Perched at 5,100 meters (16,732 feet) in the Peruvian Andes, La Rinconada is the highest permanent human settlement on Earth.
Often dubbed the “closest town to space,” it sits nearly three miles above sea level—higher than the peak of Mont Blanc, Europe’s tallest mountain. Despite its extreme altitude, approximately 50,000 people call it home, drawn by the promise of gold in the nearby mines.
Life in La Rinconada is marked by severe challenges. The thin air contains only about half the oxygen found at sea level, leading to chronic mountain sickness (CMS) in roughly 25% of residents. Symptoms of CMS include dizziness, palpitations, and fatigue. The town also lacks basic infrastructure—there’s no running water, sewage system, or garbage disposal. Electricity was only introduced in the 2000s, and even then, it's unreliable.
The gold mining industry here operates under the informal "cachorreo" system, where miners work for 30 days without pay, keeping any gold they find on the final day. This precarious arrangement often leads to exploitation and unsafe working conditions.
Despite these hardships, La Rinconada remains a testament to human resilience. Its residents endure extreme conditions in pursuit of a better life, making it a unique and enduring symbol of endurance at the edge of the world.
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