Largest Cities in Bolivia
Facts about Bolivia
Official languages: Spanish, Quechua, Aymara
Capital: Sucre
Area: 1,098,580 km²
Population: 9.9 million residents
Population density: 9.05 residents per km²
Currency: BOB
Internet TLD: .bo
ISO codes: BO , BOL, 68
The calling code for Bolivia is +591
Bolivia, a landlocked country in central South America, is one of the poorest countries on the continent.
Despite its wealth of natural resources (previously mainly silver and tin), Bolivia is the poorest and least exporting country in Latin America. Two thirds of the population live in poverty, although Bolivia has South America’s second largest gas reserves, 90 percent of which are exported. The natural gas industry was nationalized in 2006. More than half of the population lives 3,500 meters above sea level in the Altiplano, a plateau between two Andean chains.
In recent years, a domestic political division has developed in Bolivia between the west and the east of the country. The formerly prosperous and populous western regions in the highlands, in which the capital Sucre and the seat of government La Paz are also located, have been impoverished after the decline of mining and have been losing population to the eastern departments, which are located wholly or partly in the lowlands, for years due to internal migration. In recent years, the development of oil and gas reserves and modern, partly industrialized agriculture and forestry have resulted in profitable, growing industries and a wealthy bourgeoisie.
Biggest Cities of Bolivia by Population
# | City | Population | Latitude | Longitude |
1 | Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia | 1,364,500 | -17.7863 | -63.1812 |
2 | Cochabamba, Bolivia | 900,525 | -17.3895 | -66.1568 |
3 | La Paz, Bolivia | 812,910 | -16.5 | -68.15 |
4 | Sucre, Bolivia | 224,949 | -19.0333 | -65.2627 |
5 | Oruro, Bolivia | 208,795 | -17.9833 | -67.15 |
6 | Tarija, Bolivia | 159,380 | -21.5355 | -64.7296 |
7 | Potosi, Bolivia | 141,362 | -19.5836 | -65.7531 |
8 | Sacaba, Bolivia | 107,739 | -17.398 | -66.0383 |
9 | Montero, Bolivia | 88,727 | -17.3387 | -63.2505 |
10 | Quillacollo, Bolivia | 87,420 | -17.3923 | -66.2784 |
11 | Trinidad, Bolivia | 84,370 | -14.8333 | -64.9 |
12 | Yacuiba, Bolivia | 82,914 | -22.0164 | -63.6775 |
13 | Riberalta, Bolivia | 74,125 | -11.0065 | -66.0631 |
14 | Tiquipaya, Bolivia | 54,015 | -17.338 | -66.2158 |
15 | Guayaramerin, Bolivia | 36,119 | -10.8258 | -65.3581 |
16 | Bermejo, Bolivia | 35,522 | -22.7321 | -64.3372 |
17 | Mizque, Bolivia | 30,592 | -17.941 | -65.3402 |
18 | Villazon, Bolivia | 30,364 | -22.0866 | -65.5942 |
19 | Llallagua, Bolivia | 28,180 | -18.4243 | -66.5839 |
20 | Camiri, Bolivia | 28,072 | -20.0385 | -63.5183 |
21 | Cobija, Bolivia | 26,696 | -11.0267 | -68.7692 |
22 | San Borja, Bolivia | 24,721 | -14.8519 | -66.7495 |
23 | San Ignacio de Velasco, Bolivia | 23,680 | -16.3667 | -60.95 |
24 | Tupiza, Bolivia | 22,344 | -21.4435 | -65.7188 |
25 | Warnes, Bolivia | 22,147 | -17.5163 | -63.1678 |
26 | San Borja, Bolivia | 19,751 | -14.8167 | -66.85 |
27 | Ascencion de Guarayos, Bolivia | 18,927 | -15.893 | -63.1885 |
28 | Villamontes, Bolivia | 18,872 | -21.2624 | -63.469 |
29 | Cotoca, Bolivia | 18,458 | -17.8167 | -63.05 |
30 | Villa Yapacani, Bolivia | 18,298 | -17.4 | -63.8333 |
31 | Santiago del Torno, Bolivia | 15,654 | -17.9867 | -63.3812 |
32 | Huanuni, Bolivia | 15,603 | -18.289 | -66.8358 |
33 | Punata, Bolivia | 15,305 | -17.5423 | -65.8347 |
34 | Ascension, Bolivia | 14,540 | -15.7 | -63.0833 |
35 | Mineros, Bolivia | 14,496 | -17.1188 | -63.231 |
36 | Santa Ana de Yacuma, Bolivia | 12,894 | -13.7441 | -65.4269 |
37 | Patacamaya, Bolivia | 12,371 | -17.2358 | -67.9217 |
38 | Colchani, Bolivia | 12,099 | -20.3 | -66.9333 |
39 | Rurrenabaque, Bolivia | 11,860 | -14.4412 | -67.5278 |
40 | Portachuelo, Bolivia | 11,596 | -17.3517 | -63.3928 |
41 | Puerto Quijarro, Bolivia | 10,503 | -17.7833 | -57.7667 |
42 | Uyuni, Bolivia | 10,404 | -20.4597 | -66.825 |
43 | Robore, Bolivia | 9,993 | -18.3347 | -59.7614 |
44 | Pailon, Bolivia | 9,415 | -17.65 | -62.75 |
45 | Cliza, Bolivia | 8,765 | -17.5878 | -65.9325 |
46 | Achacachi, Bolivia | 8,558 | -16.05 | -68.6833 |
47 | Vallegrande, Bolivia | 8,533 | -18.4892 | -64.1061 |
48 | Monteagudo, Bolivia | 8,400 | -19.7999 | -63.9546 |
49 | Aiquile, Bolivia | 8,335 | -18.2041 | -65.1807 |
50 | Tarata, Bolivia | 8,154 | -17.609 | -66.0213 |
51 | Challapata, Bolivia | 8,127 | -18.9021 | -66.7705 |
52 | San Julian, Bolivia | 7,817 | -17.7833 | -62.8667 |
53 | Reyes, Bolivia | 7,487 | -14.2952 | -67.3362 |
54 | Concepcion, Bolivia | 7,011 | -16.4333 | -60.9 |
55 | San Matias, Bolivia | 6,463 | -16.3667 | -58.4 |
56 | La Belgica, Bolivia | 5,612 | -17.55 | -63.2167 |
57 | Santa Rosa del Sara, Bolivia | 5,362 | -17.1092 | -63.5951 |
58 | Capinota, Bolivia | 5,268 | -17.7111 | -66.2608 |
59 | Chimore, Bolivia | 5,258 | -16.9942 | -65.1533 |
60 | San Pedro, Bolivia | 5,113 | -16.2372 | -68.8506 |
Bolivia: Sucre / La Paz
The capital of Bolivia is called Sucre. However, the largest city in the country is Santa Cruz with 1.4 million inhabitants. And La Paz is better known than either of them, but it is not the capital – but at least the seat of government.
Both cities, Sucre and La Paz, are on the Altiplano, but Sucre is far more south than La Paz. In 1899, Sucre was given up as the seat of government because the region was in economic decline. Since then, Bolivia has been ruled from La Paz. Sucre has about 300,000 inhabitants. About 800,000 people live in La Paz. The town of El Alto was built on the neighboring western plateau, where another 850,000 people live.
La Paz is the highest seat of government in the world at an altitude of 3200 to 4100 meters. The higher people live on the slopes, the poorer they are usually. For tourists, altitude is often a problem: they quickly become breathless and can even get altitude sickness.