Antofagasta de la Sierra Department

For the town, see Antofagasta de la Sierra, Catamarca. For the volcanic field, see Antofagasta de la Sierra.

Antofagasta de la Sierra is the northernmost department of Catamarca Province in Argentina.

Antofagasta de la Sierra Departamento Antofagasta de la Sierra
Department
location of Antofagasta de la Sierra Department in Catamarca Province
Coordinates: 26°00′S 67°34′W
Country	Argentina
Established	1871 (city)
Founded by	?
Seat	Antofagasta de la Sierra
Government
• Mayor	Alejandro Evaristo Acevedo, FCS
Area
• Total	28,097 km2 (10,848 sq mi)
Population  (2001 census [INDEC])
• Total	1,282
• Density	0.046/km2 (0.12/sq mi)
Demonym	antofagastense
Postal Code	K4705
IFAM	CAT004
Area Code	03835
Patron saint	?
Website	web.archive.org/web/20061208195352/http://www.camsencat.gov.ar/antofaga.html

The provincial subdivision has a population of about 1,300 inhabitants in an area of 28,097 km² (10,848 sq mi), and its capital city is Antofagasta de la Sierra.

Volcanoes

The department is most famous for its volcanic activity. There are over 200 volcanos situated in the Antofagasta de la Sierra volcanic field, the most notable of them being Antofalla, Carachipampa, Alumbrera and Galán.

The Galán volcano has the largest explosive caldera in the world.

Pre-history

There is evidence of hunter-gatherer people in the region dating back about 8,000 years. Their diet largely consisted of wild camelid animals. Seeds of amaranth grain dating from 4,500 years ago and evidence—grinding artefacts—that they may have been used as food since 7,000 years ago have been found.^[1]