Cochabamba
| Cochabamba | |||
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Downtown Cochabamba skyline with the Tunari mountain range in the background.
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| Nickname(s): "City of Eternal Spring" "The Garden City" "La Llajta" |
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 Cochabamba
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| Coordinates: 17°23′S 66°10′W / 17.383°S 66.167°WCoordinates: 17°23′S 66°10′W / 17.383°S 66.167°W | |||
| Country |
 Bolivia
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| Department | Cochabamba | ||
| Province | Cercado Province | ||
| Municipality | Cochabamba Municipality | ||
| Founded | August 15, 1571 | ||
| Government | |||
| • Type | Municipal Autonomous Government | ||
| • Mayor | José María Leyes | ||
| Area | |||
| • City | 170 km2 (70 sq mi) | ||
| • Land | 169 km2 (65 sq mi) | ||
| • Water | 1 km2 (0.4 sq mi) | ||
| • Urban | 111 km2 (43 sq mi) | ||
| Elevation | 2,558 m (8,392 ft) | ||
| Population (2012) | |||
| • City | 630,587 | ||
| • Density | 3,700/km2 (9,600/sq mi) | ||
| • Metro | 1,938,401 | ||
| Climate | BSk | ||
| Website | Official website | ||
Cochabamba (Aymara: Quchapampa, Quechua: Quchapampa) is a city in central Bolivia, in a valley with the same name, in the Andes mountain range. It is the capital of the Cochabamba Department and is the fourth largest city in Bolivia, with a population of 630,587 according to the 2012 Bolivian census. Its name is 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 Cochalas.
It is known as the "City of Eternal Spring" and "The Garden City" because of its spring-like temperatures all year round. It is also known as "La Llajta", which means " town" in Quechua.
The Cochabamba valley was inhabited for over a thousand years due to its fertile productive soils and climate. Archaeological evidence suggests that the initial inhabitants were of indigenous ethnic groups: Tiwanaku, Tupuraya, Mojocoya, Omereque, and Inca inhabited the valley at times before the Spanish arrived. The town achieved its peak and got its name, from Quechua Kochaj-pampa, as part of the Inca civilization and expansion led by Huayna Capac.
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