Copacabana, Bolivia
| Copacabana | |
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| City | |
Panoramic view of Copacabana, at the shore of Lake Titicaca.
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 Copacabana
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| Coordinates: 16°10′S 69°05′W / 16.167°S 69.083°WCoordinates: 16°10′S 69°05′W / 16.167°S 69.083°W | |
| Country |
 Bolivia
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| Departament | La Paz Department (Bolivia) |
| Province | Manco Kapac Province |
| Municipality | Copacabana Municipality |
| Area | |
| • City | 346.5 km2 (133.8 sq mi) |
| • Land | 340.1 km2 (131.3 sq mi) |
| • Water | 6.4 km2 (2.5 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 3,841 m (12,602 ft) |
| Population (2006) | |
| • City | 6,000 |
| • Density | 358.5/km2 (929/sq mi) |
| • Metro | 703,771 |
| Time zone | EST (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| Area code(s) | Area code 591 |
| FIPS code | 45-16000 |
| Climate | Cwc |
| GNIS feature ID | 1245051 |
Copacabana is the main Bolivian town on the shore of Lake Titicaca. The town has a large 16th-century shrine, the Basilica of Our Lady of Copacabana. Our Lady of Copacabana is the patron saint of Bolivia. The town is a destination for tourism in Bolivia. The town is also known for its famous Basilica, home of the Virgin of Copacabana, its trout, and its quaint atmosphere. Built between Mount Calvario and Mount Niño Calvario, the town has approximately 6,000 inhabitants. Copacabana's religious celebrations, cultural patrimony, and traditional festivals are well known throughout Bolivia. Boats leave for Isla del Sol, the sacred Inca island from Copacabana.
There is the belief that the name is derived from the Aymara kota kahuana, meaning "view of the lake." Nevertheless, the social scientist Mario Montaño Aragón, found in the "archives of Indias" in Sevilla, Spain, a completely different history: "Kotakawana" is the god of fertility in ancient Andean mythology, the equivalent to the classical Greek goddess Aphrodite or the Roman Venus. This god is androgynous and lives in the Titicaca, and his court consists of creatures (male and female) that are represented in colonial sculptures and in Catholic churches. They were called "Umantuus", known as mermaids in Western culture.
The present Basilica was built where the main Temple of the Fertility of Kotakawana once stood (nowadays there are small fertility temples along the shores of lakes in Bolivia and Peru). Copacabana has therefore been a sacred place from before the Spanish conquest.
During the wars of independence, the Basilica of Our Lady of Copacabana was despoiled of most of its rich ornaments and gifts, and ruthless plundering by faithless custodians in the course of political disturbances has further contributed to impoverish it. The edifices, originally very handsome, are in a state of sad neglect. It is a shrine for pilgrims from Bolivia and southern Peru, and on 6 August, the feast of its patron saint, it is attended by thousands.
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Wikipedia