San Salvador de Jujuy, city in northwestern Argentina, capital of Jujuy. The city lies near the southern end of the Humahuaca Canyon where wooded hills meet the lowlands. San Salvador de Jujuy serves as a regional economic and cultural center. Sugarcane, tobacco, citrus fruits, and vegetables are produced nearby. The mining of lead, zinc, iron, and silver is also important. The city was founded in 1593 at a strategic site on the mule shipping route between San Miguel de Tucumán and the silver mines in Potosí, Bolivia. Reaching its peak importance during the colonial period, San Salvador de Jujuy declined to the status of a remote provincial capital after Argentine independence in 1816. Population (1991) 178,748.