La Quiaca facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
La Quiaca
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 La Quiaca
Location in Argentina
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| Country |  Argentina |
| Province |  Jujuy |
| Department | Yavi |
| Elevation | 3,442 m (11,293 ft) |
| Population
(2010 census [INDEC])
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| • Total | 13,761 |
| CPA Base |
Y 4650
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| Area code(s) | 03885 |
La Quiaca is a cool city located way up north in the province of Jujuy, Argentina. It sits right on the southern bank of the La Quiaca River. Across the river, you'll find the town of Villazón in Bolivia. This makes La Quiaca a very important border town!
The city is at the very end of National Route 9. It's about 289 kilometers (180 miles) from San Salvador de Jujuy, which is the capital city of the province. La Quiaca is also very high up, at an altitude of 3,442 meters (11,293 feet) above sea level. That's higher than many mountains!
In 2010, La Quiaca had 13,761 people living there. It's the main town of the Yavi Department. Other towns in this area include Barrios, Cangrejillos, El Cóndor, Pumahuasi, and Yaví. There's even an airport nearby, which helps people travel to and from this high-altitude city.
Did you know that La Quiaca is almost directly opposite Hong Kong on the other side of the Earth? That's called an antipode!
La Quiaca has all the modern things a city needs, like clean water, electricity, and internet. It's one of the most important cities in northern Argentina, especially for tourists. It has everything visitors need to be comfortable.
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In Argentina, La Quiaca is often thought of as the country's northernmost point. However, the town of Salvador Mazza (also called Pocitos) in Salta province is actually a bit further north. A famous musician named León Gieco even named his folk album De Ushuaia a La Quiaca ("From Ushuaia to La Quiaca") after a three-year trip across Argentina. This shows how well-known La Quiaca is as a symbol of the country's northern end.
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Geography of La Quiaca
La Quiaca is located in a unique part of Argentina. Even though it's in a tropical zone, its high altitude makes the weather quite different.
Climate and Weather
La Quiaca has a cold semi-arid climate. This means it's usually dry, with only about 351.6 millimeters (13.8 inches) of rain each year.
- Winter Months:
- During the day, temperatures are mild, around 14.7°C (58.5°F) in July.
- But nights can get super cold, often dropping below 0°C (32°F)!
- Snowfall is possible, but it doesn't rain much in winter.
- Summer Months:
- Daytime temperatures are mild to warm, usually between 19°C (66°F) and 20°C (68°F).
- Nights can still be cool.
- Most of the rain in La Quiaca falls during these months.
La Quiaca is also one of the sunniest places in Argentina! It gets about 3,410 hours of sunshine each year. The highest temperature ever recorded was 28.8°C (83.8°F) on February 4, 1998. The lowest was a chilly -15.2°C (4.6°F).
| Climate data for La Quiaca, Argentina (1991–2020, extremes 1961–present) | |||||||||||||
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| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 27.7 (81.9) |
28.8 (83.8) |
28.0 (82.4) |
25.5 (77.9) |
25.2 (77.4) |
22.7 (72.9) |
21.7 (71.1) |
24.5 (76.1) |
27.2 (81.0) |
27.4 (81.3) |
28.5 (83.3) |
28.6 (83.5) |
28.8 (83.8) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 20.6 (69.1) |
20.4 (68.7) |
20.6 (69.1) |
20.3 (68.5) |
17.8 (64.0) |
16.3 (61.3) |
16.1 (61.0) |
18.0 (64.4) |
20.0 (68.0) |
21.7 (71.1) |
22.5 (72.5) |
22.2 (72.0) |
19.7 (67.5) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 13.2 (55.8) |
13.0 (55.4) |
12.8 (55.0) |
11.3 (52.3) |
7.3 (45.1) |
4.8 (40.6) |
4.5 (40.1) |
7.0 (44.6) |
10.0 (50.0) |
12.4 (54.3) |
13.4 (56.1) |
13.9 (57.0) |
10.3 (50.5) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 7.7 (45.9) |
7.6 (45.7) |
6.6 (43.9) |
3.1 (37.6) |
−2.5 (27.5) |
−5.7 (21.7) |
−6.2 (20.8) |
−4.0 (24.8) |
−0.4 (31.3) |
3.3 (37.9) |
5.5 (41.9) |
7.3 (45.1) |
1.9 (35.4) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 1.7 (35.1) |
−0.1 (31.8) |
−1.0 (30.2) |
−7.9 (17.8) |
−12.6 (9.3) |
−14.6 (5.7) |
−15.2 (4.6) |
−14.8 (5.4) |
−11.2 (11.8) |
−6.3 (20.7) |
−3.5 (25.7) |
0.4 (32.7) |
−15.2 (4.6) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 102.2 (4.02) |
67.9 (2.67) |
48.1 (1.89) |
6.8 (0.27) |
1.1 (0.04) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
1.2 (0.05) |
3.9 (0.15) |
14.4 (0.57) |
22.2 (0.87) |
63.2 (2.49) |
331.0 (13.03) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.1 mm) | 15.1 | 12.1 | 9.3 | 2.2 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 1.0 | 3.3 | 6.3 | 11.4 | 61.5 |
| Average snowy days | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.2 |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 62.6 | 63.2 | 60.3 | 46.0 | 32.6 | 27.4 | 25.7 | 26.7 | 32.1 | 42.4 | 48.6 | 55.8 | 43.6 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 263.5 | 228.8 | 269.7 | 288.0 | 297.6 | 285.0 | 297.6 | 303.8 | 291.0 | 306.9 | 303.0 | 275.9 | 3,410.8 |
| Percent possible sunshine | 63.5 | 62.5 | 70.5 | 82.0 | 85.5 | 86.5 | 87.5 | 85.5 | 80.0 | 78.0 | 76.0 | 65.5 | 76.9 |
| Source 1: Servicio Meteorológico Nacional (normals and extremes) | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: Secretaria de Mineria (sun 1961–1990) | |||||||||||||
See also
In Spanish: La Quiaca para niños
