto means “height”, and, indeed, a huge city with a population of more than six hundred and fifty thousand people is located at an altitude of more than four thousand meters above sea level. The city has a fairly well-developed tourism infrastructure. A large number of architectural monuments and other attractions attract many tourists here. Getting to the city is not difficult, since the Bolivian capital airport is located there. The location of the city is the highest point in Bolivia.
3. Potosi (Bolivia, 4090 m)
The city of Potosi owes its rapid growth and development to silver deposits. In the seventeenth century, the city was considered the largest in all of America; currently one hundred and sixty thousand people live in the city. Potosi has good transport links, availability railway greatly facilitates not only the movement of industrial cargo and silver, but also the delivery of tourists here. Recently, the development of tourism infrastructure has brought significant dividends to the city, along with silver mining.
4. Lhasa (Tibet, 3650 m)
Lhasa is the capital of Tibet; the city's population is two hundred and fifty thousand people. The city is not the highest located city, but the most famous among high-altitude human settlements in the world. Being the capital of Tibet, Lhasa was the residence of the Dalai Lama for a long time. After the communist regime came to the city, the residence had to be moved away from Indian territory. is under the protection of UNESCO, it has a huge number of attractions, the main of which is, of course, the Potala Palace. The largest museum in the world, the Potala, attracts a huge number of believers and ordinary tourists who want to enjoy the splendor of the ancient palace. In 2010, the city's population was two hundred and fifty thousand people.
5. Namche Bazaar (Nepal, 3450 m)
Namche Bazaar was formed at the intersection of trade routes. Currently, the village is widely known to tourists and climbers who want to climb Everest. The village has everything necessary to prepare tourist and mountaineering expeditions for ascent. Not far from the village there is a helicopter station that organizes helicopter tours in the picturesque mountainous surroundings. If necessary, helicopters belonging to the station, take part in rescue operations. Thanks to the selfless work of helicopter pilots, more than one mountaineering group in distress was saved.
6. Kurush (Dagestan, 2600 m)
The Dagestan village of Kurush numbered eight hundred and thirty people in 2010. It is considered the highest mountain settlement in the Caucasus and Europe. Living conditions in this locality are extremely difficult, but local residents are in no hurry to leave their homes. For them this is the most the best place on the ground. The village is inhabited mainly by those who were born and raised here. A person from the plain has practically no chance of adapting to permanent residence at such an altitude. Residents are proud of their strong character and ancient traditions that are passed on from generation to generation. They don’t like tourists here; you need to earn the favor of the elders in order for a stranger to be allowed to live in the village for a while and get acquainted with their harsh way of life and ancient traditions.
26.03.2009
Have you ever been in the mountains, where when you take a deep breath you feel like there is not enough oxygen? It is amazing that the more we travel, the more we learn how man has managed to adapt to a wide variety of conditions. natural conditions, including towering mountains rising more than two miles above sea level.
In mountain settlements and cities, oxygen is a real value, but people have learned not only to survive, but also to thrive at such great heights. Here are some of these settlements that attract the attention of tourists with their beauty and splendor.
La Rinconada, Peru 5100 meters
Many people complain of dizziness from heights when they come to Denver, Colorado, which is only 5,000 feet above sea level, so what can happen to a person at 17,000 feet? The fact is that the Peruvian town of La Rinconada (named "the highest residential community of 2003" by National Geographic magazine) is located in the Andes at an altitude of about 6,000 feet, which is the limit for the human body.
The population of the mountain city is only 30,000 people, however, people not only survive in the lack of oxygen, but also mine gold. The city was founded on an abandoned mine, where most of the residents work. Many come here only for a short period of time, and, returning to a more familiar and pleasant climate, they never cease to wonder how one can spend their whole life so high in the mountains.
Namche Bazaar, Nepal 5000 meters
The city was originally built as a trading zone where herders raising yak herds high in the mountains could exchange the butter and cheese produced from the milk of these animals for agricultural products grown in the lower regions of Nepal. Today, Namche Bazaar serves as the main transit point for people planning to climb further to the Everest camp. This is the last refuge of civilization in front of the highest mountain in the world. The city is located at the crossroads of many tourist routes and remains the main commercial center of the Khumbu region.
There are hotels in the city that have special rooms that help people adapt to the rarefied mountain air.
El Alto, Bolivia 4150 meters
Although La Paz is hailed as the highest capital in the world, one of its suburban areas is much higher than La Paz itself. Named from the Spanish El Alto - "the height" - this town of 650,000 people was founded during the construction of the railway connecting La Paz and Lake Titicaca. In addition to representing the highest point in Bolivia, it is home to the famous La Paz airport.
Potosi, Bolivia 4090 meters
Although the El Alto suburb of La Paz is actually 200 feet above Potosi, Potosi is often called the city with the highest altitude in the world. Like Leadville, Potosi was once a developed city, supported by silver mines, the city was considered one of the most big cities American continents.
The city is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, and its participation in the “silver rush” played important role in identifying this center. Potosi appears in Cervantes' novel Don Quixote as a synonym for incredible wealth. The Sierra Potosi Mountain, which towers above the city center, is sometimes called the Mountain of Wealth in memory of the silver that was once mined from its depths.
Lhasa, Tibet 3650 meters
The capital of Tibet - Lhasa - with a population of 250,000 people is located high in the Himalayas, in the center of the Tibetan plateau, and is the world's largest cultural heritage UNESCO. Known as the home of the Dalai Lama, the city of Lhasa has served as a haven for many wanderers and travelers who braved the lack of air to climb here to admire the charming Buddhist temples and enjoy the view of the majestic mountains. If you think you can make it to the top, you'll find the Potala Palace, stunning with its painted frescoes and home to Buddhist monks. The Dalai Lama lived here before he was forced to flee in 1959.
Apataderos, Venezuela 3505 meters
Apataderos is the highest city in Venezuela (11,000 feet above sea level) and lies at the intersection of three major river valleys in the Andes. Tourism here is quite well developed, because the center of Apartaderos is built up with various restaurants, hotels and shops - all of which began their existence after the construction of the Trans-Andean Highway, which serves as a road to the once inaccessible mountain. Agriculture and raising livestock remain the main occupations of the majority of the population, which has continued its lineage for several centuries.
Cusco, Peru, 3310 meters
This magnificent city is located in the Peruvian Andes, next to the Sacred Valley. Cusco was once the capital of the Incan civilization; today the city is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Tourists traveling to the Lost City of the Incas on Machu Picchu will most likely not miss Cusco, since the city is located very close to the ruins. The city is home to about 350,000 people, where ancient ruins and Spanish-style houses built during the colonial period coexist in the shadow of the mountain range.
Villa Milis, Costa Rica 3100 meters
Although most people think of Costa Rica, they think of beaches and monsoon forests, but the country is also famous for its highlands and volcanoes. The name Villa Milis is a small village located next to the Sierra de le Muerte (Mountain of the Dead) near the Panamanian border. Surprisingly, despite its proximity to the equator, temperatures here can drop significantly below zero.
Villa Milis is located on the Talamanca mountain range, which was once a volcanic island that rose to such a height due to displacement lithospheric plates. These lands are famous for their unique fauna.
Leadville, Colorado 3094 meters
The once booming mining town, located in the Rocky Mountains on the upper reaches of the Arkansas River, is geographically higher than all other incorporated cities in the United States, thereby occupying a place on the list of high altitude cities and metropolises in the world. The city once flourished due to the silver mines located nearby and was the second largest city in Colorado after Denver.
Although the days of the silver rush are long gone, Leadville is home to about 3,000 people. The city has retained its historical atmosphere, especially in the center, where there was once a large number of saloons full of grimy miners. Today, a visit to these saloons will allow visitors to the city to travel back to the Wild West about a hundred years ago.
Hushe village, Pakistan 3050 meters
The village of Khushe is the highest inhabited point in Pakistan, located in the Khushe Valley in the shadow of some of the highest and most beautiful mountains in the world (including K2, the second highest mountain in the world). Numerous tourists depart from the village to see this region of the Himalayas.
Quito, Ecuador 2850 meters
Quito ranks second in altitude above sea level among the world's capitals (after La Paz). The city is located on the eastern slopes of the active Pichincha volcano, which is part of the Andes mountain range. Despite the fact that Quito is located just below other small villages and towns located in the Andes and Himalayas, the capital of Ecuador is unique in that its population approaches 2 million people.
Man, like microorganisms, has learned to adapt and survive in the most extreme places, from the sizzling Sahara Desert to the frozen Siberian tundra. People have lived for thousands of years even in inhospitable highlands with thin air. A total of 140 million people live in the Himalayas, Andes and mountains of Ethiopia at altitudes ranging from 2,500 to 8,200 meters above sea level, many of them in rapidly growing cities. Below we will talk about seven high-mountain settlements, each of which lies at an altitude of more than 3 thousand meters above sea level. La Rinconada
The Peruvian city of La Rinconada, located in one of the remote corners of the Andes, was once a gold mining camp, but gradually grew to the size of a large city. This mountainous settlement with a population of more than 50 thousand people, located at an altitude of 5100 m, claims the title of “the highest mountain city in the world.” Despite the fact that the economic life of the city is centered around the gold mine, the infrastructure of the settlement is in poor condition. The city has no running water or sewer system, and backward mining methods have led to serious mercury contamination in the area. Most of La Rinconada's residents are workers who migrated here in hopes of a stable income and a share in the lucrative gold business. Their work is paid according to a cunning system called “cachorreo”. For thirty days they work in the mine for free, and on the 31st day they are allowed to take from the mine as much ore as they can carry. Their wages are all they can independently extract from this ore. Despite the fact that local gold mining companies pay the miners in this strange way, people continue to flock here from all over the region. The population of La Rinconada has increased by 230% in the last ten years. 
El Alto
The city of El Alto is one of the largest and fastest growing in Bolivia. It has a population of more than 1.1 million people, is located at an altitude of 4150 m above sea level and is one of the highest settlements peace. El Alto was once just a suburb of the city of La Paz, located on the Altiplano plateau, but in the 1950s, intensive migration from rural areas of Bolivia to the La Paz region led to the fact that within 40 years its suburb acquired the status of an independent city. The area where El Alto is located has a harsh and arid climate and was not inhabited until 1903, when railway lines were built connecting it to Lake Titicaca and the city of Arica. A railway station, depot and residential buildings for railway workers were built at the edge of the canyon in La Paz; in 1925, an airfield appeared, around which neighborhoods also gradually grew. In 1939, El Alto opened its first elementary school, and in the 1950s, rapid growth began due to the connection of El Alto to the La Paz water network (up to this point, all water in El Alto was brought from La Paz in tanks ). In 1985, the El Alto district gained administrative independence from the city of La Paz, and in 1987 it was given city status. 
Potosi
Another candidate from Bolivia, Potosi, is located at an altitude of 4090 m above sea level. It was founded in 1545 as a mining settlement. Soon the population of Potosi exceeded 240 thousand people, and it itself became a source of fabulous wealth and the largest city of its time in America and throughout the world. Potosi is located at the foot of the 4,824 m high Cerro Rico de Potosi mountain, which, according to local residents, consists almost entirely of silver ore. The mines of Cerro Rico brought world fame to the city, becoming the main source of silver for the Spanish kingdom during the Conquista. It was from Potosí that the Spanish conquerors removed most of the silver. From 1556 to 1783, 45 thousand tons of pure silver were mined in the mines of Cerro Rico, of which 9 thousand tons were received by the Spanish Monarchy. Due to such intensive mining, the height of the mountain decreased by several hundred meters. In 1672, a mint was established in Potosí to mint silver coins and reservoirs were built to supply the population with water. During the same period, 86 churches were built in the city, and the population of Potosi increased to 200 thousand people, turning it into one of the largest and richest cities in the world. After 1800, as silver supplies began to dry up and the world turned to tin mining, the city's slow economic decline began. However, silver is still mined in the mines of Cerro Rico today. Due to harsh working conditions, lack of protective equipment and constant inhalation of dust, the life expectancy of miners is very short - almost all of them suffer from silicosis and die at the age of about 40 years. 
Shigatse
Shigatse is the second largest city in the Tibet Autonomous Region, part of the People's Republic of China. Its population is 100 thousand people and it is one of the largest populated areas in Tibet. Shigatse is located in western Tibet at an altitude of 3840 m above sea level at the confluence of the Yarlung Tsangpo (aka Brahmaputra) and Nianchu rivers. The city, which lies on a plateau surrounded by high peaks, was the ancient capital of Tsang Province and is now the administrative center of Shigatse Prefecture in China's Tibet Autonomous Region. 
Hulyaka
Juliaca is the capital of the province of San Roman, located in the Puno region in southeastern Peru. It is the largest city in the region with a population of more than 225 thousand people (as of 2007), located at an altitude of 3825 m above sea level on the Altiplano plateau and is largest center trade and commerce and transport hub of the Puno region. In addition, the city of Juliaca is closely connected with the southern cities of Peru, such as Arequipa, Puno, Tacna, Cusco, Ilo and the Bolivian Republic. 
Oruro
In the beginning, the city of Oruro, founded on November 1, 1606, was the center of silver mining in the Bolivian Urus region. Today Oruro is one of the largest cities in Bolivia with a population of more than 235 thousand people (according to the 2010 census). It is located at an altitude of 3706 m above sea level. At the end of the 19th century, after silver deposits were depleted, Oruro's mining operations switched to tin mining. For a time, the La Salvadora mine in Oruro was the world's largest source of tin. Gradually, this resource also began to dry up, and Oruro again entered a time of decline. However, the city's main employer is still the mining industry. 
Lhasa
Located in the center of the Tibetan plateau in a small valley surrounded by five-thousand-meter Himalayan mountains, Lhasa lies at an altitude of 3600 m above sea level. The Kyi-chu River, a tributary of the Brahmaputra, flows through the southern part of the city. The length of Kyi-chu, whose name is translated from Tibetan as “cheerful blue waves,” is 315 km; it flows down from the snow-capped peaks and passes of the Nyenchen Tangla ridge and flows into the Brahmaputra in the Chushu region, creating landscapes of unearthly beauty along its way. Lhasa is the second most populous city on the Tibetan plateau: more than 550 thousand people live there. The city is replete with Buddhist sites of great cultural and historical significance, mainly located in the Chengguang area. Among them are the Potala Palace, the Jokhang Temple and the Norbulingka Palace complex. 
Thanks for the translation Ksenia Churmateeva
The inhabitants of this city are taller than everyone else and look down on everything. And all because they live in a settlement that is located in the mountains and is the highest in the world. TravelAsk will tell you about it today.
Peruvian record holder
The highest mountain city on the planet is called La Rinconada, it is located in. The city is located in the Andes at an altitude of 5100 meters above sea level, very close to the border with Bolivia.
Just imagine, there are climbers who dream of conquering Elbrus (its height is 5,642 meters). This requires special equipment and clothing. And in La Rinconada people live for years at almost the same altitude. In ordinary houses. With ordinary bedrooms. They eat regular food.
Doctors say that this height is the limit for the human body. And the living conditions themselves here are far from fabulous: during the day the temperature rises just above zero, at night it’s frosty, add to this the lack of oxygen that is typical for such places.
Despite this, the city is growing steadily: in the 21st century, its population increased by 235%! So what makes people live at such extremes?
Golden fever
It's all about the depths of this earth. This area is rich in gold ore, and one of the largest mines is located here. So people are in no hurry to leave their homes in search of better living conditions. Residents work in difficult conditions.
The following wages are applicable at the mine: you need to work for free for a whole month, and on the last day of the month you take as much ore as you can carry on your own.
How do the people of the highest city live?
There is only one narrow mountain road leading to La Rinconada. The ecology here is unfavorable: garbage from here, apparently, has not been removed for years.
The city also has a poorly developed sewage system and Wastewater. There is also a high mercury content in this area.
But, of course, the city itself is beautiful.
And how can a city located in the mountains be ugly? Even our Russian language is fascinating, despite its terrible state.
The slopes here are very steep and difficult to access.
Who's in second and third place?
Another of the highest mountainous settlements is the settlement of Wenquan, which is located in China in the Qinghai province. The altitude of this village is 4,870 meters above sea level.
In third place is the town of Colquechaca in the region (). It is located at an altitude of 4,692 meters. Just over 1,700 people live here.
