La Paz Department

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 km. 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 (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

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.

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

• Apolobamba Integrated Management Natural Area
• Cotapata National Park and Integrated Management Natural Area
• Pilón Lajas Biosphere Reserve and Communal Lands
• Lake Titicaca
• Chacaltaya