La Paz, << lah PAHS or luh PAZ >>, is one of two capitals of Bolivia. The municipality of La Paz has a population of 766,468. A municipality may include rural areas as well as the urban center. La Paz and the adjacent city of El Alto form Bolivia’s largest urban area, with a combined municipal population of 1.6 million. The executive and legislative branches of Bolivia’s government are in La Paz, but the Supreme Court of Justice is in Sucre, the official capital. La Paz is in a deep canyon, locally called the hoyada, high in the Andes Mountains. At 12,500 feet (3,810 meters) above sea level, it is the world’s highest capital.
Many Indigenous (native) Aymara people live in La Paz and El Alto. The population also includes people of Spanish and mixed Indigenous and Spanish ancestry. Residential neighborhoods line the steep canyon walls. The main prado (avenue) has tall skyscrapers and government buildings. The old city center is the Plaza Murillo. The Presidential Palace, the national Congress building, and a cathedral face the plaza. A cable car system connects La Paz with El Alto.
Both Spanish and Indigenous Andean traditions contribute to the culture of La Paz, which is rich in art, architecture, literature, music, and cuisine. Theaters, museums, and music clubs are popular. The city has diverse barrios (neighborhoods), including Gran Poder, the Aymara commercial center, and Sopocachi, a barrio with a bohemian (unconventional) flavor. The Higher University of San Andrés and the Bolivian Catholic University are in La Paz.
Bolivia’s government employs many La Paz residents. International companies and organizations are also important to the economy. Mining and tourism are significant regional industries. La Paz and El Alto also have large factories. The chief manufactured goods include beer, canned food, cement, glass, and textiles. La Paz has large street markets where food, tourist merchandise, antiquities, and household appliances are for sale. Aymara merchants are active in the city’s commercial life.
Spanish settlers founded La Paz in 1548. The original Aymara name for La Paz is Chuqiyapu, meaning field of gold. The river that runs through the canyon shares this name, traditionally spelled Choqueyapu in Spanish. During colonial times, La Paz lay on the route used to transport silver from Bolivian mines to the Pacific coast. In 1899, most of Bolivia’s government operations moved from Sucre to La Paz. Since then, La Paz has been the political and commercial center of Bolivia.
