The La Paz Department of Bolivia comprises 133,985 square kilometres (51,732 sq mi) with a 2001 census population of 2,350,466 inhabitants. It is situated at the western border of Bolivia, sharing Lake Titicaca with Peru. It contains the mighty Cordillera Real that reaches altitudes of 6.6 kilometers (4.1 mi). Northeast of the Cordillera Real are the Yungas, the steep eastern slopes of the Andes that make the transition to the Amazon basin. The capital of the department is the city of La Paz and is the administrative city and seat of government of Bolivia.
Provinces [edit]
The Department of La Paz is divided into 20 provinces (provincias) which are further subdivided into 85 municipalities [1] (municipios) and - on the fourth level - into cantons.
The provinces with their capitals are:
| Province |
Area km² |
Population 2005 (est.) |
Capital |
| Abel Iturralde |
42,815 |
13,972 |
Ixiamas |
| Aroma |
4,510 |
98,378 |
Sica Sica |
| Bautista Saavedra |
2,525 |
12,259 |
Charazani |
| Caranavi |
3,400 |
55,492 |
Caranavi |
| Eliodoro Camacho |
2,080 |
59,847 |
Puerto Acosta |
| Franz Tamayo |
15,900 |
18,852 |
Apolo |
| Gualberto Villarroel |
1,935 |
18,562 |
San Pedro de Curahuara de Carangas |
| Ingavi |
5,410 |
106,086 |
Viacha |
| Inquisivi |
6,430 |
60,582 |
Inquisivi |
| José Manuel Pando |
1,976 |
7,036 |
Santiago de Machaca |
| José Ramón Loayza |
3,370 |
48,050 |
Luribay |
| Larecaja |
8,110 |
67,662 |
Sorata |
| Los Andes |
1,658 |
73,728 |
Pucarani |
| Manco Kapac |
367 |
24,039 |
Copacabana |
| Muñecas |
4,965 |
29,694 |
Chuma |
| Nor Yungas |
1,720 |
25,790 |
Coroico |
| Omasuyos |
2,065 |
92,126 |
Achacachi |
| Pacajes |
10,584 |
52,183 |
Coro Coro |
| Pedro Domingo Murillo |
4,705 |
1,758,495 |
Palca |
| Sud Yungas |
5,770 |
69,794 |
Chulumani |
| Total: |
133.985 km² |
|
|
| Note: More than 3,770 km² of Lake Titicaca |
Government [edit]
The chief executive office of Bolivia's departments (since May 2010) is the governor; until then, the office was called the prefect, and until 2006 the prefect was appointed by the President of Bolivia. The current governor, César Cocarico of the Movement for Socialism – Political Instrument for the Sovereignty of the Peoples was elected on 4 April 2010 and took office 30 May.
Under the 2009 Constitution, Bolivian departments have an elected legislature, the Departmental Legislative Assembly. The La Paz Assembly has 45 members including five indigenous minority representatives.
The most recent election results are as follows:
| Gubernatorial Candidate |
Party |
Votes for Governor |
Percentage |
Assembly Members by Territory |
Votes for Assembly by Population |
Percentage |
Assembly Members by Population |
Total Assembly Members |
| |
César Cocarico |
Movement for Socialism |
534.563 |
50,0% |
19 |
407.949 |
46,9% |
11 |
30 |
| |
Simón Yampara |
Without Fear Movement |
|
23,2 |
1 |
251.400 |
28,9% |
6 |
7 |
| |
Carlos Hugo Laruta |
National Unity Front |
159.499 |
14,9% |
0 |
107.026 |
12,3% |
2 |
2 |
| |
Lino Villca |
Movement for Sovereignty |
67.863 |
6,3% |
0 |
49.862 |
5,7% |
1 |
1 |
| |
Julio Tito Condori |
Patriotic Social Alliance |
30.361 |
2,8% |
0 |
28.542 |
3,3% |
0 |
0 |
| |
Einar Calderón |
Nationalist Revolutionary Movement |
29.152 |
2,7 |
0 |
24.620 |
2,8% |
0 |
0 |
|
Indigenous Representatives |
Elected through usos y costumbres |
5 |
| |
|
Valid votes |
1.069.234 |
79,8% |
|
869.399 |
65,0% |
|
|
| |
|
Blank votes |
190.967 |
14,3 |
|
403.715 |
30,2% |
|
|
| |
|
Null votes |
79.475 |
5,9% |
|
64.527 |
4,8% |
|
|
| |
|
Total votes |
1.339.676 |
89,1% of registered voters |
20 |
1.337.641 |
88,9% of registered voters |
20 |
45 |
| Source: Corte Nacional Electoral, Acto de Computo Nacional, Boletín 22: Explicación asignación de escaños departamentales |
Past executives [edit]
| Date Began |
Date Ended |
Prefect/Governor |
Party |
Notes |
| 23 Jan 2006 |
10 Aug 2008 |
José Luís Paredes Muñoz |
Social and Democratic Power |
First elected prefect. Elected in Bolivian general election, December 2005, and removed by the 2008 recall election. |
| 12 Aug 2008 |
29 Aug 2008 |
Alejandro Zapata (acting, de facto) |
|
|
| 29 Aug 2008 |
30 May 2010 |
Pablo Ramos Sánchez (acting) |
MAS-IPSP |
Final prefect |
| 30 May 2010 |
|
César Hugo Cocarico Yana |
MAS-IPSP |
Elected in regional election on 4 April; first governor |
| Source: worldstatesmen.org |
Languages [edit]
The languages spoken in the department are mainly Spanish, Aymara, Quechua and Guaraní. The following table shows the number of people belonging to the recognized group of speakers. [2]
| Language |
Department |
Bolivia |
| Quechua |
158,260 |
2,281,198 |
| Aymara |
1,181,593 |
1,525,321 |
| Guaraní |
1,526 |
62,575 |
| Another native |
4,446 |
49,432 |
| Spanish |
1,973,708 |
6,821,626 |
| Foreign |
70,448 |
250,754 |
| Only native |
257,242 |
960,491 |
| Native and Spanish |
1,027,999 |
2,739,407 |
| Spanish and foreign |
946,650 |
4,115,751 |
Places of interest [edit]
References [edit]
External links [edit]
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| Provinces |
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Municipalities
(and seats) |
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| Mountains |
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| Protected areas |
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Coordinates: 15°00′S 68°20′W / 15.000°S 68.333°W / -15.000; -68.333
Bolivia
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