PUNA DE ATACAMA

What's this all about "La Puna de Atacama"??

The Puna is a region with self morphologic and climatic special features that defines it and identifies it according with it's sorrounding enviroment.

Morphologically, it's the south prolongation of the Bolivian Plateau, and shares with it, most of it's characteristics: is a plateau elevation with average hights between 3,500 to 3,700 mts above sea level, with craggy topographical borders both east and west side. The component rocks are from different ages, however, the intense activity that went on the last 50 million years, strongly modified completely the geological sketch. Volcanic activity and salt lake formation was outstanding during this period.

Historically, this area, was the habitat of the first human beings about 12,000 years ago, later on, during the XV century, The Inca empire occupied most of the area, conecting the high plateau with the lower regions. Finally at the XVII and XVIII century, during the spanish occupation it was scenary of many battles and encounters.

"La Puna de Atacama", covers the argentinian provinces of Catamarca, Salta and Jujuy, and has an estimate surface of 90,000 square kilometers.