Iruya is a department is located in the north of Salta Province in northwest Argentina in the high altitude basin of the Bermejo River.

The Iruya Department is divided into the two municipalities (Spanish municipios) of Isla de Cañas and Iruya.

[1] In the Iruya Department there are more than 70 communities of Indians, belonging to the Kolla tribe.

[2] According to the last census, the Iruya Department has 6370[3] inhabitants (INDEC, 2001).

The INDEC estimates that in 2005 the population has risen to 7965 inhabitants.