Santa Cruz Department

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Santa Cruz Department

	110px\|Escudo
Department Flag	Department Coat of Arms

Motto: ¡Arriba cruceños, hagamos historia! (Stand up cruceños, let's make history!)

Himno: Bajo el cielo más puro de América

Capital

Santa Cruz de la Sierra

Largest city

Santa Cruz de la Sierra

Official languages

Spanish, Guaraní

Provinces

Area
- total
- % de Bolivia

Place nº 1
370,621 km²
33.74%

Population
- Total (2005)
- % of Bolivia
- Density

Place nº 2
2,433,602
26.08%
6.57hab./km²

Creation

July 23, 1826

Prefect

Rubén Costas (APB)

Senators

Oscar Ortiz (PODEMOS)

Jorge Agulera (PODEMOS)

Guido Guardia (MAS)

Deputies

25 out of 130

Calling Code:

+ (591) 3

ISO 3166-2

BO-S

Abbreviations

Website

http://www.santacruz.gov.bo

Santa Cruz, with an area of 370,621 km², is the largest of the nine constituent departments of Bolivia. In the 2001 census, it reported a population of 2,029,471. The capital is the city of Santa Cruz de la Sierra.

The department covers a vast expanse of territory in eastern Bolivia, much of it rainforests, extending from the Andes to the border with Brazil. The department's economy depends largely on agriculture, with sugar, cotton, soybeans and rice being grown. In recent years, the discovery of natural gas in the department has led to plans for the development of a regional natural gas industry that is likely to boost the local economy. In July 2004, the people voted in a nation-wide referendum to allow for regulated exportation of the gas. The department also hosts El Mutún, the second largest iron ore reserve (after Carajás in Brazil) and largest magnesium deposits are also located there.

Santa Cruz is also leading the national trend towards greater levels of decentralized government which ideally should reach the rural provinces.

[edit] Government and Administration

According to current Constitution the highest authority in the department is the prefect (prefecto, similar to a governor but with restricted powers). Since 2005, the prefect has been elected by popular vote to serve for a five-year term; prior to this change, the prefect was appointed by the President of the Republic.

Santa Cruz also has a Departmental Council (Consejo Departamental, similar to a state legislature but with restricted powers) of 23 members called councilors (consejeros). Each of the department's provinces returns at least one councilor, while remaining councilors are assigned to provinces on population basis. By law, the election of councilors is an attribution of municipalities. However, some municipalities such as Camiri (Province of Cordillera) or Santa Cruz de la Sierra (Province of Andrés Ibáñez) have issued internal norms (ordenanzas) in order to have their councilors elected by popular vote.

The Department of Santa Cruz is divided into 15 provinces:

Provinces of Santa Cruz Department (2005)

Province	Capital	Km²	Population
Andrés Ibáñez	Santa Cruz de la Sierra	4,821	1,549,849
Ignacio Warnes	Warnes	1,216	62,417
José Miguel de Velasco	San Ignacio	65,425	64,517
Ichilo	Buena Vista	14,232	82,952
Chiquitos	San José	31,429	70,319
Sara	Portachuelo	6,886	42,157
Cordillera	Lagunillas	86,245	108,843
Vallegrande	Vallegrande	6,414	27,691
Florida	Samaipata	4,132	29,850
Santistevan	Montero	3,673	166,267
Ñuflo de Chávez	Concepción	54,150	116,101
Ángel Sandoval	San Matías	37,442	14,362
Caballero	Comarapa	2,310	22,142
Germán Busch	Puerto Suárez	24,903	37,637
Guarayos	Ascensión	27,343	38,498