Cerro Potosí facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cerro El Potosí |
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Cerro Potosí in the end of winter, viewed from Pozo del Gavilán.
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| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 3,721 m (12,208 ft) |
| Prominence | 1,876 m (6,155 ft) |
| Listing |
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| Geography | |
 Cerro El Potosí
Location in Mexico
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| Location | Galeana, Nuevo León, Mexico |
| Parent range | Sierra Madre Oriental |
| Climbing | |
| Easiest route | road |
Cerro El Potosí is a very tall mountain in northeast Mexico. It is the highest peak in the Sierra Madre Oriental mountain range. You can find it in the state of Nuevo León. The mountain is about 80 kilometers (50 miles) south of the city of Monterrey.
Amazing Nature
Plants and Animals
Cerro El Potosí is made of limestone rock. This mountain is special because it has many different kinds of plants. Some of these plants are endemic. This means they grow only in this area and nowhere else in the world. One example is the Potosi Pinyon tree.
At the bottom of the mountain, there were once springs and special water areas. These were home to unique fish and crayfish. Two kinds of fish, Megupsilon aporus and Cyprinodon alvarezi, lived here. A small crayfish called Cambarellus alvarezi also lived there. Sadly, the Megupsilon aporus fish and the dwarf crayfish Cambarellus alvarezi are now completely extinct. The Cyprinodon alvarezi fish is extinct in the wild. This means it only survives in special care, not in nature.
Getting to the Mountain
Long ago, it was very hard to reach the top of Cerro El Potosí. But in the 1960s, a special microwave radio station was built on the summit. To build it, a road was made. This road now makes it much easier for people to visit the mountain from the east side.
Protecting the Mountain
Cerro El Potosí is an important natural place. In the year 2000, the higher parts of the mountain became an ecological reserve. This protected area covers about 9 square kilometers (3.5 square miles). A part of the mountain, including its very top, is also part of a larger area that protects natural resources. This helps keep the mountain's unique plants and animals safe.
See Also
- Mountain peaks of México
- Mountain peaks of North America
- List of Ultras of Mexico
