User:Nach0king/La Paz


 * This article is about the administrative capital of Bolivia. For other uses, see La Paz (disambiguation).

La Paz (full name in Spanish: Nuestra Señora de La Paz (Our Lady of Peace); also Chuquiyapu ("chuqui", 'gold', "yapu", 'farm') from the Aymara) is the administrative capital of Bolivia, as well as the departmental capital of La Paz Department. As of the 2001 census, the city of La Paz had a population of around one million. La Paz is the highest capital city in the world.

History
Founded in 1548 by Alonso de Mendoza at the site of the Native American settlement called Chuquiago, the full name of the city was originally 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 the decisive victory of the republicans at Ayacucho over the Spanish army in the course of the South American Wars of Independence, the city's full name was changed to LaPaz de Ayacucho (meaning The Peace of Ayacucho).

In 1898, La Paz was made the de facto seat of the national government, with Sucre remaining the nominal capital only. This change reflected 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.

Climate


Due the the high altitude in which the city is located, cold and dry temperatures are a common throughout the year, specially in winter time where the temperature can reach -5ºC (23ºF). In the summer, rain falls on most afternoons. It is interesting to point that the climate in La Paz is totally unpredictable: storms and cold weathers could be followed by sunny warm or windy days in any given day of the year.

The average temperatures in the coldest month, July, are a maximum of 17 Degrees Celsius and a minimum of 1 Degree Celsius. November is the warmest month in La Paz, with an average high of 19 Degrees Celsius, and an average low of 6 Degrees Celsius.

Geography
La Paz is situated in the valley of the Choqueyapu River below a plateau with an altitude of 3,600 meters (11,811 feet), making it the highest capital city in the world. Atop the plateau is the city of El Alto, where the international airport is located. Transportation links between the two cities have improved in recent years. The city is located at 16°30' South, 68°8' West (-16.5, -68.1333).

La Paz is renowned for its unique markets, very unusual topography, and traditional culture. It is the capital of a country that is often referred to as the "Tibet of the Americas".

Law and Government
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Prisons
San Pedro Prison is located in La Paz. It is reportedly overpopulated by a factor of 500%. The womens' prison is also overcrowded by 300%.

Economy
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Transport
The main road from La Paz to the Yungas was named the 'World's most dangerous road', with hundreds of casualties yearly on only a 10 mile stretch.

Demographics
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Neighborhoods
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Culture
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Education
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Colleges and universities
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