La Paz Department (Bolivia)

Department of La Paz
Department


Flag
Coat of arms

Location within Bolivia

Provinces of the La Paz Department
Country  Bolivia
Capital Nuestra Señora de La Paz
Government
 • Prefect Pablo Ramos Sánchez
Area
 • Total 133,985 km2 (51,732 sq mi)
Population (2012)
 • Total 2,706,359
 • Density 20/km2 (52/sq mi)
Time zone BOT (UTC-4)
HDI (2004) -
Website www.gobernacionlapaz.gob.bo

The La Paz Department of Bolivia comprises 133,985 square kilometres (51,732 sq mi) with a 2012 census population of 2,706,359 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

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 (2012 census) Capital
Abel Iturralde 42,815 18,073 Ixiamas
Aroma 4,510 97,364 Sica Sica
Bautista Saavedra 2,525 16,308 Charazani
Caranavi 3,400 59,365 Caranavi
Eliodoro Camacho 2,080 53,747 Puerto Acosta
Franz Tamayo 15,900 26,997 Apolo
Gualberto Villarroel 1,935 17,782 San Pedro de Curahuara de Carangas
Ingavi 5,410 134,535 Viacha
Inquisivi 6,430 66,346 Inquisivi
José Manuel Pando 1,976 7,381 Santiago de Machaca
José Ramón Loayza 3,370 47,295 Luribay
Larecaja 8,110 86,481 Sorata
Los Andes 1,658 77,579 Pucarani
Manco Kapac 367 27,154 Copacabana
Muñecas 4,965 29,694 Chuma
Nor Yungas 1,720 36,983 Coroico
Omasuyos 2,065 84,484 Achacachi
Pacajes 10,584 55,180 Coro Coro
Pedro Domingo Murillo 4,705 1,663,099 Palca
Sud Yungas 5,770 105,013 Chulumani
Total: 133,985 km² 2,706,359
Note: More than 3,770 km² of Lake Titicaca

Government

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

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

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

References

  1. ↑ www.bolivia.com (English)
  2. ↑ obd.descentralizacion.gov.bo (Spanish)

External links

Wikisource has the text of a 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica article about La Paz Department.

Coordinates: 15°00′S 68°20′W / 15.000°S 68.333°W / -15.000; -68.333

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