Bolivia - Cochabamba

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Cochabamba

In 1542 a group of Spanish colonizers settled in the Kjocha-Pampa valley. Ten years later, on August 2nd, 1571, by orders of viceroy Toledo the new city was founded under the name of Villa de Oropeza in honor of the viceroy whose title was Count of Oropeza. Three years later, on January 1st, 1574 the nominal foundation was made by Sebastián Barba de Padilla under orders of viceroy Toledo too. The new city was established along the shores of the Rocha river. From the early days of its existence, the valley showed hints of its natural wealth. At the height of Potosí's silver boom, thanks to its wheat and corn production as well as its cattle abundance, the valley became the source of food for the miners in Potosí as well as for other nearby regions. When Potosí's boom declined in the early 18th century, so did the demand for Cochabamba's products. By the mid-19th century, however, the economic crisis faded away and the city gained back its position as the nation's granary. Currently, Cochabamba is a progressive and economically active city.
Cochabamba lies in a fertile valley at 2,558 meters above sea level, surrounded by the Tunari hill, the Alalay lagoon and the San Sebastian hill. Its weather is mild and pleasant. It is considered the best in the whole country, with warm-sunny days and cool nights. The average temperature in winter is about 17C (61 Fahrenheit). In summer the average temperature is 26 C (78 Fahrenheit). By November 1996, according to data from the Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE) Cochabamba had 482,857 inhabitants.

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