The city, in west-central Bolivia 68 km (42 mi) southeast of Lake Titicaca, is set in a canyon created by the Choqueyapu River. It is in a bowl-like depression, part of the Amazon basin, surrounded by the high mountains of the Altiplano. Overlooking the city is the triple-peaked Illimani. Its peaks are always snow-covered and can be seen from many parts of the city. At an elevation of roughly 3,650 m (11,975 ft) above sea level, La Paz is the highest capital city in the world.[7][8] Due to its altitude, La Paz has an unusual subtropical highland climate, with rainy summers and dry winters.
La Paz was founded on 20 October 1548, by the Spanish conquistador Captain Alonso de Mendoza, at the site of the Inca settlement of Laja as a connecting point between the commercial routes that led from Potosí and Oruro to Lima; the full name of the city was originally Nuestra Señora de La Paz (meaning Our Lady of Peace) in commemoration of the restoration of peace following the insurrection of Gonzalo Pizarro and fellow conquistadors against the first viceroy of Peru. The city was later moved to its present location in the valley of Chuquiago Marka.[9] La Paz was under Spanish colonial rule as part of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata, before Bolivia gained independence. Since its founding, the city was the site of numerous revolts. In 1781, the indigenous leader and independence activist Túpac Katari laid siege to the city for a total of six months, but was finally defeated. On 16 July 1809, the Bolivian patriot Pedro Domingo Murillo ignited a revolution for independence, marking the beginning of the Spanish American Wars of Independence, which gained the freedom of South American states in 1821.[10]
As the seat of the government of Bolivia, La Paz is the site of the Palacio Quemado, the presidential palace. It is also the seat of the Bolivian legislature, the Plurinational Legislative Assembly, and numerous government departments and agencies. The constitutional capital of Bolivia, Sucre, retains the judicial power.[11] The city hosts all the foreign embassies as well as international missions in the country. La Paz is an important political, administrative, economic, and sports center of Bolivia; it generates 24% of the nation's gross domestic product and serves as the headquarters for numerous Bolivian companies and industries.[12]
: Founded in 1925, it was named in honor of the Libertador Simón Bolívar, the team has won most of the tournaments national and international championships in the last 20 years, and is the largest team, by number of fans, of the country. The year 1964 was a bad year, as it was relegated from the top division, playing the next year in the second division. But it soon returned to the top flight.
Club Bolívar
: Founded in 1908 the club hosts some of its games and trains on their home stadium named Rafael Mendoza after Don Rafael Mendoza, one of the most important presidents of the club. In 1968 an airplane accident took the life of almost all the players, but Rafael Mendoza made many efforts that allowed the team to rise again as one of the most important in the country.
The Strongest
La Paz is the home of some of the biggest football teams in Bolivia.
The city is host to several other teams that play in the first and second divisions such as:
With the exception of Deportivo Municipal and Unión Maestranza, all the other teams play the majority of their games in the city stadium, the Estadio Hernando Siles, which also hosts the national football team and international games. Always Ready frequently play at the Estadio Rafael Mendoza which belongs to The Strongest, who rarely use the stadium due to its relatively small capacity.
The former home of , martyr of the independence revolution of 1809, has been preserved and is now a museum. The house displays a collection of furniture, textiles, and art from colonial times.
Pedro Domingo Murillo
Museo Costumbrista: Displays ceramic dolls wearing traditional customs that show how was life in the early 19th century. Also on display are photos of old La Paz.
Museo Nacional de Arqueología (National Museum of Archeology): Depicts a collection of artifacts of the culture.
Tiawanaku
Museo del Litoral (Museum of the Litoral Coastal Region): Displays objects from the 1879 war in which Bolivia lost to Chile.
its sea coast
Museo del Oro (Gold Museum): Depicts pre-Conquest works made of gold, silver and copper.
Museo de Etnografía y Folklore (Ethnography and Folkolore Museum): Located in a house built during the late 18th century, it exhibits customs and art of two ethnic groups: Chipayas and Ayoreos.
Museo del Charango (Museum of Charango): Located in Calle Linares, the museum displays an important variety of charangos. Other native instruments are displayed as well.
Museo de Historia Natural (Natural History Museum): Exhibits on Bolivian paleontology, geology, zoology and botanical elements of interest.
Casa Museo Marina Nuñez del Prado (Marina Nuñez del Prado House Museum): Displays Quechua and Aymara-theme sculptures by Bolivian artist Marina Nuñez del Prado.
Museo Nacional de Arte (National Art Museum): Located in Calle Comercio, on a former palace built in 1775, displays works by Melchor Perez de Holguín and Marina Nuñez del Prado, among others.
Mercado de Brujas (Witches' Market): Merchandise sold here includes herbs, remedies as well as other ingredients used in traditions.
Aymara
Feria de Alasitas: This fair is celebrated for two weeks each year, beginning 24 January. The central figure is a little god of abundance known as , which means dwarf in Aymara.
Ekeko
Museo San Francisco Cultural Center
Marraqueta
Plato Paceño
Salteña
Fricasé
Picante Mixto
Api and Pastel
Llaucha
Papa Rellena
Ranga ranga
Chairo
Sandwich de Chola
Anticucho
Popular food from La Paz includes:
January: Achocalla Festival: Occurs during the first week of January. The city of La Paz comes together to celebrate this religious festival with traditional dances, music, and a parade. In Bolivia's harvest calendar, Achocalla marks the time when potato fields begin to bloom. People dance the traditional folklore dance known as “tarqueada” during the festival.
24 January: is a yearly fair where people buy miniature gifts and praise the god of prosperity, Ekeko. The fair begins every 24 January and lasts for a month. In 2017, it has been included into the Intangible Cultural World Heritage of UNESCO.[33]
Alasitas
2 February: , (Villa Copacabana)
Virgen de Copacabana
1 May: San José Obrero (V. Nuevo Potosí)
3 May: Señor de la Santa Cruz (Calvario, Tacagua, Calacoto)
13 May: Virgen de Fátima (Villa Fátima)
14 May: San Isidro, Labrador (San Isidro)
17 May: Señor de la Sentencia (Villa Armonía)
May: Santísima Trinidad del Señor Jesús del Gran Poder (movible, Gran Poder) La Fiesta del Gran Poder occurs on . Therefore, it happens on different dates every year. But the festival typically occurs during late May to early June. This festival pays homage to El Señor del Gran Poder. During the festival, over 30,000 dancers take the streets of La Paz performing dances with themes that represent both Aymara folktales and Catholic traditions. The dancers wear colorful homemade costumes. The Parade lasts all day throughout the night. In 2019, it has been included into the Intangible Cultural World Heritage of UNESCO.[34]
Trinity Sunday
13 June: San Antonio de Padua (San Antonio)
24 June: San Juan Bautista (Valle Hermoso, San Juan)
29 June: San Pedro Apóstol (San Pedro)
16 July: Virgen del Carmen, Patroness of Bolivia and the Armed Forces of the Nation Efemerides of La Paz
25 July: Apóstol Santiago (Munaypata, Pampahasi, Pasankeri, Periférica, Alto Delicias)
15 August: Virgen de Urqupiña (Urkupiña)
15 August: Virgen de la Asunción (Villa Victoria)
8 September: Virgen de las Nieves (V. Copacabana, M. Paredes, La Portada, Achachicala, Alto Irpavi, Cotahuma, Las Nieves)
8 September: (Miraflores)
Virgen de los Remedios
14 September: Señor de la Exaltación (Obrajes, G. de Lima, Bajo Tejar, Vino Tinto)
24 September: Virgen de la Merced (Cota Cota)
7 October: Virgen del Rosario (El Rosario)
November: Cristo Rey (Pura Pura)
4 December: Santa Barbara (Santa Bárbara, Llojeta)
8 December: Virgen de la Concepción (Kupini, Sopocachi, Achumani)
Autopista La Paz-El Alto/RN-3 (La Paz-El Alto Highway) – Connects La Paz with El Alto.
Autovía La Paz Oruro/A-1 (La Paz-Oruro Highway) – Connects La Paz with the cities of Oruro, Patacamaya and Caracollo. It then connects with Ruta Nacional 1/RN-1 (National Highway 1) heading south to the cities of Potosí, Camargo, Tarija.
The postal service is run by ECOBOL (National Company) which has its headquarters in La Paz. There are other companies offering courier and transport logistics courier nationally and internationally.
The private telecommunications company '' is located in the city and provides telephony, Internet, cell phone, data and voice services. The telephone cooperative Cotel is responsible for managing much of their phones and now offers Internet services and cable television among others.
Entel
Area Code: 2
Country Code: 591
The main daily newspapers in circulation are: Página Siete, La Razon, El Diario, La Prensa, Jornada and El Alteño. Other papers of local importance are: Extra and Gente. There are also several other publications and weekly magazines.
There are 18 television channels with offices in La Paz. Channel 7 is state property. The main ones are: , ATB Bolivia, Red Uno, Bolivision, Red PAT. Channel 13 is managed by the Universidad Mayor de San Andres. Two local companies offer cable television service as Multivision and Cotel TV.
Unitel
(1963), politician
Luis Arce
(1879–1946), writer and philosopher
Alcides Arguedas
(1916–1999), poet and novelist, known as Yolanda de Bolivia
Yolanda Bedregal
(1943–2021, rally driver
Armin Franulic
(1958–2016), lawyer and politician
Rodolfo Illanes
(born 1953), former president of Bolivia
Carlos Mesa
(born 1958), writer
Víctor Montoya
(1840–1891), Secretary of State, freedom fighter and doctor
Daniel Nuñez del Prado
(1912–2008), press officer at the Reich Propaganda Ministry, Journalist
Wilfred von Oven
born, Feldbusch (born 1968), German presenter and businesswoman
Verona Pooth
(1792–1865), President of Peru and Bolivia
Andrés de Santa Cruz
(1925–2005), lawyer, politician and former President of Bolivia
Luis Adolfo Siles Salinas
(d. 1980 at La Paz), Bolivian trade unionist
Gualberto Vega
(born 1940), composer
Alberto Villalpando
(1882–1970), architect
Emilio Villanueva
Plaza Murillo with Government and Legislative Palaces in the background
Titicaca Lake near La Paz with the Andes in the background
