(“La Paz”, (/lɑː ˈpɑːz/), officially known as Nuestra Señora de La Paz (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈnwes.tɾa seˈɲoɾa ðe la pas]; English: Our Lady of Peace), also named Chuqi Yapu (Chuquiago) in Aymara, is the seat of government of the “Plurinational State of Bolivia”)
(with an estimated 789,541 residents as of 2015, ‘La Paz’ is the third-most populous city in Bolivia (after Santa Cruz de la Sierra and ‘El Alto’)
(its metropolitan area, which is formed by La Paz, El Alto and Viacha, makes up the most populous urban area in Bolivia, with a population of 2.3 million)
(it is also the capital of the “La Paz Department”)
The city, located in west-central Bolivia 68 km (42 mi) southeast of Lake Titicaca, is set in a canyon created by the Choqueyapu River.
It is located in a bowl-like depression surrounded by the high mountains of the Altiplano.
Overlooking the city is the towering, triple-peaked Illimani.
Its peaks are always snow covered and can be seen from many parts of 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)
20 OCTOBER 1548:
(the city of “Nuestra Señora de La Paz” (aka “Our Lady of Peace”) is founded by “Alonso de Mendoza” by appointment of the “king of spain” and Holy Roman Emperor “Charles V”)
(‘La Paz’ was founded on October 20, 1548 by the Spanish conquistador Captain Alonso de Mendoza at the site of the Inca settlement of Laja as 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 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 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 and seat of the Bolivian executive power, the Plurinational Legislative Assembly, and numerous government departments and agencies)
(Sucre is the constitutional capital of Bolivia and retains the judicial power)
(the city hosts numerous 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 25% of Bolivia’s Gross Domestic Product and serves as the headquarters for numerous bolivian companies and industries)
La Paz is also an important cultural center of Latin America, as it hosts several landmarks belonging to the colonial times, such as the San Francisco Church, the Metropolitan Cathedral, the Plaza Murillo and the Jaén Street.
The city is renowned for its unique markets, particularly the Witches’ Market, and for its vibrant nightlife.
Its unusual topography offers unique views of the city and the surrounding mountains of the Cordillera Real from numerous natural viewing points.
La Paz is also home to both the longest and highest urban cable car network in the world.
(in ‘May 2015’, it was officially recognized as one of the “New 7 Wonders Cities” together with ‘Beirut’, ‘Doha’, ‘Durban’, ‘Havana’, ‘Kuala Lumpur’, and ‘Vigan’)
(‘La Paz’ is listed on the ‘Global Cities Index 2015’, and is considered a global city type “Gamma” by “Globalization and World Cities Research Network” (GaWC))