La Paz

La Paz
Nuestra Señora de La Paz[1] (Spanish)
Chuquiago Marka or Chuqiyapu  (Aymara)
La Paz  (English)
From top to the bottom and from left to right: Downtown skyline, Miraflores view with a view of The Bridge of the Americas and the Illimani mountain, The Cathedral at Murillo Square, Central Bank of Bolivia symbol and San Francisco Church.

Flag
Seal
Motto: "Los discordes en concordia, en paz y amor se juntaron y pueblo de paz fundaron para perpetua memoria"
La Paz is located in Bolivia
La Paz
Location of La Paz within La Paz Department
Coordinates:
Country  Bolivia
Departament La Paz Department (Bolivia)
Province Pedro Domingo Murillo Province
Founded October 20, 1548 by Alonso de Mendoza
Independence July 16, 1809
Government
 - Mayor Luis Antonio Revilla Herrero [2]
Area
 - City 472 km2 (182.2 sq mi)
 - Urban 3,240 km2 (1,251 sq mi)
Elevation 3,640 m (11,942 ft)
Population (2008[3])
 - City 877,363
 - Density 6,275.16/km2 (16,252.6/sq mi)
 - Metro 2,364,235
Time zone GMT-4
Area code(s) 2
HDI (2000) 0.714–high[4]
Website www.lapaz.bo

Nuestra Señora de La Paz (Common: la ˈpas, or Peninsular: la ˈpaθ; English: Our Lady of Peace; Aymara: Chuquiago Marka or Chuqiyapu), is the administrative capital of Bolivia, as well as the departmental capital of La Paz Department, and the second largest city (in population) only after Santa Cruz de la Sierra.[3] It is located in the western part of the country on the department of the same name. It is located at an elevation of 3,660 meters above sea level, making it the world's highest "de facto" capital city, or administrative capital. The official capital of Bolivia is Sucre and it is the seat of Justice, La Paz has more government departments, hence the "de facto" qualifier.[5] The city seats in a "bowl" surrounded by the high mountains of the altiplano. As it grows, La Paz climbs the hills, resulting in varying elevations from 3,000 meters to 4,100 meters (9,840 ft to 13,450 ft). Overlooking the city is towering triple-peaked Illimani, which is always snow-covered and can be seen from several spots of the city, including from the neighbor city, El Alto. As of the 2001 census, the city had a population of 877,363.[6] La Paz Metropolitan area, formed by the cities of La Paz, El Alto and Viacha, make the most populous urban area of Bolivia, with a population of 2.3 million inhabitants and surpassing the metropolitan area of Santa Cruz de la Sierra.[7]

La Paz Fundation

Contents

History

Founded in 1548 by the Spanish conquistadors at the site of the Native American settlement, Laja, the full name of the city was originally Nuestra Señora de La Paz (meaning Our Lady of Peace). The name commemorated the restoration of peace following the insurrection of Gonzalo Pizarro and fellow conquistadors four years earlier against Blasco Núñez Vela, the first viceroy of Peru. The city was later moved to its present location in the valley of Chuquiago Marka.[8]

Control over the former Inca lands had been entrusted to Pedro de la Gasca by the Spanish king (and Holy Roman Emperor) Emperor Charles V. Gasca commanded Alonso de Mendoza to found a new city commemorating the end of the civil wars in Peru; the city of La Paz was founded on October 20, 1548.

Pedro Domingo Murillo

In 1549, "Juan Gutierrez Paniagua" was commanded to design an urban plan that would designate sites for public areas, plazas, official buildings, and a cathedral. La Plaza de los Españoles, which is known today as the Plaza Murillo, was chosen as the location for government buildings as well as the Metropolitan Cathedral.

Spain controlled La Paz with a firm grip and the Spanish king had the last word in all matters political. In 1781, for a total of six months, a group of Aymara people laid siege to La Paz. Under the leadership of Tupac Katari, they destroyed churches and government property. Thirty years later Indians laid a two-month siege on La Paz - where and when the legend of the Ekeko is set. In 1809 the struggle for independence from the Spanish rule brought uprisings against the royalist forces. It was on July 16, 1809 that ""Pedro Domingo Murillo"" famously said that the Bolivian revolution was igniting a lamp that nobody would be able to turn-off. This formally marked the beginning of the Liberation of South America from Spain. Pedro Domingo Murillo was hanged at the Plaza de los Españoles that night, but his name would be eternally remembered in the name of the plaza, and he would be remembered as the voice of revolution across South America.

In 1825, after the decisive victory of the republicans at Ayacucho over the Spanish army in the course of the Spanish American wars of independence, the city's full name was changed to La Paz de Ayacucho (meaning The Peace of Ayacucho).

In 1898, La Paz was made the de facto seat of the national government, with Sucre remaining the nominal historical as well as judiciary capital. This change reflected the shift of the Bolivian economy away from the largely exhausted silver mines of Potosí to the exploitation of tin near Oruro, and resulting shifts in the distribution of economic and political power among various national elites.[9]

La Paz is the highest (administrative) capital city in the world.(Although it is not the formal capital like Sucre. Calling La Paz the capital of Bolivia is like saying New York City is the capital of the USA.) , La Paz is home to the world's highest Golf Course, Football Stadium, Velodrome (where the world record currently stands), and landing strip (debatable, since the airport is higher than La Paz in El Alto, a slum but distinct city area (own mayor) higher than La Paz.) El Alto has the highest International Airport in the world. There are 'landing strips' higher than El Alto in other countries like China. The current political infighting in Bolivia suggests that the majority of the population do not recognize La Paz as the administrative capital. Santa Cruz is the industrial and money center of Bolivia and many there wish to develop more and more power from La Paz. They are succeeding - leading to conspiracy theories and accusations of assassination squads seeking to take out the government (2008.) It is therefore with caution that anyone can refer to La Paz as a capital city. Sucre is the only recognized, official capital.

Government Palace of Bolivia in downtown La Paz
Banco Central de Bolivia

History Timeline of La Paz

Year Event
1548 The city of La Paz was founded by Spanish settlers on the pre- existing site of Choqueyapu, an ancient Aymara village. It was founded as Nuestra Senora de La Paz (Our Lady of Peace) by Alonso de Mendoza, commissioned by Pedro de la Gasca, to commemorate the "pacification" of Peru. It was started as a commercial city, lying on the main gold and silver route to the coast. The Spaniards came for the Bolivian gold found in the Choqueapu River that runs through present-day La Paz. The Spaniards took the gold mines away from Aymara people and made them work as slaves. The primarily male Spanish population soon mixed with the indigenous people, creating a largely mestizo, or mixed, population.
1549 In November of this year, Juan Gutierrez was given the task of designing an urban plan, in keeping with the Code of the Indies (regulations on Spanish Colonial Cities from Spain). As such, he was to lay out plazas and public lands and designate sites for public buildings. The Plaza Murillo (pictured below) was later selected as the site for the city Cathedral, elite homes, and government buildings.
1600 As the gold slowly diminished, the city's location between Potosi (the primary silver mining town) and Lima grew in importance, as La Paz became a main stop on the trade route. Soon La Paz was the most flourishing town in the Altiplano area of the Andes, although it was not as wealthy as Potosi.
1800 La Paz emerges as the largest city of Upper Peru (the early name for Bolivia) in the late eighteenth century, acting as the center for the population and agricultural production zone. The heavily populated Altiplano hinterland above La Paz fed its growth. Many large estate land holders, known as hacendados, lived in La Paz throughout most of the year while they maintained a small community of indigenous people to live and work on their haciendas (landed estates).
1800 La Paz emerged as the capital of the Intendencia, the home of a thriving commercial community, and the center of an important network of interregional and international trade routes. The majority of the absentee landed elite resided in La Paz, creating the commerce and royal treasury from which more wealth could be generated for investment in the rural zones of the Intendencia. At that time in history, the capital and its provincial hinterland were one of the wealthiest tax-producing areas in all of the Andes. This early beginning, as the home of the rich land-lords of the haciendas, is still evident in the structure of the city today, as the finest example of old Spanish Colonial Architecture seen in houses is located close to the central plazas and offices of the city.
1809 July 16: the first South American libertarian scream against the Spanish Crown is given in La Paz, in a rebellion led by Pedro Domingo Murillo and the others revolutionaries.
1825 Bolivia gained independence, which sparked even more growth in the city. Simón Bolívar was the first president of the Republic. The country was divided in 5 departments: La Paz, Cochabamba, Potosí, Charkas and Santa Cruz de la Sierra.
1840 Bolivia started exporting more than it imported, allowing the government to engage in infrastructural investments with the surplus funds. This led to a growth of La Paz as the financial, commercial, and political capital of the area. "With new urban classes emerging, and new capital to spend, there was both increased demands for foodstuffs production and an aggressive class of urban-based capitalists willing to engage in agricultural production"(Klien 1993 134). However, at this time La Paz was virtually isolated from the rest of the world due to the poor roads and lack of rail lines leading over the harsh Altiplano to ports in Peru and Chile. Contact between La Paz and the eastern part of the country, surrounded by rainforest, was even more difficult.
1879 The Pacific War with Chile. The Chileans entered the country at the coast for the salitre and the guano (Nitrate-rich bird dung). The result of this brutal war was the loss of Bolivia's coast land to Chile.
1898 La Paz becomes de facto Bolivia's new administrative capital and the seat of the government, thus starting the process of development into the large city it is today.
1900 Construction began on the international railroad network linking La Paz to the Pacific and Atlantic coasts, thus solidifying the future role of La Paz as a primate city. At this period in time the Bolivian government spent an annual spendings of $5,986,384.
1921 The first oil company came to Bolivia. Bolivia was found to have great reservoirs of oil, in addition to all the precious minerals.
1952 The great national revolution when the revolutionaries won the rights for the indigenous people. Their biggest accomplishment was agrarian land reform, which allowed peasants to have freedom from the obligations of working on the elite-owned land, diffusing the long-established hacienda system. This in turn sparked a great growth spurt in the city, as many working-class and poor migrated to urban areas.
1963 Playing at home, Bolivia wins South American football (soccer) championships.
1964 Military revolution, with the help of the United States, that established the dictatorial rule that would remain until 1980. The last dictator was General Hugo Banzer. He held elections in 1980, although, suspiciously, Banzer's candidate won and was president until the year 1982.[10]
2009 La Paz City met the Bicentenary, celebrating in Plaza Villarroel and in the Stadium the 1809 revolution.

Geography

The city in Winter, with Illimani in the background.
Satellite image of La Paz and El Alto

Located at (-16.5, -68.1333), La Paz is built in a canyon created by the Choqueyapu River (now mostly built over), which runs northwest to southeast. The city's main thoroughfare, which roughly follows the river, changes names over its length, but the central tree-lined section running through the downtown core is called the Prado.

The geography of La Paz (in particular the altitude) reflects society: the lower areas of the city are the more affluent areas. While many middle-class residents live in high-rise condos near the center, the houses of the truly affluent are located in the lower neighborhoods southwest of the Prado. And looking up from the center, the surrounding hills are plastered with makeshift brick houses of those of less economically fortunate.

The satellite city of El Alto, in which the airport is located, is spread over a broad area to the west of the canyon, on the Altiplano. La Paz is renowned for its unique markets, very unusual topography, and traditional culture.

La Paz is located in the valleys of the Andes, and is closer to the Eastern split of the Altiplano region. Therefore, it is closer to the famous mountains such as the Illimani (guardian of La Paz), Huayna Potosi, Mururata, and Illampu. On the Western side of the Altiplano divide, about an hour to the West of the La Paz, is the site of the tallest mountain in Bolivia and 9th tallest mountain in the Andes, the Sajama Volcano. In July 1994, an earthquake rated at 8.2 struck just 200 miles north of La Paz, the largest earthquake since the Sumbawa earthquake of 1977. Part of the water supply is derived from glaciers, which are becoming a less reliable source of water.[11]

Districts

The city of La Paz is divided into seven main districts, called "Macro Distritos", which at the same time are divided into 21 small districts or zones.[12] The city is commonly by the people on three main zones: South Zone, Central Zone and North Zone.

Comunidad Chiaraque.

Main neighborhoods and zones

Buildings in San Jorge, on the 1st District (Cotahuma).
Skyline of Sopocachi, located on the 1st District.
Aerial view of Calacoto, on the 5th District.

Climate

Under the Köppen climate classification, La Paz has a Subtropical highland climate. Owing to the altitude of the city, temperatures are consistently cool throughout the year, though the diurnal temperature variation is typically large. The city has a relatively dry climate, with rainfall occurring mainly in the slightly warmer months of November to March. The sun passes directly overhead in late October and mid February.

Climate data for La Paz
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Source: BBC Weather [13]

Economy

The economy of La Paz has improved greatly in recent years, mainly as a result of improved political leaders. Due to the long period of high inflation and economic struggle faced by Bolivians in the 1980s and early 1990s, a large Informal Economy developed. Evidence of this is provided by the markets found all around the city. While there are stable markets, almost every street in the downtown area and surrounding neighborhoods has at least one vendor on it. La Paz remains the principal center of manufacturing enterprises that produce finished-product goods for the country, with about two-thirds of Bolivia's manufacturing located nearby. Historically, industry in Bolivia has been dominated by mineral processing and the preparation of agricultural products. However, in the urban centre of La Paz, small plants carry out a large portion of the industry. Food, tobacco products, clothing, various consumer goods, building materials, and agricultural tools are produced. "The tin quotations from London are watched in La Paz with close interest as an index of the country's prosperity; a third of the national revenue and more than half of the total customs in 1925 were derived from tin; in short, that humble but indispensable metal is the hub around which Bolivia's economic life revolves. The tin deposits of Bolivia, second largest in the world, ... invite development."

Sports

Estadio Hernando Siles, the largest sports complex in Bolivia

La Paz is the home of some of the biggest football teams in Bolivia.

However, both teams play the majority of their games in the city stadium, Estadio Hernando Siles. It is host to several other teams that play in the first and second divisions such as: Mariscal Braun (2nd), Always Ready (3rd), Municipal (3rd) and Chaco Petrolero (3rd).

La Paz hosts the national football team and international games.

Education

The city hosts some of the most important universities of the country:

Tourism

Tiwanaku Square in front of the football stadium

La Paz is an important cultural center of Bolivia. The city hosts several cathedrals belonging to the colonial times, such as the San Francisco Cathedral and the Metropolitan Cathedral, this last one located on Murillo Square, which is also home of the political and administrative power of the country. Hundreds of different museums can be found across the city, the most notable ones on Jaén Street, which street design has been preserved from the Spanish days and is home of 10 different museums.

The home of the Bolivian government is located on Murillo Square and is known as "Palacio Quemado" (Burnt Palace) as it has been on fire several times. The palace has been restored many times since, but the name has remained untouched.

Main sights

Museums and cultural centers

Churches and cathedrals

Others

Local festivities

Transportation

Airport

New Look of El Alto International Airport
Waiting area in El Alto International Airport for domestic flights.

La Paz is served by El Alto International Airport (IATA code: LPB), which is situated eight miles (14 km) south-west of La Paz. At an elevation of 4,061 metres (13,323 ft), it is one of the highest major airports in the world. Airport facilities include a bank, bars, car rentals, restaurants, free wi-fi internet and duty-free shops. The runway has a length of 4,000 metres (13,123 ft) (or 2.5 miles). Additionally, it is the second airport in the Western Hemisphere, and the third airport in the world, to successfully pass the International Civil Aviation Organization's (ICAO) Universal Security Audit Program (USAP).

Buses

Bus Station

La Paz Bus Station, previously bus and train station, was built by the French architect Gustave Eiffel. The main gateway for transporting intercities bus travel in La Paz with several daily departs to all the main Bolivian cities. Bus Terminal in La Paz is the main city bus station. The city is connected by road with the city of Oruro where you can access the cities of Sucre, Potosí and south of the country. There is an important road that connects the road to Oruro in the cities of Cochabamba and Santa Cruz. There are also access roads to paviementados Copacabana and Tiwanaku to the west, near the Lake Titicaca, which continues until the city of Cuzco via the border town of Desaguadero. There are also roads north to get to The Yungas crossing the Andes Mountains.

The bus terminal has daily departures to major cities. There are also trips to other cities in countries like Chile and Peru. For departures to smaller cities and towns within the department, using informal stations located in Villa Fatima (departures to Los Yungas, Beni and Pando, Upper San Pedro (outputs Apolo) and near the General Cemetery (outputs Copacabana and other nearby cities to Lake Titicaca , and also Tiwanacu, Desaguadero where you can go to Peru).

Communication

International relations

Twin towns - sister cities

La Paz is part of the Union of Capital Cities Latin America[14] from October 12, 1982 establishing brotherly relations with the following cities:

Additionally, agreement was reached by Twin Cities with:

In June 2008 it signed a twinning agreement with the City of Spain Zaragoza, Spain.

La Paz belongs to Merco Ciudades, signed by 180 urbes of the member countries of Mercosur,[18] since 1999.

Gallery

Night time View of La Paz

Plaza Murillo with Government and Legislative Palaces in the background

Titicaca Lake near La Paz with the Andes in the background

Copacabana (Bolivia)|Copacabana Church

Calle Jaen.

San Francisco Church.

Downtown La Paz view.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Breve Historia de nuestro país (pág.3), Bolivian Government Official Website(Spanish)
  2. ↑ "¿Quién es Luis Revilla?". Luchoporlapaz.com. http://www.luchoporlapaz.com/luis-revilla/hoja-de-vida.html. Retrieved 2010-07-04. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "World Gazetteer". World Gazetteer. http://world-gazetteer.com/wg.php?x=&men=gcis&lng=en&des=wg&srt=npan&col=abcdefghinoq&msz=1500&geo=-38. Retrieved 2010-01-31. 
  4. ↑ "W.K. Kellogg Foundation: Overview - Bolivia: La Paz - El Alto". http://ww2.wkkf.org/default.aspx?tabid=75&CID=345&NID=61&LanguageID=0. 
  5. ↑ "The Highest City in the World —". Infoplease.com. http://www.infoplease.com/askeds/highest-city-world.html. Retrieved 2010-07-04. 
  6. ↑ Observatorio Bolivia Democrática
  7. ↑ "La Paz - profile of geographical entity including name variants". World Gazetteer. http://world-gazetteer.com/wg.php?x=1262838217&men=gpro&lng=en&des=wg&geo=-730&srt=npan&col=abcdefghinoq&msz=1500&pt=c&va=&geo=-1048596. Retrieved 2010-07-04. 
  8. ↑ "La Paz". Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. 2008. http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/326435/La-Paz. Retrieved November 10, 2008. 
  9. ↑ "La Paz," Microsoft Encarta Online Encyclopedia 2008. Retrieved November 10, 2008. Archived 2009-10-31.
  10. ↑ "Macalester College Course GEOG61". Macalester.edu. http://www.macalester.edu/courses/GEOG61/amartin/history.html. Retrieved 2010-01-31. 
  11. ↑ Shukman, David (2009-12-04). "Glacier threat to Bolivia capital". BBC News. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8394324.stm. Retrieved 2010-01-31. 
  12. ↑ "ATLAS - Del Gobierno Municipal de La Paz" (in Spanish). 2006. http://www.ci-lapaz.gov.bo/ES/Planificacion/Atlas%20del%20Municipio%20de%20La%20Paz/html/mapas.htm. Retrieved 5 June 2010. 
  13. ↑ "Average Conditions La Paz, Bolivia". BBC Weather. http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/world/city_guides/results.shtml?tt=TT001650. Retrieved March 2010. 
  14. ↑ "Declaración de Hermanamiento múltiple y solidario de todas las Capitales de Iberoamérica (12-10-82)" (PDF). http://www.munimadrid.es/UnidadWeb/Contenidos/EspecialInformativo/RelacInternac/RRII/HermanamientosyAcuerdos/Files/hermanamiento_UCCI.pdf. Retrieved 2010-01-31. 
  15. ↑ Madrid city council webpage "Mapa Mundi de las ciudades hermanadas". Ayuntamiento de Madrid. http://www.munimadrid.es/portal/site/munimadrid/menuitem.dbd5147a4ba1b0aa7d245f019fc08a0c/?vgnextoid=4e84399a03003110VgnVCM2000000c205a0aRCRD&vgnextchannel=4e98823d3a37a010VgnVCM100000d90ca8c0RCRD&vgnextfmt=especial1&idContenido=1da69a4192b5b010VgnVCM100000d90ca8c0RCRD Madrid city council webpage. 
  16. ↑ "Descentralized Cooperation" (in (Portuguese)). Prefeitura.Sp. http://www2.prefeitura.sp.gov.br/secretarias/relacoes_internacionais/ingles/descentralized_cooperation/sister_cities/0001. Retrieved 2010-01-31. 
  17. ↑ "International Relations - São Paulo City Hall - Official Sister Cities". Prefeitura.sp.gov.br. http://www.prefeitura.sp.gov.br/cidade/secretarias/relacoes_internacionais/cidadesirmas/index.php?p=1066. Retrieved 2010-01-31. 
  18. ↑ Mercociudades. "Mercocities: member cities". Mercociudades.org. http://www.mercociudades.org/index.php?module=htmlpages&func=display&pid=8. Retrieved 2010-01-31. 

External links

Capitals of South America