La Quiaca (Argentina)

La Quiaca is a small city in the north of the province of Jujuy, Argentina, on the southern bank of the La Quiaca River, opposite the town of Villazón, Bolivia. It lies at the end of National Route 9, 289 km (180 mi) from San Salvador de Jujuy (the provincial capital), and at an altitude of 3,442 m (11,293 ft) above mean sea level. La Quiaca is an approximate antipode to Hong Kong. La Quiaca has 13,761 inhabitants as per the 2010 census [INDEC]. It is the head town of the Yaví Department, which includes also the towns of Barrios, Cangrejillos, El Cóndor, Pumahuasi, and Yaví. The area is serviced by an airport located at 22°09′02″S 65°34′39″W. As one of the principal urban centers in the Puna de Atacama, La Quiaca offers the full range of basic infrastructure, including potable water, electricity, sewage systems, and internet connectivity. It plays a key role in supporting tourism and local commerce, and stands out as one of the few settlements in the Argentine high-altitude plateau region with modern amenities, making it a strategic stop for travelers exploring the Andean northwest. Domestically, this city is the classic reference to the northern end of the country, though in reality this distinction is held by the town of Salvador Mazza, or Pocitos, in the province of Salta. In 1985, after a three-year national tour, the renowned composer León Gieco released a folk album called De Ushuaia a La Quiaca ("From Ushuaia to La Quiaca").