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Cochabamba
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Cochabamba is a city in central Bolivia, located in a valley bearing the same name in the Andes mountain range. It is the capital of the Cochabamba Department and is the third largest city in Bolivia with an urban population of 608,276 (2008) and a metropolitan population of more than 1,000,000 people. The name derives from a compound of the Quechua words qucha, meaning "lake", and pampa, "open plain". Residents of the city and surrounding areas are commonly referred to as Cochabambinos.
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Encyclopedia
Cochabamba is a city in central Bolivia, located in a valley bearing the same name in the Andes mountain range. It is the capital of the Cochabamba Department and is the third largest city in Bolivia with an urban population of 608,276 (2008) and a metropolitan population of more than 1,000,000 people. The name derives from a compound of the Quechua words qucha, meaning "lake", and pampa, "open plain". Residents of the city and surrounding areas are commonly referred to as Cochabambinos. Cochabamba is known as the "City of Eternal Spring" and "The Garden City" due to its spring-like temperatures year round.
History
The Cochabamba valley was inhabited for over a thousand years due to its fertile productive soils and climate. Archaeological evidence suggests that the initial valley inhabitants were of various ethnic indigenous groups. Inca, Tupuraya, Mojocoya, Omereque, and Tiwanaku inhabited the valley at various times before the Spanish arrived.
The first Spanish inhabitant of the Valley was Garci Ruiz de Orellana in 1542. He purchased the majority of the land from local tribal chiefs Achata and Consavana through a title registered in 1552 at the Imperial City of Potosí. The price paid was 130 pesos. His residence, known as the House of Mayorazgo, still stands in the Cala Cala neighbourhood of the city.
The city, called Villa de Oropesa was founded on 2 August 1571 by order of Viceroy Francisco de Toledo, Count of Oropesa. It was to be an agricultural production centre to provide food for the mining towns of the relatively nearby Altiplano region, particularly the city of Potosí which became one of the largest and richest cities in the world during the 17th century - funding the vast wealth that ultimately made Spain a world power at the time. With the silver mining industry in Potosi at its height, Cochabamba thrived during its first centuries of existence. The city entered a period of decline during the 18th century as mining began to wane.
In 1786, King Charles III of Spain renamed the city to the 'loyal and valiant' Villa of Cochabamba. This was done to commend the city's pivotal role in suppressing the indigenous rebellions of 1781 in Oruro by sending armed forces to Oruro to quell the uprisings. Since the late 19th century it has again been generally successful as an agricultural centre for Bolivia.
The 1793 census shows that the city had a population of 22,305 persons. There were 12,980 mestizos, 6,368 Spaniards, 1,182 indigenous natives, 1,600 mulattos and 175 African slaves.
The population, mostly Catholic, in 1902 was over 330,000. Besides a number of schools and charitable institutions the diocese has 55 parishes, 80 churches and chapels, and 160 priests.
In 2000, Cochabamba was wracked with large-scale protests over the privatisation of the city's water supply. See 2000 Cochabamba protests.
In January 2007 city dwellers clashed with mostly rural protestors, leaving four dead and over 130 injured. The first ever democratically-elected Prefect of Cochabamba, Manfred Reyes Villa, had allied himself with the leaders of Bolivia's Eastern Departments in a dispute with President Evo Morales over regional autonomy and other political issues. The protestors blockaded the highways, bridges, and main roads, having days earlier set fire to the departmental seat of government, trying to force the resignation of Reyes Villa. Citizens attacked the protestors, breaking the blockade and routing them, while the police did little to stop the violence. Further attempts by the protestors to reinstate the blockade and threaten the government were unsuccessful, but the underlying tensions have not been resolved.
In July 2007, a monument erected by veterans of January's protest movement in honour of those killed and injured by government supporters was destroyed in the middle of the night, reigniting racial conflicts in the city.
In August 2008, a nationwide referendum was held, the prefect of Cochabamba, Manfred Reyes Villa, was not confirmed by the voters of the department.
People and culture
Currently, Cochabamba is among Bolivia's most economically and socially progressive cities. Commensurate with other large cities in the Andean highlands of South America, Cochabamba is a city of varied contrasts. Its central commercial districts, bounded by and , is generally equipped with modern urban amenities, and is where the majority of the city's business and commercial industries are based. An active nightlife is centered around and also along the broad, tree-lined boulevard, . In contrast, the remote area adjacent to the Wilstermann International Airport is visibly impoverished, with adobe homes and unpaved roads, which is often the first impression visitors acquire while commuting into the city.
The most widely spoken language in Cochabamba is Spanish. Although the Spanish that is spoken in the Cochabamba region is generally regarded as rather conservative in its phonetics and vocabulary, few Quechua and Aymara terminology (guagua [child], papa [potato]) have been incorporated into its standardized form.
As with most cities around the globe, English language is increasingly spoken and understood, particularly among business executives and westernised Cochabambinos. English-language instruction has become incorporated into various levels of Bolivian education from elementary to college levels.
The city's racial demographics consist of the following visible groups in order of prevalence: Western Hemispheric Indigenous (mostly of Quechua ethnicity), Mestizo, Castizo, and Caucasoid (Criollos).
Economy
The area in which Cochabamba is situated is commonly referred to as the granary of Bolivia. Its climate is milder than that of the Altiplano region to the west and thus permits an extensive agriculture, including grains, potatoes, and coffee in the highlands and sugarcane, cacao (the source of cocoa beans), tobacco, and fruit in the Chapare tropical lowlands, an area that had been one of the country’s main coca-leaf-producing regions.
Places of interest
- South America's biggest open-air market, called La Cancha, is open seven days a week in Cochabamba, with Wednesday and Saturday being the busiest days of operation. Here merchants sell everything imaginable from witchcraft talismans to LCD TVs and iPods. The market is organised and divided in areas depending on the wares being sold.
- Perched atop the San Pedro hill, the 33 m (109 ft) tall statue of the Cristo de la Concordia is the tallest of its kind in the world (Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro is taller only when they include the stone base in their height measurement). Visitors can climb inside up to the arms for a panoramic view of the city.
- The Palacio Portales is an eclectic style mansion with French Renaissance architectural influences. It includes a Louis XVI room, a moor themed room and influences of Alhambra de Granada. It is located in the northern neighbourhood of Queru Queru. It was built for Simon Patino, Bolivia's wealthiest industrialist. Currently the Palacio Portales holds tours as well as a library, art galleries and many gardens on the property.
- The Tunari National Park flanks the city like a crescent to the north and northwest. Paragliding, trekking and bird watching tours are offered by several tourist agencies.
- Villa Tunari (not to be confused with the Tunari National Park) is a small town in the eastern Cochabamba rainforest where visitors often go to see the animal refuge Inti Wara Yassi that houses several monkey species, pumas and exotic birds. An annual fish fair is held, where many varieties of trout and surubi fish can be delected.
- The Parque Mariscal Santa Cruz is a recreational park located in the Chimba neighbourhood. There is Gaudi inspired architecture in the quaint aquarium and surroundings. There is an artificial lake where paddle boats can be driven around fountains. There are also sports fields, dirt bike hills, picnic areas and giant slides.
- The Cochabamba Bolivia Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was dedicated on April 30, 2000 and is located in the neighbourhood of Queru Queru Alto.
- Cochabamba is home to several Catholic churches including the Convento de San Francisco built in 1607 which is made of rainforest wood and has a gold leaf altar. The Main Plaza Cathedral's facade reflects a mestizo fusion of Spanish Baroque and Indigenous architectural styles.
Education
The city is the home of the , one of the largest and most prominent public universities in Bolivia; the Universidad Catolica Boliviana "San Pablo"; and several smaller private universities such as the Universidad Privada Boliviana, Universidad del Valle, Universidad de Aquino Bolivia and others.
Airport
Cochabamba is served by the modern Jorge Wilstermann International Airport (IATA code CBB), which handles domestic and international flights. It also houses the headquarters of Lloyd Aereo Boliviano, Bolivia's national airline. TAM Mercosur and Aerosur are two airlines that also service this airport.
Neighborhoods
Cochabamba is a steadily emerging market within the Bolivian real estate industry. An annual mild climate, abundant greenery, mountain vistas, and a progressive local economy are factors that have contributed to the city's appeal for Bolivian nationals, expatriates and foreigners alike. Historic and affluent neighbourhoods such as Cala Cala, El Mirador, and Lomas de Aranjuez showcase some of the city's most distinguished residences.
- Queru Queru - North
- La Recoleta - North
- Cala Cala - North
- Lomas de Aranjuez - North
- El Mirador - North
- Las Brisas - North
- Sarco - Northwest
- Mayorazgo - Northwest
- Barrio Profesional - Northwest
- America Oeste - Northwest
- Colquiri - Northwest
- Muyurina - Northeast
- Tupuraya - Northeast
- Hippodromo - West
- Villa Busch - West
- Temporal - North
- La Chimba - Southwest
- Aeropuerto - Southwest
- Ticti Norte - Fringe North
- Jaihuayco - South
- Zona sud - South
- Ticti - South
- Valle Hermoso - South
Satellite cities and towns
Additional notes of interest
- Cochabamba is also mentioned in the Documentary "The Corporation", about their fight against privatisation of water by a US owned company. The people protested against this and won. The privatisation had gone to such an extent that even rain water was not allowed to be collected. Read Cochabamba protests of 2000.
- A Mastercard commercial depicting the world switching from a competitor's credit card to Mastercard all over the world ends with the competitor saying that he still has Cochabamba, which ends up switching to Mastercard anyway.
- Cochabamba has been confirmed to be the seat of a future South American Parliament when it is formed by UNASUL. UNASUL has yet to determine what the composition of the Parliament will be, but existing treaties all agree it will meet in Cochabamba.
Cochabambino migration
Historically, Cochabamba has been a destination for many Bolivians from the western highlands due to relatively improved economic opportunities and a more temperate climate. Bolivia's current President Evo Morales and ex-president Gonzalo Sanchez de Lozada were both Senators representing Cochabamba, although they were born in Oruro and La Paz respectively and immigrated to Cochabamba at the start of their political careers.
After the road to the then-isolated eastern town of Santa Cruz de la Sierra was completed in the 1950s, thousands of Cochabambinos migrated to the lowlands and permanently settled there causing the population of that city to mushroom from 50,000 in 1950 to over 1,500,000 today. Many Cochabambino migrants and their descendants now identify themselves as Cambas after absorbing the regional Bolivian culture of the eastern lowlands, but maintain familiar ties with relatives that remained in Cochabamba.
A large population of Bolivian and Bolivian-descended residents is in the Greater Washington, D.C.-Baltimore-Northern Virginia area of USA (2005 US Census estimates 27,452 +/- 8,883 Bolivians for DC, Virginia, and Maryland); the highest concentration is in Arlington County, Virginia. These figures may represent a census undercount of undocumented Bolivian alien residents. These combined communities have become the centre for recent and established Bolivian immigrants, most of whom are from the department and city of Cochabamba, hence, locally regarded as Little Cochabamba or Arlibamba. Little Cochabamba contains Bolivian-cuisine restaurants and the Escuela Bolivia; a school-within-a-school programme for children and adults.
After to the mid-1990s, many low-income Cochabambinos emigrated to Bergamo, Italy in search of work. Most of the 16,400 (2005 estimate) Bolivians in Bergamo are from Cochabamba, which includes both legal and work visa-expired immigrants. This migration is due to the strong relationship between the Roman Catholic Diocese of Bergamo and the Archdiocese of Cochabamba.
Notable residents
Sister cities
Kunming, Yunnan, China
External links
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