The La Paz valley, 1997
Below Illimani, Choqueyapu, or "River of Gold" in Aymara, is
the traditional name for the valley where La Paz rests. Founded by
the Spaniard, Captain Alonso de Mendoza in 1584, the valley now filled
with people, buildings and streets once protected a quiet settlement
from the harsh weather of the Altiplano. Today growth in the valley
has exceeded the limits of its walls and extended onto the plain above.
Until the late 1980s these overflow neighborhoods (barrios)
making up El Alto were part of La Paz proper, but became a sovereign
municipality on July 16, 1988 after much debate for their political
voice to be respected. Due to the rapid urbanization of the valley
in the past twenty years native trees and shrubs have a difficult
time growing. In the foreground, dark green patches of Eucalyptus
trees have been planted to prevent erosion on the unstable dirt flanks
of the valley. One can also see the two-lane highway (autopista)
winding its way down from the rim of El Alto into the city of La Paz:
a elevation change in over 1,000 feet between downtown La Paz (11,900
ft. / 3,627m) and the airport in El Alto (13,287ft. / 4050m).
