The seven highest cities in the world must read and watch

Like bacteria, human beings too have learned to evolve and flourish in extreme conditions—from the scorching heat of the Sahara to the freezing tundra of Siberia. Even in inhospitable, high mountains where life-supporting oxygen is low, humans have been living for millennia. Some 140 million people live permanently at high altitudes above 8,200 ft or 2,500 m in the Himalayas in Asia, the Andes in South America and the Ethiopian Highlands in Africa, and some actually prosper in sprawling cities. Here are the seven highest cities and settlements in the world, each of which is located above 10,000 ft or 3048 m in elevation.

1. LA RINCONADA

La Rinconada in Peru is an old gold-mining camp in the remote Peruvian Andes that has grown to 'major city' status. Over 50,000 people live in this mountainous city at an altitude of 16,732 ft or 5,100 m. It lays claim to the title of the 'highest city in the world'. Despite having an economy fuelled almost entirely by the nearby gold mine, its infrastructure remains poor. The city has no plumbing and no sanitation system, and there is significant contamination with mercury due to mining practices.

Almost all the residents of this city are workers who emigrated to the remote location hoping to secure work and stake their claim in the riches. They work through a peculiar system of payment called cachorreo. Employees work for 30 days without payment, and on the 31st day, they are allowed to take as much ore from the mine as they can carry. Whatever the miners are able to extract from that ore is theirs. Despite companies utilising such a non-traditional system of payment, miners continue to flock to the region. The population of La Rinconada has skyrocketed over 230% in the last decade.

2.EL ALTO

The city of El Alto is one of Bolivia's largest and fastest growing urban centres. With a population of over 1.1 million at an altitude of 13,615 ft or 4,150 m, it is one of the highest cities in the world. At one time, El Alto was merely a suburb of the adjacent La Paz on the Altiplano highlands, but due to migration from Bolivia's rural areas to La Paz region during the 1950s, the region grew and in less than 40 years laid claim to 'city' status of its own.

The region where El Alto stands is dry and inclement, and was therefore uninhabited until 1903, when the newly built railways from Lake Titicaca and Arica reached the rim of the canyon, where the La Paz terminus, rail yards and depots were built along with a settlement of railway workers. In 1925, the airfield was built as the base for the new air force, which attracted additional settlement. In 1939, El Alto's first elementary school opened. El Alto started to grow tremendously in the 1950s, when the settlement was connected to La Paz' water supply. Before that water had to be transported from La Paz in tanker vehicles. In 1985, the district of El Alto and surroundings were politically separated from the city of La Paz and in 1987, El Alto was formally incorporated as a city.

3.POTOSI

Another candidate from Bolivia, Potosi is located at an elevation of 13,420 ft or 4,090 m. Founded in 1545 as a mining town, it soon produced fabulous wealth, becoming one of the largest cities in the America and the world, with a population exceeding 240,000. Potosi lies at the foot of the Cerro de Potosi—a mountain popularly conceived of being made of silver ore, whose peak at 1,470 ft or 4,824 m has always dominated the city. The Cerro Rico (Cerro de Potosi) is the reason for Potosi's historical importance, since it was the major supply of silver for Spain during the period of the New World Spanish Empire.

It is from Potosi that most of the silver shipped through the Spanish Main came. During 1556 to 1783, 45,000 short tons of pure silver were mined from Cerro Rico of which 9,000 short tons went to the Spanish monarchy. Due to such extensive mining, the mountain itself has diminished in height by a few hundred metres. In 1672, a mint was established to coin silver and water reservoirs were built to fulfil the growing population's need. At that time, more than 86 churches were built and the city's population increased to nearly 200,000—making it one of the largest and wealthiest cities in the world.

After 1800, the silver mines were depleted, making tin the main product. This eventually led to a slow economic decline. Nevertheless, the mountain continues to be mined for silver to this day. Due to poor work conditions, lack of protective equipment and constant inhalation of dust, miners still have short life expectancy with most of them contracting silicosis and dying around 40 years of age.

4.SHIGATSE

Shigatse is the second largest city in the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) of the People's Republic of China. With a population of 100,000, it is one of the largest cities of Tibet. The city is located at an altitude of 12,600 ft or 3,840 m at the confluence of the Yarlung Tsangpo (Brahmaputra) River and the Nyang River (Nyang Chu or Nyanchue) in west Tibet. Shigatse lies on a flat terrain surrounded by high mountains, and the urban area is located just south of the Yarlung Zangbo River, located in the south-central TAR. The city was the ancient capital of U-Tsang province, and currently is the administrative centre of the modern Shigatse Prefecture, an administrative district of the TAR.

5.JULIACA

Juliaca is San Roman's capital city in the Puno region of south-eastern Peru. It is the region's largest city with a population of 225,146 (as of 2007) and located at 12,549 ft or 3,825 m above sea level on Collao Plateau. It is the largest trade centre in the Puno region. It is also a major transit point in the region and has strong ties with Peru's southern cities, including Arequipa, Puno, Tacna, Cuzco and Ilo, and with the Bolivian Republic.

6.ORURO

Founded on November 1, 1606 as a silver mining centre in the Urus region, Oruro is now a major city in Bolivia with a population of 235,393 (2010 census), located at 12,159 ft or 3,706 m above sea level. After the silver mines exhausted, Oruro was re-established in the late 19th century as a tin mining centre. Oruro's La Salvadora tin mine was once the most important source of tin in the world. Gradually, this resource became less plentiful, and Oruro again witnessed decline, although its primary employer is still the mining industry.

7.LHASA

Located at the bottom of a small basin surrounded by the Himalayas, Lhasa has an elevation of about 11,800 ft or 3,600 m and lies in the centre of the Tibetan Plateau with the surrounding mountains rising to 18,000 ft or 5,500 m. The Kyi River (or Kyi Chu), a tributary of the Yarlung Zangbo River, runs through the southern part of the city. This river, known to local Tibetans as the 'merry blue waves', flows through the snow-covered peaks and gullies of the Nyainqentanglha mountains, extending 315 km or 196 mi, and emptying into the Yarlung Zangbo River at Quxu, forming an area of great scenic beauty.

Lhasa is the second most populous city of the Tibetan Plateau having a population of over 550,000. The city contains many culturally significant Tibetan Buddhist sites such as the PotalaPalace, Jokhang Temple and Norbulingka, many of which are located in Chengguan District—the city seat.