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86-734: The first Games were held in 1978 in La Paz , Bolivia . They have since been held every four years, with the most recent edition in 2022 in Asuncion , Paraguay . The Games have had an equivalent to the Olympic Flame since their inception: the South American Flame, which is relayed from Tiahuanaco , Bolivia, to the host city. For the XI edition in 2018 there were two bids: Cochabamba, Bolivia , and Barquisimeto , Venezuela , with

172-496: A phreatic eruption . The released pressure allowed the formation of the Caracoles tuff ring on top of the breccia. The magma then extruded outward from a dike to form a volcanic dome over the tuff . The dacite dome is 1,700 m (5,600 ft) by 1,200 m (3,900 ft) at the surface and narrows down to the 100 m (330 ft) wide dike at depth. Hydrothermal circulation and fracturing soon followed, altering

258-531: A subalpine subtropical highland climate ( Köppen : Cwc ), bordering on a tundra climate ( Köppen : ET ). At this altitude, night-time temperatures range from cold to very cold. Snow flurries can occur in winter, especially at dawn and usually melts before noon. Despite being located only 16 degrees from the equator, this part of the city has average temperatures similar to that of cities such as Bergen , Norway or Tórshavn , Faroe Islands . Temperatures in central La Paz, at 3,600 meters (11,811 feet), and in

344-730: A book written (in Spanish) by Argentinian journalist Ernesto Rodríguez III with support of the Argentine Olympic Committee under the auspices of the Ministry of Education in collaboration with the Sports Secretary of Argentina. 15 ODESUR members along to the code COI of each one The South American School Games have been held since 1991. 27th was held in Santiago , Chile . The total medal count for all

430-442: A candle tied to their foreheads. Many of them died or were seriously injured due to falls, accidents, and the harsh conditions of the mine life. Illness was another danger: at such a high altitude, pneumonia was always a concern, especially given the extreme and rapid changes of temperature experienced by workers climbing from the heat of the deep shafts to the freezing elements of the surface at 16,000 feet, and mercury poisoning took

516-405: A connecting point between the commercial routes that led from Potosí and Oruro to Lima ; the full name of the city was originally Nuestra Señora de La Paz (meaning Our Lady of Peace ) in commemoration of the restoration of peace following the insurrection of Gonzalo Pizarro and fellow conquistadors against the first viceroy of Peru . The city was later moved to its present location in

602-525: A greater extent. According to his research, though as few as 4500 mitayos were actively laboring in the mines at any given time, this was due to the mita ordinaria system, in which the up to 13,500 men conscripted per year were divided into three parts, each working one out of every three weeks. In addition, many of the remaining mingas and wage workers were either mita ordinaria workers on their off weeks or former mitayos who remained in Potosí. Within

688-471: A little over a century earlier. This only increased the burden on the remaining natives, and at some point in the 1600s, up to half of the eligible male population might find themselves working at Potosí. Nevertheless, the number of mitayos dropped to about 4,000 by 1689, prompting the Viceroy Duke of Palata to raise the number again through a new census and inclusion of new populations not subject to

774-481: A mining center in early Spanish colonial history, Potosí still sits at one of the largest silver deposit systems in the world. Located in the Bolivian Tin Belt, Cerro Rico de Potosí is the world's largest silver deposit and has been mined since the sixteenth century, producing up to 60,000 tonnes by 1996. Estimates are that much silver still remains in the mines. Potosí became the second largest city, and

860-414: A principal hub for Línea Aérea Amaszonas and Transporte Aéreo Militar . It also serves as a focus city for Boliviana de Aviación , Bolivia's flag-carrier and largest airline. The airport is located in the city of El Alto and is (13 km) south-west of La Paz's city center. At an elevation of 4,061 meters (13,323 feet), it is the highest international airport and fifth highest commercial airport in

946-471: A reddish-brown gossan cap of iron-oxides and quartz, with grayish-blue altered dacite and many mine dumps below. Basement rocks consist of Ordovician clastic sediments consisting of phyllite with some sandstone interbedding . At about 13.8 Ma , the dome was extruded . During the explosive process, the Venus breccia formed when the ascending dacite magma reacted with groundwater to produce

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1032-510: A result of the extreme precipitation deficit during the winter months, with the resulting aridity leading to an increased diurnal temperature variation. Potosí is home to football teams Real and Nacional , which play their matches at the 32,000-capacity multi-purpose stadium Estadio Víctor Agustín Ugarte , one of the highest stadiums in the world. The city is served by Aeropuerto Capitán Nicolas Rojas , with commercial airline flights by Boliviana de Aviación , Bolivia's flag air carrier. There

1118-755: A revolution for independence, marking the beginning of the Spanish American Wars of Independence , which gained the freedom of South American states in 1821. As the seat of the government of Bolivia, La Paz is the site of the Palacio Quemado , the presidential palace. It is also the seat of the Bolivian legislature , the Plurinational Legislative Assembly , and numerous government departments and agencies. The constitutional capital of Bolivia, Sucre , retains

1204-753: A study by the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI), the El Alto system is the least resilient against the impact of climate change among the three systems. The study says that reducing water distribution losses is the most effective short-term strategy to deal with water scarcity . New water sources further to the North in the Cordillera include the Khara Kota and Taypicacha, but they are expensive to develop and their water supply

1290-469: A thunderous noise, whereas it does in Aymara . Thus, if Potosí encompasses the idea of a thunderous noise, the location would have an Aymaran root rather than a Quechuan. The actual sharp structure of the term is contrary to the nature of both Aymara and Quechua. Another explanation, given by several Quechua speakers, is that potoq is an onomatopoeic word that reproduces the sound of the hammer against

1376-572: A total of six months, a group of Aymara people laid siege to La Paz. Under the leadership of Tupac Katari , they destroyed churches and government property. Thirty years later Indians conducted a two-month siege against La Paz. This incident was the setting for the origin of the legend of the Ekeko . In 1809, the struggle for independence from the Spanish rule brought uprisings against the royalist forces. On 16 July 1809, Pedro Domingo Murillo said that

1462-537: Is 4,824 m (15,827 ft) above sea level . Today, Potosí continues to be an important mining center, and is the largest urban center in the Department of Potosí. A growing city, Potosí is now famous for its well-preserved colonial architecture, and unusual geographic setting as one of the highest cities in the world. It features a rare cold highland climate, and is marked by its long dry period, and short but strong wet season. While famous for its dominance as

1548-646: Is also affected by glacier melt. La Paz is part of the Union of Ibero-American Capital Cities from 12 October 1982. La Paz is also a member of Merco Ciudades, a group of 180 cities within Mercosur , since 1999. La Paz is twinned with: Potos%C3%AD Potosí , known as Villa Imperial de Potosí in the colonial period, is the capital city and a municipality of the Department of Potosí in Bolivia . It

1634-668: Is also the capital of the La Paz Department . The city, in west-central Bolivia 68 km (42 mi) southeast of Lake Titicaca , is set in a canyon created by the Choqueyapu River . It is in a bowl-like depression, part of the Amazon basin, surrounded by the high mountains of the Altiplano . Overlooking the city is the triple-peaked Illimani . Its peaks are always snow-covered and can be seen from many parts of

1720-492: Is at a much lower altitude and is capable of handling larger aircraft. Additionally, the airport supplies travelers with oxygen for those who suffer from altitude sickness . La Paz Bus Station, originally a bus and train station, was built by the French architect Gustave Eiffel . It is the main gateway for inter-city buses with several daily departures to all the main Bolivian cities, and routes to Chile and Peru . The city

1806-402: Is connected by road with the city of Oruro from where there are routes to Sucre, Potosí and the south of the country. Another highway branches off before Oruro to reach Cochabamba and Santa Cruz . Roads to the west go to Copacabana and Tiwanaku , near Lake Titicaca , and continue to Cuzco , Peru via the border town of Desaguadero . There are also roads north to get to Yungas crossing

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1892-409: Is home to the largest urban cable car network in the world. The Spanish conquistadors founded the city in 1548 with the name Nuestra Señora de La Paz (meaning Our Lady of Peace ). The name commemorated the restoration of peace following the insurrection of Gonzalo Pizarro and fellow conquistadors four years earlier against Blasco Núñez Vela , the first viceroy of Peru . In 1825, after

1978-734: Is in the valleys of the Andes, close to the Eastern split of the Altiplano region. The metropolitan area is near to the Cordillera Real range, which includes such notable mountains as Illimani (guardian of La Paz), Mururata , Huayna Potosi , Chacaltaya , Kunturiri , Llamp'u , Chachakumani , Chearoco , and Ancohuma . La Paz is built in a canyon created by the Choqueyapu River (now mostly built over), which runs northwest to southeast. The city's main thoroughfare, which roughly follows

2064-537: Is known today as the Plaza Murillo, was chosen as the location for government buildings as well as the Metropolitan Cathedral. Spain controlled La Paz with a firm grip and the Spanish king had the last word in all matters political, but consultation was extended, taking months or longer by sea. Indigenous and other unrest was repeated around the turn of the nineteenth century. In 1781, for

2150-703: Is no authoritative etymology for the word Potosí . According to legend, in about 1462, Huayna Capac , the eleventh Sapa Inca of what by then was known as the Inca Empire "set out for Ccolque Porco and Andaccaua, the location of his mines from which were taken innumerable arrobas of silver" (an arroba is a Spanish unit of weight equivalent to approximately 25 lb (11 kg)). Before leaving there, he saw Potosí, and admiring its beauty and grandeur, he said (speaking to those of his Court): "This doubtless must have much silver in its heart"; whereby he subsequently ordered his vassals to go to Ccolque Porco ... and work

2236-406: Is one of the highest cities in the world at a nominal 4,090 m (13,420 ft). For centuries, it was the location of the Spanish colonial silver mint . A considerable amount of the city's colonial architecture has been preserved in the historic center of the city, which—along with the globally important Cerro Rico de Potosí—are part of a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site. Potosí lies at

2322-436: Is the origin of the dollar sign . The urban complex in the remote Andes was important enough to be designated a Villa Imperial in the hierarchy of Spanish urban settlements. Although in mountainous terrain, the core of Potosí was laid out in the standard Spanish grid pattern, where by 1610 some 3,000 Spaniards and 35,000 creoles, mostly male, were resident. Indigenous settlements outside the core were more haphazard. The villa

2408-551: Is the seat of government of the Plurinational State of Bolivia . With 755,732 residents as of 2024, La Paz is the third-most populous city in Bolivia . Its metropolitan area, which is formed by La Paz, El Alto , Achocalla , Viacha , and Mecapaca makes up the second most populous urban area in Bolivia, with a population of 2.2 million, after Santa Cruz de la Sierra with a population of 2.3 million. It

2494-661: The Andes Mountains . Departures to smaller cities and towns within the department use informal stations located in Villa Fátima (departures to Los Yungas, Beni and Pando ), Upper San Pedro (for Apolo ) and near the General Cemetery (for Copacabana, Lake Titicaca, or via Tiwanaku to Desaguadero on the Peruvian border). A system of urban transit aerial cable cars called Mi Teleférico ("My Cable Car")

2580-631: The Chacaltaya near El Alto, already disappeared in 2008. The El Alto system receives its water from the Tuni Dam and two water channels. These channels divert water that flows from the Zongo Glacier on the slopes of Huayna Potosi and from Condoriri North of El Alto. The 2.9 km long Zongo glacier retreats at a rate of about 18 meters per year. The Tuni and Condoriri glaciers have lost 39% of their area between 1983 and 2006. According to

2666-820: The San Francisco Church , the Metropolitan Cathedral , the Plaza Murillo and Jaén Street. La Paz is also situated at the confluence of archaeological regions of the Tiwanaku and Inca Empire . The city is renowned for its markets, particularly the Witches' Market , and for its nightlife. Its topography offers views of the city and the surrounding mountains of the Cordillera Real from numerous natural viewing points . La Paz

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2752-470: The Zona Sur (Southern Zone), at 3,250 m (10,663 ft) above sea level are warmer and are classified as subtropical highland climates ( Köppen : Cwb ). Heavy precipitation typically occurs throughout summer, and often causes destructive mudslides . At an altitude of 3,250 meters, in the southern part of the city, the wettest month is January with a monthly average of 114 mm (4.5 in), and

2838-475: The judicial power . The city hosts all the foreign embassies as well as international missions in the country. La Paz is an important political, administrative, economic, and sports center of Bolivia; it generates 24% of the nation's gross domestic product and serves as the headquarters for numerous Bolivian companies and industries. La Paz is also an important cultural center of South America , as it hosts several landmarks dating from colonial times, such as

2924-677: The Bolivian revolution was igniting a lamp that nobody would be able to turn off. This uprising formally marked the beginning of the liberation of South America from Spain. The first open rebellions against the Spanish Crown took place in La Paz and the city of Sucre simultaneously. This event is known as the Primer Grito Libertario de América and brought about the Bolivian War of Independence . Pedro Domingo Murillo

3010-558: The Games until 2022 is tabulated below. This table is sorted by the number of gold medals earned by each country. The number of silver medals is taken into consideration next, and then the number of bronze medals . Disciplines from the same sport are grouped under the same color:   Aquatics –   Cycling –   Football –   Gymnastics –   Roller sports –   Volleyball La Paz La Paz , officially Nuestra Señora de La Paz ,

3096-537: The Incan vassals desisted in their purpose and returned to Porco and told the king what had happened; relating the occurrence in their own language, on coming to the word noise, they said "Potocsí" which means there was a great thunderous noise, and from that later was derived (corrupting a letter) the name of potosí. It is believed that Potosí is a Quechua word. However, in Quechua the root p'otoj does not refer to

3182-668: The Pacific coast, shipped north to Panama City , and carried by mule train across the isthmus of Panama to Nombre de Dios or Portobelo , whence it was taken to Spain on the Spanish treasure fleets . Some of the silver also made its way east to Buenos Aires , via the Rio de la Plata . Some of the silver was also transported to Acapulco, Mexico , where it was sent via the Manila Galleons to buy Asian products. Cerro de Potosí's peak

3268-554: The Potosí mint. For Europeans, Peru– Bolivia was located in the Viceroyalty of Peru and was known as " Upper Peru " before becoming independent as part of Bolivia . Potosí was a mythical land of riches, it is mentioned in Miguel de Cervantes ' famous novel, Don Quixote (second part, chap. LXXI) as a land of "extraordinary richness". One theory holds that the mint mark of Potosí (the letters "PTSI" superimposed on one another)

3354-475: The city of El Alto: The Southern District, one of La Paz's most affluent and commercial neighborhoods, is relatively separated from the rest of the city, including the CBD . The Avenida Costanera and Avenida Kantutani (Costanera and Kantutani Avenues) connect the southern district with the rest of the metropolitan area. El Alto International Airport (IATA code: LPB) is La Paz's national and international airport and

3440-411: The city's colonial buildings, the future of these historic edifices remains uncertain. The economy of La Paz has improved greatly in recent years, mainly as a result of improved political stability. Due to the long period of high inflation and economic struggle faced by Bolivians in the 1980s and early 1990s, a large informal economy developed. Evidence of this is provided by the markets found all around

3526-468: The city, the most notable ones on Jaén Street, which street design has been preserved from the Spanish days and is home of 10 different museums. The home of the Bolivian government is located on Murillo Square and is known as "Palacio Quemado" ( Burnt Palace ) as it has been on fire several times. The palace has been restored many times since, but the name has remained untouched. Popular food from La Paz includes: Automobiles and public transportation are

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3612-501: The city. At an elevation of roughly 3,650 m (11,975 ft) above sea level , La Paz is the highest capital city in the world . Due to its altitude, La Paz has an unusual subtropical highland climate , with rainy summers and dry winters. La Paz was founded on 20 October 1548, by the Spanish conquistador Captain Alonso de Mendoza , at the site of the Inca settlement of Laja as

3698-407: The city. While there are stable markets, almost every street in the downtown area and surrounding neighborhoods has at least one vendor on it. La Paz remains the principal center of manufacturing enterprises that produce finished-product goods for the country, with about two-thirds of Bolivia's manufacturing located nearby. Historically, industry in Bolivia has been dominated by mineral processing and

3784-699: The command of Juan José Castelli ), which led to an increased sense that Potosí required its own independent government. Later, the Second Auxiliary Army (under the command of Manuel Belgrano ) was forced to retreat, Belgrano made the decision to blow up the Casa de la Moneda . The natives undid the fuse, as many refused to evacuate and would have lost their lives. Two more expeditions from Buenos Aires would seize Potosí. Potosí continues to be an important administrative center, mining town, tourist attraction, and population center in modern Bolivia. There

3870-523: The conditions at Potosí. Spanish American mines were the world's most abundant sources of silver during this time period. Spanish America's ability to supply a great amount of silver and China's strong demand for this commodity which the Spanish supplied via Latin American trade with the Philippines using the Manila Galleons , resulted in a spectacular mining boom. The true champion of this boom in

3956-410: The dacite and depositing ore minerals and gangue in the veins. Founded in 1545 as a mining town, it soon produced fabulous wealth, and the population eventually exceeded 200,000 people. The city gave rise to a Spanish expression, still in use: valer un Potosí ("to be worth a Potosí"), meaning "to be of great value". The rich mountain, Cerro Rico , produced an estimated 60% of all silver mined in

4042-478: The decisive victory of the republicans at Ayacucho over the Spanish army in the course of the Spanish American wars of independence , the city's full name was changed to La Paz de Ayacucho (meaning The Peace of Ayacucho ). The region in which La Paz is located in was known as Chuquiago Marka ( marka means village; Chuqi Yapu means 'gold farm', probably due to the exploitation of gold nuggets in

4128-431: The driest is July with 8 mm (0.3 in). The whole city has rainy summers and dry winters. The city has a relatively dry climate, with rainfall occurring mainly in the slightly warmer months of November to March. Heavy precipitation typically occurs throughout summer, and often causes destructive mudslides . The wettest month is January with a monthly average of 100–140 mm (3.9–5.5 in) of precipitation, and

4214-462: The driest months are June and July with around 5 mm (0.2 in) of precipitation. In the highest part of the city, above 4,000 meters, the two cloudiest months are February and March, in late summer, when sunshine averages around 5 hours per day. The two sunniest months are June and July, in winter, when sunshine averages around 8 hours per day. The city of La Paz has a consistently decreasing volume of colonial buildings, mostly centered around

4300-492: The end of the civil wars in Peru; the city of La Paz was founded on 20 October 1548, by Alonzo de Mendoza, with Juan de Vargas appointed as its first mayor. In 1549, Juan Gutierrez Paniagua was commanded to design an urban plan that would designate sites for public areas, plazas, official buildings, and a cathedral. These were meant to express the ideals and relationships of Spanish colonial society. La Plaza de los Españoles, which

4386-564: The exception of Deportivo Municipal and Unión Maestranza, all the other teams play the majority of their games in the city stadium, the Estadio Hernando Siles , which also hosts the national football team and international games. Always Ready frequently play at the Estadio Rafael Mendoza which belongs to The Strongest, who rarely use the stadium due to its relatively small capacity. The city hosts some of

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4472-482: The female population were sex workers, which is a typical phenomenon in mining towns generally. In the early 17th century, Basques were well established in the city and made up for a substantial number of the inhabitants in Potosí. They gathered in a confederation opposed to another one, the Vicuñas , a melting pot of natives and non-Basque Spanish and Portuguese colonists, fighting for control over ore extraction from

4558-622: The final hosting decision in favour of Cochabamba in 2011. Starting with the 2014 edition, the South American Para Games are held for South American Paralympic athletes. Just like the Olympic Games , the host city for the South American Games is also the host for Para-South American Games. The detailed history of the South American Games together with an extensive list of medal winners was published in

4644-543: The first and largest of these systems with its sister city El Alto . All three systems are fed by glaciers and rivers in the Cordillera mountain range. 20-28 % of its water is fed by glaciers, the remainder coming from rainfall and snowmelt. The glaciers recede as a result of climate change, initially increasing water availability during the dry season, but ultimately threatening a substantial decrease in dry season run-off when they completely disappear. A small glacier,

4730-661: The foot of the Cerro de Potosí —sometimes referred to as the Cerro Rico ("rich mountain")—a mountain popularly conceived of as being "made of" silver ore that dominates the city. The Cerro Rico is the reason for Potosí's historical importance since it was the major supply of silver for the Spanish Empire until Guanajuato in Mexico surpassed it in the 18th century. The silver was taken by llama and mule train to

4816-510: The impact of the Potosi mita on the Indians is that mita labor was only one form of work at the mines. A 1603 report stated that of 58,800 Indians working at Potosi, 5100 were mitayos , or fewer than one in ten. In addition to the mitayos there were 10,500 mingas (contractual workers) and 43,200 free wage earners." However, historian Peter Bakewell emphasizes the role of mita labor in Potosí to

4902-426: The indigenous population. These mitayos faced harsh conditions in the mines, where they were often given the least desirable jobs. While more skilled laborers extracted the ore, mitayos were tasked with carrying it back to the surface in baskets, leather bags, or cloth sacks. These loads often weighed between 100 and 300 lbs, and the workers had to carry them up rickety ladders in steep, narrow shafts lit only by

4988-421: The lives of many involved in the refining process. The Potosí mita caused dramatic demographic shifts in the local indigenous population as wives and children moved with workers to Potosí while thousands more fled their traditional villages, forfeiting their ayllu land rights in order to escape the labor draft. By the late 17th century, upper Peru had lost nearly 50% of its indigenous population compared to

5074-438: The main means to get into the city. In March 2012, more than 1.5 million vehicles were registered. Heavy traffic is common in the city center and traffic jams occur on peak hours. The La Paz-El Alto Highway is a toll road that connects the city of La Paz with the neighboring city of El Alto . It is the city's main highway. It allows easy access to El Alto International Airport . The highway runs 11,7 km and crosses

5160-602: The mines and its management. Eventually, tension among both factions came to a head, resulting in the eruption of overt armed conflict starting 1622 up to 1625. The Spanish Crown intervened, siding at one point with the Basques. Both factions reached a settlement sealed with a wedding between the son and daughter of the leaders in either side, the Basque Francisco Oyanume and the Vicuña general Castillo. One of

5246-461: The mines and remove from them all the rich metal. They did so, and having brought their tools of flint and reinforced wood, they climbed the hill; and after having probed for its veins, they were about to open those veins when they heard a frightening thunderous noise which shook the whole hill, and after this, they heard a voice which said: "Do not take the silver from this hill, because it is destined for other masters." Amazed at hearing this reasoning,

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5332-399: The mines, a figure called el Tío acts as a deity of the land itself. El Tío serves as a figure of the mountain itself. Laborers within the mines offer coca leaves and alcohol to statues constructed within the mines of the deity to protect themselves from the dangerous conditions. Potosí was a multiracial society, with native Andeans, Spanish settlers, and black slaves. The largest sector of

5418-483: The mita ( forasteros ). The reform failed, and the Duke's successor set the official number to 4,108 mitayos (1,367 active each week). In reality, the number of mitayos was even lower due to the increasing practice of buying oneself out of the obligation. For the remaining mita workforce, however, conditions remained harsh. Mine and mill owners notoriously ignored official regulations on provisions and especially withheld

5504-512: The money the Indians should receive as recompensation for their travel. Just the cost of traveling to Potosí and back could be more than a mitayo was paid in a year, and so many of them chose to remain in Potosí as wage workers when their mita was finished. Former mitayos living in Potosí were not only exempt from the draft, but usually earned considerably more due to the valuable skills they had gained in permanent services. According to historian Noble David Cook, "A key factor in understanding

5590-476: The most famous Basque residents in Potosí (1617–19) was Catalina de Erauso , a nun who escaped her convent and dressed as a man, becoming a driver of llamas and a soldier. During the Bolivian War of Independence (1809–1825), Potosí frequently passed between the control of Royalist and Patriot forces. Major leadership mistakes came when the First Auxiliary Army arrived from Buenos Aires (under

5676-403: The most important universities of the country: La Paz is an important cultural center of Bolivia. The city hosts several cathedrals belonging to the colonial times, such as the San Francisco Cathedral and the Metropolitan Cathedral, this last one located on Murillo Square, which is also home of the political and administrative power of the country. Hundreds of different museums can be found across

5762-628: The ore, and oral tradition has it that the town derived its name from this word. Potosí has a rare climate for a city of its size, due to its extreme elevation at over 4,000m. Semi-arid and with average temperatures in its warmest month sitting right at 10 °C, the city's climate straddles a subtropical highland climate , Cwc , within the Köppen climate classification , with subpolar oceanic characteristics and an alpine climate (E). Summers are cool and wet. with daily highs rarely rising above 20 °C. Winters have cooler days with much colder nights, averaging −4 °C. These low temperatures are

5848-526: The population were native men, forced to labor underground mining the silver ore, but there were considerable opportunities for merchants and native traders, who became wealthy. Suppliers of food as well as holders of urban and rural real estate prospered in Potosí. Women, particularly widows, held property, since they were guaranteed a portion of their husband's estate under Spanish law. Small-scale female vendors dominated street markets and stalls, selling food, coca leaves, and chicha (maize beer). A portion of

5934-421: The preparation of agricultural products. However, in the urban center of La Paz, small plants carry out a large portion of the industry. Food, tobacco products, clothing, various consumer goods, building materials, and agricultural tools are produced. "The tin quotations from London are watched in La Paz with close interest as an index of the country's prosperity; a third of the national revenue and more than half of

6020-443: The river, changes names over its length, but the central tree-lined section running through the downtown core is called the Prado. The geography of La Paz (in particular the altitude) is marked by social differences. The more affluent residents live in the lower, central areas of the city southwest of the Prado. Many middle-class residents live in high-rise condos near the center. Lower-income residents live in makeshift brick houses in

6106-539: The shift of the Bolivian economy away from the largely exhausted silver mines of Potosí to the exploitation of tin near Oruro , and resulting shifts in the distribution of economic and political power among various national elites . The segregation of Cholitas (women of Andean indigenous background) continued until the 1980s. They were not allowed to enter certain public places and were banned from cinemas and some restaurants, with more emphasis in Bolivian eastern cities like Santa Cruz De La Sierra . La Paz

6192-419: The silver industry was indeed the Spanish crown. By allowing private-sector entrepreneurs to operate mines under license and placing high taxes on mining profits, the Spanish empire was able to extract the greatest benefits. An example of a tax that was levied includes the quinto , a 20% severance tax on gross value. From the raw materials extracted from the mines, coins called pieces of eight were fashioned at

6278-513: The site of the first mint, in the Americas. By 1891, low silver prices prompted the change to mining tin, which continued until 1985. At peak production in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, the ore contained up to 40% silver. The ore deposits reside in veins present in the dacite volcanic dome . The hill is "honeycombed" with underground workings, reaching from the summit to depths of 1,150 m (3,770 ft). The conical hill has

6364-504: The small rivers of the place; spelling differences due to Aymara writing compared to Spanish transliteration) in the Aymara language, leading former President of Bolivia Evo Morales to suggest renaming the city to "Chuquiago Marka" in a speech in 2017. This area had been the site of an Inca city on a major trading route. Although the Spanish conquistadors entered the area in 1535, they did not found La Paz until 1548. Originally it

6450-601: The surrounding hills. The satellite city of El Alto, where the airport is, is spread over a broad area to the west of the canyon, on the Altiplano. An earthquake in July 1994 rated at 8.2 struck 200 miles (322 km) north of La Paz. It could be felt near La Paz and caused damage throughout the villages of the area. In February 2002 the city was subjected to a hail and rainstorm that resulted in flooding causing serious damage and over 50 deaths. At more than 4,000 meters (13,000 ft) above sea level, higher parts of La Paz have

6536-408: The total customs in 1925 were derived from tin; in short, that humble but indispensable metal is the hub around which Bolivia's economic life revolves. The tin deposits of Bolivia, second largest in the world, ... invite development." La Paz is the home of some of the biggest football teams in Bolivia. The city is host to several other teams that play in the first and second divisions such as: With

6622-491: The valley of Chuquiago Marka. La Paz was under Spanish colonial rule as part of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata , before Bolivia gained independence. Since its founding, the city was the site of numerous revolts. In 1781, the indigenous leader and independence activist Túpac Katari laid siege to the city for a total of six months, but was finally defeated. On 16 July 1809, the Bolivian patriot Pedro Domingo Murillo ignited

6708-449: The vicinity of the Plaza Murillo. Due to a lack of funds and the inability of property owners to pay for restorations to colonial buildings, many have been torn down, or are in a dilapidated state. As historic buildings are more expensive to keep, land owners find it less of a burden to construct more modern buildings as opposed to keeping the old ones. Although there has been an increasing number of projects and propositions to restore some of

6794-495: The world during the second half of the 16th century. Potosí miners at first mined the rich oxidized ores with native silver and silver chloride ( cerargyrite ) that could be fed directly into smelting furnaces. Especially successful were the small clay "flower pot" furnaces called guayras , which had been used by the Incas. By 1565, the miners had exhausted the direct-smelting ore, and silver production plummeted. Silver production

6880-619: The world. The runway has a length of 4,000 meters (2.5 mi). It is one of Bolivia's three main international gateways, along with Jorge Wilstermann International Airport and Viru Viru International Airport . International carriers serving El Alto International Airport include Avianca and LATAM Airlines , which offer direct flights from La Paz to cities such as Bogotá , Lima , and Santiago . However, most international traffic, including flights to Europe , operated out of Viru Viru International Airport in Santa Cruz de la Sierra which

6966-575: Was an ecclesiastical court for legal issues regarding the clergy. Indigenous laborers were required to work in Potosí's silver mines through the Spanish mita system of forced labor, based on an analogous mit'a system traditional to pre-Hispanic Andean society (though the mit'a directed labor for public works and collective agricultural projects). Laborers were drawn from the native population of an area that encompassed almost 200,000 square miles. Thirteen thousand men were conscripted each year, constituting about one out of every seven adult males in

7052-521: Was governed by a Spanish corregidor and town council. Some 40 notaries documented and recorded commercial transactions as well as last wills and testaments. Since Potosí was of such economic importance to the Spanish Empire , the crown bureaucracy was a significant presence. Large churches, lavishly decorated inside, were built, and friars from the Dominican, Franciscans, Augustinians, Mercederians, and Jesuits were present, but no convent for women. There

7138-471: Was hanged at the Plaza de los Españoles several months later, on 29 January 1810. After Bolivia gained independence, La Paz named this plaza after him, to commemorate him always. He is remembered as the voice of revolution across South America. In 1898, La Paz was made the de facto seat of the national government, with Sucre remaining the nominal historical as well as judiciary capital. This change reflected

7224-584: Was opened in 2014. Eight lines are in operation, and three more lines are in the planning stage. The initial three lines were built by the Austrian company Doppelmayr . The first two lines (Red and Yellow) connected La Paz with El Alto . All stations have both a Spanish name and an Aymara name. The water supply of La Paz is threatened by the impact of climate change through the melting of glaciers. The city receives its drinking water from three water systems: El Alto, Achachicala and Pampahasi. La Paz shares

7310-449: Was revived by the introduction of the patio process , invented by Spanish merchant Bartolomé de Medina in 1554. The patio process used mercury amalgamation to extract silver from lower-grade ores, and those containing silver sulfide ( argentite ), as was typical of the unoxidized ores found deeper in the mountain. In 1609, another mercury amalgamation method, the pan amalgamation process was invented in Potosí, and proved better-adapted to

7396-464: Was to be at the site of the Native American settlement, Laja . The town site was moved a few days later to its present location in the valley of Chuquiago, which is more clement. Control over the former Inca lands had been entrusted to Pedro de la Gasca by the Spanish king (and Holy Roman Emperor) Emperor Charles V . Gasca commanded Alonso de Mendoza to found a new city commemorating

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