Andalgalá
Ciudad de Andalgalá | |
|---|---|
Aerial view | |
| Coordinates: 27°36′S 66°19′W / 27.600°S 66.317°W | |
| Country | Argentina |
| Province | Catamarca |
| Department | Andalgalá |
| Elevation | 960 m (3,150 ft) |
| Population (2001 census) | |
• Total | 14,068 |
| Time zone | UTC−3 (ART) |
| CPA base | K4740 |
| Dialing code | +54 3835 |
Andalgalá is a city in the west-center of the province of Catamarca, Argentina, located in a valley near the Sierra de Aconquija, 260 km from the provincial capital San Fernando del Valle de Catamarca. It has about 14,000 inhabitants as per the 2001 census [INDEC]. It is the head town of the department of the same name. The Andalgalá River, which flows nearby, supports a hydroelectric power plant.
Andalgalá was founded as a fort on 12 July 1658, and only became a city in 1952. Its name is of Quechua origin and means either "Lord of the Hare" or "Lord of the High Mountain".