Turco Municipality is the second municipal section of the Sajama Province in the Oruro Department 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 , flag_alt2 = 7 × 7 square p ...

, and was founded on February 15, 1957.Plan de desarollo municipal Municipio de Turco
(Spanish) Its seat is Turco, situated 154 km west of Oruro at an altitude of 3,860 m. The municipality covers an area of 3,973 km², not taking into account the area of Laca Laca Canton. It is bordered to the north by the Curahuara de Carangas Municipality and

San Pedro de Totora Province San Pedro de Totora is a province in the northern parts of the Bolivian department of Oruro. Location San Pedro de Totora province is one of the sixteen provinces in the Oruro Department. It is located between 17° 41' and 18° 06' South and betwe ...

, to the south by the Litoral and

Sabaya Sabaya is a small town in the Bolivian Oruro Department. In 2001 it had a population of 573 inhabitants in 2001. Sabaya is the administrative center of the Sabaya Province and the Sabaya Municipality alike. It is located south-west of Oruro, the ...

Provinces, to the west by Chile and to the east by the Carangas Province (Qhurqhi (Corque) and Chuqi Quta (Choquecota) Municipalities).

Geography

The most important rivers are Sajama, Cosapa, Lauca, K'uwiri and Qullpa Jawira (also named ''río Turco'', Turco River) . A couple of volcanoes and mountains of the Bolivian Western Mountain Range like

Uqi Uqini Uqi Uqini (Aymara ''uqi uqi'' a species of plant, ''uqi'' brown, grey brown, the reduplication indicates that there is a group or a complex of something, ''-ni'' a suffix to indicate ownership, "the one with the ''uqi uqi'' plant" or "the one with ...

and the volcanic complex of Kimsa Chata, a group of three mountains named Umurata,

Acotango Acotango is the central and highest of a group of stratovolcanoes straddling the border of Bolivia and Chile. It is high. The group is known as Kimsa Chata and consists of three mountains: Acotango, Umurata () north of it and Capurata () south ...

and Capurata in the west of the municipality are making up the natural border of Turco Municipality with Chile. Other mountains are listed below:

Subdivision

The municipality is divided into four cantons and nine ayllus.

Flora and fauna

Part of Cosapa Canton is situated within

Sajama National Park Sajama National Park is a national park located in the Oruro Department, Bolivia. It borders Lauca National Park in Chile. The park is home to the indigenous Aymara people, whose influential ancient culture can be seen in various aspects throu ...

. This park was created to conserve the rare woods of the queñua species ''

Polylepis tarapacana ''Polylepis tomentella'', known in its native habitat by the Spanish common name ''queñoa de altura'' (polylepis or quenoa of ighaltitude), is a short tree or shrub which is found in small, scattered groupings along the mountainous borders of ...

'' and to protect species of wild flora and fauna like yareta ''(Azorella compacta)'', Andean hairy armadillo ''(Chaetophractus nationi)'', Darwin's rhea ''(Pterocnemia pennata)'', vicuña ''(Vicugna vicugna)'',

taruca The taruca (''Hippocamelus antisensis''), also known as the Peruvian guemal, north Andean deer, north Andean huemul, northern huemul or northern guemal, is a mid sized deer species that inhabits the high regions of the Andes mountains in South Am ...

''(Hippocamelus antisensis)'', Andean mountain cat ''(Felis jacobita)'' and

cougar The cougar (''Puma concolor'') is a large Felidae, cat native to the Americas. Its Species distribution, range spans from the Canadian Yukon to the southern Andes in South America and is the most widespread of any large wild terrestrial mamm ...

or puma ''(Felis concolor)'', all of them occurring in the municipality, as well as their habitat. The region has a rich diversity of native plants which are both useful for the inhabitants and the animals. The most important species are:

The people

Most of the people in the municipality are of Aymara descent known as Carangas. They are mostly bilingual. According to census 2001 the main languages spoken are Spanish (3,544 speakers) and Aymara (3,259 speakers).

Transport

Ruta 4 (Bolivia) con el Nevado Sajama de fondo

The international transit road from Oruro to Chile crosses Turco Municipality leading to

Tambo Quemado Tambo may refer to: People * Adelaide Tambo (1929–2007), South African anti-apartheid activist * Dali Tambo (born 1959), South African anti-apartheid activist, TV presenter and also son of Oliver Tambo and Adelaide Tambo * Oliver Tambo (1917� ...

situated in the Chachacomani Canton in the north-western part of the municipality In the map below Tambo Quemado erroneously is shown as part of Lagunas Canton in the Curahuara de Carangas Municipality (Sajama Province), but actually belongs to Turco Municipality. at the border between Chile and Bolivia.

References

External links

Turco Municipality: population data and map
(not showing Asunción Laca Laca Canton) {{Authority control Municipalities of Oruro Department