The Ulla Ulla National Reserve - which today is part of

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 ...

- was created in 1972 with an extension of 240,000 ha, a

biosphere reserve A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or o ...

located in the Franz Tamayo Province, in the Department of La Paz in western

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 ...

. The Reserve is on the high

Andean The Andes, Andes Mountains or Andean Mountains (; ) are the longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range is long, wide (widest between 18°S – 20°S l ...

plain northwest of the city of

La Paz La Paz (), officially known as Nuestra Señora de La Paz (Spanish pronunciation: ), is the seat of government of the Plurinational State of Bolivia. With an estimated 816,044 residents as of 2020, La Paz is the third-most populous city in Bo ...

, with an average elevation of over 4000 meters above sea level. Its western border is the political border with

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 ...

. The park is about 2,000 km² in size and is populated by about 12,000 people, most of them of Aymara origin. The park protects part of the Central Andean wet puna

ecoregion An ecoregion (ecological region) or ecozone (ecological zone) is an ecologically and geographically defined area that is smaller than a bioregion, which in turn is smaller than a biogeographic realm. Ecoregions cover relatively large areas o ...

. It is also the home of the Andean Condor (Vultur gryphus) (reportedly the largest flying bird in the world), as well as significant populations of

alpacas The alpaca (''Lama pacos'') is a species of South American camelid mammal. It is similar to, and often confused with, the llama. However, alpacas are often noticeably smaller than llamas. The two animals are closely related and can successf ...

, and the largest group of vicuñas (''Vicugna vicugna'') in Bolivia. The park was designated a

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. I ...

biosphere reserve in 1977.

References

Biosphere reserves of Bolivia Geography of Bolivia Protected areas of Bolivia Protected areas established in 1972 Geography of La Paz Department (Bolivia) {{Bolivia-stub