Cochabamba ( Aymara : Quchapampa Jach'a Suyu , Spanish : Departamento de Cochabamba pronounced [kotʃaˈβamba] , Quechua : Quchapampa Suyu ), from Quechua qucha or qhucha , meaning "lake", pampa meaning "plain", is one of the nine departments of Bolivia . It is known to be the " granary " of the country because of its variety of agricultural products from its geographical position. It has an area of 55,631 km . Its population in the 2024 census was 2,005,373. Its capital is the city of Cochabamba , known as the "City of Eternal Spring" and "The Garden City" because of its spring-like temperatures all year.
26-648: Alalay is a location in the Cochabamba Department in central Bolivia . It is the seat of the Alalay Municipality , the third municipal section of the Mizque Province . This Cochabamba Department location article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Cochabamba Department The Cochabamba valley has been inhabited for over a thousand years due to its fertile productive soils and climate. Archaeological evidence suggests that
52-414: A Desert climate To the extreme southwest, is a small tract of Puna which features a cold Tundra climate , with unusual subpolar oceanic characteristics. Precipitation in this area ranges between 300mm and 650mm per year. Since May 2010, the chief executive officer of Bolivia departments has been the governor; before then, the officer was called the prefect, and until 2006, the prefect was appointed by
78-696: A 2024 census population of 3,022,566 inhabitants. It is situated at the western border of Bolivia, sharing Lake Titicaca with the neighboring Peru . It contains the Cordillera Real mountain range, which reaches altitudes of 6.6 kilometers (22,000 ft). Northeast of the Cordillera Real are the Yungas , the steep eastern slopes of the Andes Mountains that make the transition to the Amazon River basin to
104-509: A considerable historical and archaeological importance. To the southeast of the highlands of Cochabamba, are semi-arid valleys and mountains terminating at the banks of the Wapaymayu or Río Grande. This area, famous for its cultural history, is marked by dry valleys and mountains, with agricultural lands bordering rivers throughout the region. Precipitation in this region is generally sparse, oscillating between 300mm and 600mm per year, bordering on
130-412: A dispute with President Evo Morales over regional autonomy and other political issues. The protestors blockaded the highways, bridges, and main roads, having days earlier set fire to the departmental seat of government, trying to force the resignation of Reyes Villa. Citizens attacked the protestors, breaking the blockade and routing them, while the police did little to stop the violence. Further attempts by
156-788: Is a transition zone between the Tropical Wet-and-Dry forests of Santa Cruz and the Chapare, where Monsoonal climates predominate with an average annual precipitation between 1,800mm and 3,000mm. South of the Tropical lowlands of Cochabamba lies a thin band of montane cloud forests that run slightly southeast from north to south in Cochabamba. This region features an unusual subtropical highland climate and Oceanic climate , with precipitation year-round, with some drying periods. Precipitation in this region ranges between 1,000mm and 2,500mm. The center of
182-652: Is divided into 16 provinces ( provincias ), which are further subdivided into 47 municipalities ( municipios ) and – on the fourth level – into 144 cantons . The provinces with their capitals and population according to census 2012 are listed as follow: The municipalities in Cochabamba Department can also be grouped informally into large regions. Provinces are not subsumed under regions, which have rather different borders. The five regions are: The languages spoken in Cochabamba Department are mainly Spanish and Quechua . The following table shows
208-533: Is made up of a variety of regions. The northern portions of the department, known as the Chapare, is a region of moist Southwestern Amazonian moist forests with high levels of precipitation between 2,000mm and 7,000mm a year. This region is marked by steep hills and mountains at the edge of the Central Andes descending into the flat floodplains of the Llanos de Moxos to the north of Cochabamba. Further east of this region
234-559: Is needed to find new productive wells. Once called “the basket grain of Bolivia” today Cochabamba produces just a portion of the agriculture output of the country. Overpopulation in the productive valleys and “minifundio” doomed the once competitive production. Nevertheless, Cochabamba is still important in poultry, dairy, tropical fruits, potatoes, among others. Recently, Cochabamba experiences some improvement in manufacturing and industry. The cement mill of COBOCE located in Capinota almost triples
260-827: Is the Governor ; before then, the office was called the Prefect , and until 2006 the prefect was appointed by the President of Bolivia and then the governor is elected by the voters. The current governor, Santos Quispe, was elected on 11 April 2021 and took office on 3 May. Under the 2009 Constitution , Bolivian departments have an elected legislature, known as the Departmental Legislative Assembly. The La Paz Assembly has 45 members including five indigenous / natives minority representatives. The most recent governor election results (2021) are as follows: The languages spoken in
286-570: The president of Bolivia . The current governor, Humberto Sánchez of the Movement for Socialism – Political Instrument for the Sovereignty of the Peoples (MAS–IPSP) was elected on 7 March 2021 and took office on 4 May. The MAS–IPSP has been the dominant political party in the department since the 2008 recall referendum. Under the 2009 Constitution , Bolivian departments have an elected legislature,
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#1733104943165312-529: The Departmental Legislative Assembly. The Cochabamba Assembly has 34 members including two indigenous representatives. The first elections were held 4 April 2010 and the current composition was determined at the regional election on 7 March 2021. The current executive committee, elected on 3 May 2022, consists of Elena Aine Espinoza as president, Francisco Otalora Ticona as first vice-president, Pedro Andrés Badran Leon as second vice-president and Julieta Veizaga Guevara as first secretary. Cochabamba Department
338-580: The city to the 'loyal and valiant' Villa of Cochabamba. This was done to commend the city's pivotal role in suppressing the indigenous rebellions of 1781 in Oruro by sending armed forces to Oruro to quell the uprisings. Since the late 19th century it has again been generally successful as an agricultural centre for Bolivia. The 1793 census shows that the city had a population of 22,305 persons. There were 12,980 mestizos, 6,368 Spaniards, 1,182 indigenous natives, 1,600 mulattos and 175 African slaves. In 2000, Cochabamba
364-539: The department is marked by the temperate xeric valleys of Cochabamba (known as Kanata), Alto Cochabamba, and Capinota. These valley areas are marked by dry montane forests, and semi-arid orographies. Temperate climates year-round feature considerable diurnal temperature variation due to the high altitude. A majority of the department's population lives in this area, where major cities are located like Cochabamba , Cliza , Punata , Sacaba , Quillacollo , Arani , Santivańez , Capinota , Irpa Irpa , among others. Surrounding
390-592: The initial valley inhabitants were of various ethnic indigenous groups. Tiwanaku , Tupuraya, Mojocoya, Omereque and Inca inhabited the valley at various times before the Spanish arrived. The first Spanish inhabitant of the Valley was Garci Ruiz de Orellana in 1542. He purchased the majority of the land from local tribal chiefs Achata and Consavana through a title registered in 1552 at the Imperial City of Potosí. The price paid
416-449: The largest and richest cities in the world during the 17th century – funding the vast wealth that ultimately made Spain a world power at the time. With the silver mining industry in Potosi at its height, Cochabamba thrived during its first centuries of existence. The city entered a period of decline during the 18th century as mining began to wane. In 1786, King Charles III of Spain renamed
442-467: The main routes of transport joining the two main cities, the host government La Paz and the industrial hub Santa Cruz. Therefore, many cervices i.e. transport, banking, telecommunication, gastronomy, are economically important in the corridor La Paz – Santa Cruz. Extraction of oil was very important for the economy in the past; especially in Chapare where the wells are located. By 2013 many of the exploited wells were showing signs of depletion. Thus, investment
468-455: The northeast. The capital of the department is the city of La Paz and is the administrative city and seat of government /national capital of Bolivia. 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: The chief executive office of Bolivia's departments (since May 2010)
494-496: The number of those belonging to the recognised group of speakers. Cochabamba is home to a diverse amount of religious adherents, with 42% identifying as Catholics, 32% as Evangelical Christians, 0.67% as Muslims, and the remaining 27% as identifying with either no religion or other religions. The Cochabamba economy is based mainly in services, but recently it is experiencing some diversification in manufacturing, agriculture and tourism. The geographic location of Cochabamba makes it
520-605: The production tapering the strong demand. The roads to the industrial park and other facilities of the park were improved making it more competitive for the local and new industries. Also, it is worth to mention the almost 1b USD government investment in the petro chemistry (urea plant) located in Bulo Bulo. 17°20′S 65°30′W / 17.333°S 65.500°W / -17.333; -65.500 La Paz Department (Bolivia) The La Paz Department of Bolivia comprises 133,985 square kilometres (51,732 sq mi) with
546-404: The protestors to reinstate the blockade and threaten the government were unsuccessful, but the underlying tensions have not been resolved. In July 2007, a monument erected by veterans of January's protest movement in honour of those killed and injured by government supporters was destroyed in the middle of the night, reigniting racial conflicts in the city. In August 2008, a nationwide referendum
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#1733104943165572-403: The smaller valleys of the department's center from the west to the east, is a region of Andean highlands, featuring a subtropical highland climate , with annual precipitation averaging between 400mm and 1,400mm. This region of rocky valleys and moderately sized mountains features mosaics of high altitude forests and agricultural heartland. This region features dramatic and diverse geographies, with
598-415: The south, Oruro and La Paz Departments to the west, Beni Department to the north, and Santa Cruz Department to the east. The borders are formed mainly by rivers, like Ichilo to the east, Rio Grande to the south and Cotacajes to the west. Geographically and climatically, Cochabamba is one of Bolivia's most diverse regions, with a similar orography and diversity to La Paz department . Cochabamba
624-522: Was 130 pesos. His residence, known as the House of Mayorazgo, still stands in the Cala Cala neighbourhood of the city. The city, called Villa de Oropesa was founded on 2 August 1571 by order of Viceroy Francisco de Toledo, Count of Oropesa. It was to be an agricultural production centre to provide food for the mining towns of the relatively nearby Altiplano region, particularly the city of Potosí which became one of
650-520: Was held, and while President Evo Morales had 67% support in Bolivia, the Prefect of Cochabamba, Manfred Reyes Villa, was not confirmed by the voters of the department. In 2018 Cochabamba hosted the 2018 South American Games ODESUR. Around 74% of Cochabambinos identify as indigenous, while most of the remaining population is mestizo. Cochabamba Department is bordered by Chuquisaca and Potosi Departments to
676-549: Was wracked by large-scale protests over the privatisation of the city's water supply, known as the Water War . In January 2007 city dwellers clashed with mostly rural protestors, leaving four dead and over 130 injured. The democratically elected Prefect of Cochabamba, Manfred Reyes Villa, a former military aide to the Luis García Meza dictatorship of the 1980s, had allied himself with the leaders of Bolivia's eastern departments in
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