Mina Pirquitas
Mina Pirquitas is a town and municipality in the Rinconada Department of Jujuy Province, Argentina, in the Coyaguaima district. It is about 355 km from the provincial capital and can be reached from Abra Pampa via routes 7 and RP 70 (roughly 138 km).
The town sits at about 4,340 meters (14,240 feet) above sea level, making it the highest year‑round settlement in Argentina. The population is around 673 people, though about 2,000 lived here during the mine’s early construction. There are two centers: an administrative area with offices, laboratories, a hospital, a house, and a chapel, and a mining area about 11 km to the west where most of the mines are located.
The area is a major mining region. The vein mainly produces cassiterite, the tin ore, which also contains zinc and silver. There are traces of gold, lead, iridium, palladium, and tungsten, and in some parts there are small amounts of radioactive minerals. Nearby Chico Pairique is at the same high altitude but is a dispersed rural community with little or no year‑round residents.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 08:09 (CET).