San Antonio de los Cobres

"Los Cobres" redirects here. For the Argentine municipality in La Poma Department, see Cobres.
San Antonio de los Cobres

A panoramic view of the town, as seen from
the Tren de las Nubes train station

San Antonio (yellow dot) within Los Andes Department (red) and Salta Province
San Antonio de los Cobres

San Antonio (yellow dot) within Los Andes Department (red) and Salta Province

Coordinates: 24°13′32″S 66°19′9″W / 24.22556°S 66.31917°WCoordinates: 24°13′32″S 66°19′9″W / 24.22556°S 66.31917°W
Country  Argentina
Province  Salta
Department Los Andes
Established ?
Government
 • Mayor Guzmán Viveros
Elevation 3,775 m (12,385 ft)
Population (2001)
 • Total 5,482
Time zone ART (UTC−3)
Postal code A4411
Website Official website

San Antonio de los Cobres is a small town of population 5,482 (per the 2001 INDEC census) [1] in northwestern Argentina. It is the capital of the Los Andes Department of the Salta Province.[2]

Geography

The town is known for its high elevation of approximately 3,775 meters (12,385 feet) above sea level, being one of the highest elevations of any city or town in Argentina.[2] It is located approximately 160 kilometers (99 mi) from the city of Salta and 2,000 kilometers (1,200 mi) from the capital, Buenos Aires.[2] It is part of the Andes dessert and described to be an arid region with little trees and scarce drinking water.

History

In a recent podcast from The Naked Scientists, research has shown that people in the San Antonio de los Cobres area have remarkable developed a mutation in their genes to cope with the high levels of Arsenic in the area. Having concentrations about ten times higher that those deemed safe by the World Health Organization (WHO), naturally occurring Arsenic has created a very toxic environment in this region contaminating the water supplies. Evolutionary processes resulting from long term exposure have caused a specific mutation within the DNA of this population allowing them to process Arsenic more quickly throughout their systems and preventing the formation of poisonous byproducts that would normally form within the body with exposure to the element. This is the first adaptation in humans regarding a toxic chemical to ever be documented. http://www.thenakedscientists.com/HTML/podcasts/specials/show/20150312/


Economy

San Antonio de las Cobres takes its name from the nearby Sierra de Cobre, or Copper Mountain, which is rich in that mineral. Economic activity in the town is based on mining of the mineral-rich surrounding mountains, and weaving using local llama fibers.[3] The town is also a stop along the Tren a las Nubes (Train of the Clouds),[3] on the Salta-Antofagasta rail line.

Gallery

References

  1. ↑ "Cuadro 12.4 Provincia de Salta según localidad. Población por grupos de edad. Año 2001 (Spanish language)". Censo 2001. INDEC. Retrieved February 10, 2009.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "San Antonio de los Cobres". (Spanish language). Powersite. Retrieved February 10, 2009.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Salta: San Antonio de los Cobres". Enjoy Travel Argentina. Enjoy Corporation SA. 2009. Retrieved February 10, 2009.

External links

Media related to San Antonio de los Cobres at Wikimedia Commons