Nuestra Seņora de La Paz is the seat of
government of Bolivia, as well as the departmental capital of the
La Paz Department, and the second largest city in the country
after Santa Cruz de la Sierra. It is located in the western part
of the country in the department of the same name at an elevation
of roughly 3,650 m (the city is built on steep hills) above sea
level, making it the world's highest de facto capital city, or
administrative capital, with Quito being the highest legal
capital. As it grows, the city of La Paz climbs the hills,
resulting in varying elevations from 3,200 to 4,100 m.
Overlooking the city is towering triple-peaked Illimani, which is
always snow-covered and can be seen from several spots of the
city, including from the neighbor city of El Alto. As of the 2008
census, the city had a population of 877,363. La Paz Metropolitan
area, formed by the cities of La Paz, El Alto and Viacha, make
the most populous urban area of Bolivia, with a population of 2.3
million inhabitants and surpassing the metropolitan area of Santa
Cruz de la Sierra.
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