Altiplano

American  

[al-tuh-plah-noh, ahl-tee-plah-naw] / ˌæl təˈplɑ noʊ, ˌɑl tiˈplɑ nɔ /

noun

plural

altiplanos

1. a plateau region in South America, situated in the Andes of Argentina, Bolivia, and Peru.

2. Geology. altiplano, an elevated terrace or plateau sculptured by periglacial geomorphic processes.

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Altiplano British  

/ altiˈplano /

noun

1. a plateau of the Andes, covering two thirds of Bolivia and extending into S Peru: contains Lake Titicaca. Height: 3000 m (10 000 ft) to 3900 m (13 000 ft)

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altiplano Scientific  

/ äl′tĭ-plä′nō /

1. A high mountain plateau. The most well-known altiplano extends from Lake Titicaca, in southern Peru, to Lake Poopo in Bolivia, covering a distance of 966 km (600 mi). Its average altitude is 3,658 m (12,000 ft).

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Etymology

Origin of Altiplano

First recorded in 1910–15; from Spanish: literally, “high plateau,” equivalent to alti- alti- + plano plain ¹

Example Sentences

The military flights to the Altiplano prison required stopovers to pick up men from across Mexico.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 3, 2025

The researchers started their demonstration with water samples from five high-altitude Andean lakes more than 2.3 miles above sea level in the Chilean Altiplano.

From Science Daily • Mar. 15, 2024

A 2019 study found that superbolts are concentrated in three specific regions around the world—the North Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean Sea and the Altiplano in South America—and tend to peak from November to February.

From Scientific American • Oct. 23, 2023

In 2014, Guzmán was arrested after a 13-year manhunt and sent to the Altiplano maximum security jail in Mexico.

From BBC • Sep. 13, 2023

For some hours, the association's Altiplano station had been dark and almost deserted.

From Gone Fishing by Schmitz, James H.