Mina Pirquitas

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Municipality and town in Jujuy Province, Argentina

22°41′41″S 66°29′55″W / 22.69472°S 66.49861°W / -22.69472; -66.49861Country

ArgentinaProvinceJujuy ProvinceDepartmentRinconadaElevation

14,240 ft (4,340 m)Population

• Total673Time zoneUTC−3 (ART)

Mina Pirquitas is a town and municipality in Jujuy Province in Argentina^[1] in the Rinconada Department, in Coyaguaima district, 355 km from the capital of Jujuy, accessed from the town of Abra Pampa by provincial routes 7 and RP 70 (138 km).

Geography

With residences at 4,340 metres (14,240 ft) above sea level, it is the highest Argentinian year-round settlement. The locality of Chico Pairique, at 4,340 metres (14,240 ft) meters, (also located in the Province of Jujuy), is at higher elevations, but was considered by the National Census 1991 as dispersed rural community with little or no year-round residences at those altitudes. The population of the settlement at the mine ranges up to 673 inhabitants, though during initial construction, the region housed about 2000 inhabitants. There are two centers: one administrative (offices, laboratories, hospital, house and chapel) and another to the west about 7 miles where "The streak" and where most of the mines are located.^[2]

Importance

It lies in one of the most important mining areas. The vein contains mostly cassiterite, a mineral that contains among other elements tin, zinc, and silver. There are traces of other elements such as gold, lead, iridium, palladium and tungsten. Also reported small amounts of radioactive minerals and rare in some parts of the mine.