Sajama National Park
| Sajama National Park | |
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IUCN category II (national park)
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Nevado Sajama
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| Location |
 BoliviaOruro Department |
| Coordinates | 18°05′0″S 68°55′0″W / 18.08333°S 68.91667°WCoordinates: 18°05′0″S 68°55′0″W / 18.08333°S 68.91667°W |
| Area | 1,002 km² |
| Established | 1939 |
| Governing body | Servicio Nacional de Áreas Protegidas |
Sajama National Park is a national park located in the Oruro Department, Bolivia. It borders Lauca National Park in Chile. The park is home to indigenous people, known as the Aymara, whose influential ancient culture can be seen in various aspects throughout the park. The park contains unique cultural artifacts and ecological wonders, making it an exemplary location for ecotourism. Many different indigenous plants and animals are exclusive to this area; therefore, its continued conservation is of great ecological importance. Management of the park operates under a co-administrative approach, with local people and park conservationists engaging in a constant dialogue regarding park upkeep and policy.
Sajama National Park is Bolivia's oldest national park. The park lies within the Central Andean dry puna ecoregion. It features a spectacular Andean landscape, with elevations ranging from 4,200 to 6,542 meters (13,780 to 21,463 ft). It contains the snowy cone of the volcano Sajama, the highest mountain in Bolivia at 6542 meters. The park also includes the Payachata volcanic group.
The area was declared a nature reserve in 1939 because of the native Queñoa De Altura (Polylepis tarapacana) that grows on the hillsides of this region. This shrub-like tree has adapted to the high elevations and harsh climate of the Andes. At the time that the area was declared a national park, rampant harvesting of this tree was taking place to create charcoal to supply Bolivian mines.
On July 1, 2003, it was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List due to its universal cultural and natural significance.
The Aymara people are indigenous to the Bolivian and Peruvian altiplano, and make up a quarter of Bolivia's population. Latest estimates predict about 300 families in the affluence zone of the park and about 100 in the park's interior. Much of the Aymara population participates in llama and alpaca herding and yarn spinning. Circular houses, traditional to the Aymara, can still be found today. The Aymara people also have the unique tradition of handing down historic textiles through the generations as inherited wealth. Because the Aymara people rely so heavily on the natural environment, they take on a protectoral role regarding its use. For example, the Aymara recently protested the Dakar Rally, an off road race taking place through Bolivia's salt flats for the first time. The Aymara cited fears of environmental damage from litter and ruts in the white landscape from the vehicles as cause for concern.
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Wikipedia