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La Paz (Bolivia), city in western
Bolivia, located on the La Paz River. La Paz is
Bolivia's largest city, as well as the country's
administrative capital and the capital of La Paz
Department. The city sits amid the Andes Mountains and
is about 3625 m (about 11,900 ft) above sea level,
making it the highest large city in the world. La Paz is
linked by railroads and highways to cities in Peru and
Argentina and to Arica, Chile, the nearest port on the
Pacific Ocean. It also has an international airport.
Although Bolivia is rich in silver, copper, and lead, La
Paz is not heavily industrialized because of limited
power resources. The principal industries process food
and manufacture textiles, clothing, shoes, and chemicals.
The city is the principal export center for the mineral
resources of Bolivia. Although Sucre is the official
capital of Bolivia, La Paz has been the actual center of
government since 1898. With the exception of the
national Supreme Court, all government functions are
centered in La Paz. It is also the site of the
University of San Andrés (1830), the Catholic Bolivian
University (1966), the National Museum, the presidential
and legislative palaces, and a cathedral (completed in
1933) with a capacity of 12,000. La Paz was founded by
the Spanish in 1548. It flourished because of its
strategic location on the trade route between the
Bolivian silver mines and the ocean. From 1809 to 1824,
the city was headquarters for the revolutionary movement
against Spanish rule. Population (1993 estimate) 784,976
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