Salinas de Garcí Mendoza (formerly: Salinas de Thunupa) is a town in the Bolivia

Bolivia

Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...

n Oruro Department

Oruro Department

Oruro is a department in Bolivia, with an area of 53,588 km². Its capital is the city of Oruro. At the time of census 2001 it had a population of 391,870.- Provinces of Oruro :...

.

Salinas de Garcí Mendoza is the administrative center of Ladislao Cabrera Province

Ladislao Cabrera Province

Ladislao Cabrera is a province in the southern parts of the Bolivian department of Oruro. It is named after Dr. Ladislao Cabrera .-Location:Ladislao Cabrera province is one of sixteen provinces in the Oruro Department...

 and is located 280 km (174 mi) south-west of Oruro

Oruro, Bolivia

Oruro is a city in Bolivia with a population of 235,393 , located about equidistant between La Paz and Sucre at approximately 3710 meters above sea level. It is the capital of the department of Oruro....

, the department capital. It is situated at an elevation of 3732 m (12,244 ft) at Cerro Caricha (4227 m (13,868 ft)), 20 km north of the stratovolcano

Stratovolcano

A stratovolcano, also known as a composite volcano, is a tall, conical volcano built up by many layers of hardened lava, tephra, pumice, and volcanic ash. Unlike shield volcanoes, stratovolcanoes are characterized by a steep profile and periodic, explosive eruptions...

 Tunupa. Salar de Coipasa salt lake

Salt lake

A salt lake or saline lake is a landlocked body of water which has a concentration of salts and other dissolved minerals significantly higher than most lakes . In some cases, salt lakes have a higher concentration of salt than sea water, but such lakes would also be termed hypersaline lakes...

 is 20 km north-west of Salinas de Garcí Mendoza, and 15 km in south-eastern direction is Salar de Uyuni

Salar de Uyuni

Salar de Uyuni is the world's largest salt flat at . It is located in the Potosí and Oruro departments in southwest Bolivia, near the crest of the Andes, and is elevated above the mean sea level. The Salar was formed as a result of transformations between several prehistoric lakes...

, the world's largest salt pan

Salt pan (geology)

Natural salt pans are flat expanses of ground covered with salt and other minerals, usually shining white under the sun. They are found in deserts, and should not be confused with salt evaporation ponds.A salt pan is formed where water pools...

. Salinas de Garcí Mendoza is endpoint of the road from Chuquichamba via Andamarca and Aroma to Salinas de Garcí Mendoza.

Salinas de Garcí Mendoza bears the title "Capital of Quinoa" because of the intensive cultivation of the quinoa

Quinoa

Quinoa , a species of goosefoot , is a grain-like crop grown primarily for its edible seeds. It is a pseudocereal rather than a true cereal, or grain, as it is not a member of the grass family...

crop in this area.

External links

• Map of province