BOLIVAR, CERRO

hill of iron ore in north central Bolvar state, southeastern Venezuela. Discovered in 1947, the hill is 3/4 mi (1.2 km) wide, 4 mi long and rises 1,650 ft (500 m) above the surrounding grasslands in the Guiana Highlands. With San Isidro, to the south, it is one of the most important mineral finds in the 20th century. Cerro Bolvar is thought to contain more than 250,000,000 tons of high-grade ore, a mixture of hematite, limonite, and a small percentage of magnetite, with an average of more than 50 percent iron. The ore is mined year-round by open-cut methods and sent by rail to Puerto Ordaz 90 mi (120 km) to the northeast at the confluence of the Caron and the Orinoco, for loading into oceangoing vessels. Millions of tons are shipped annually to the United States, Europe, and Japan. Some ore is used domestically at Ciudad Guayana. Ciudad Piar was established to house the employees of the mine.