The La Paz Department of

Bolivia , image_flag = Bandera de Bolivia (Estado).svg , flag_alt = Horizontal tricolor (red, yellow, and green from top to bottom) with the coat of arms of Bolivia in the center , flag_alt2 = 7 × 7 square p ...

comprises with a 2012

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses in ...

population of 2,706,359 inhabitants. It is situated at the western border of Bolivia, sharing

Lake Titicaca Lake Titicaca (; es, Lago Titicaca ; qu, Titiqaqa Qucha) is a large freshwater lake in the Andes mountains on the border of Bolivia and Peru. It is often called the highest navigable lake in the world. By volume of water and by surface area ...

with adjacent

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal , national_motto = "Fi ...

. It contains the '' Cordillera Real'', which reaches altitudes of . 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 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.

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:

Government

The chief executive office of Bolivia's departments (since May 2010) is the Governor; before then, the office was called the

Prefect Prefect (from the Latin ''praefectus'', substantive adjectival form of ''praeficere'': "put in front", meaning in charge) is a magisterial title of varying definition, but essentially refers to the leader of an administrative area. A prefect's ...

, 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:

Past executives

Demographics

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.obd.descentralizacion.gov.bo
(Spanish)

Places of interest

Apolobamba Integrated Management Natural Area The Apolobamba Integrated Management Natural Area (''Área Natural de Manejo Integrado Apolobamba'') is a protected area in the La Paz Department, Bolivia, situated in the Bautista Saavedra, Franz Tamayo and Larecaja provinces. See also * Ap ...

Cotapata National Park and Integrated Management Natural Area Cotapata National Park and Integrated Management Natural Area (''Parque Nacional y Área Natural de Manejo Integrado Cotapata'') is a protected area in the Yungas of La Paz Department, Bolivia. It is situated in the northwest of the department, i ...

* Pilón Lajas Biosphere Reserve and Communal Lands *

* Chacaltaya

Towns and villages

Arapata Arapata is a small town in Bolivia , image_flag = Bandera de Bolivia (Estado).svg , flag_alt = Horizontal tricolor (red, yellow, and green from top to bottom) with the coat of arms of Bolivia in the center , fla ...

Belén, Aroma Belén (Aroma) is a small town in Bolivia , image_flag = Bandera de Bolivia (Estado).svg , flag_alt = Horizontal tricolor (red, yellow, and green from top to bottom) with the coat of arms of Bolivia in the center ...

References

External links

La Paz City Guide

Weather in La Paz

Bolivian Music and Web Varieties

Full information of La Paz Department
{{Authority control Departments of Bolivia