Bolivia Map – Cities & Towns [BO]
Bolivia’s settlement map spans three contrasting physical zones: the high Andes and Altiplano, the inter-Andean valleys, and the eastern lowlands. Sucre is the constitutional capital, while La Paz is the seat of government. The largest connected urban systems are concentrated around La Paz–El Alto, Cochabamba, and Santa Cruz de la Sierra, while smaller regional centers organize the Amazonian north, the Chaco, border corridors, and the southern highlands. The map and tables use selected populated places rather than every locality recorded by the national census.
The markers identify the constitutional capital, the seat of government, all nine departmental capitals, metropolitan municipalities, regional hubs, selected border towns, and settlements that help explain Bolivia’s geographic structure. Coordinates represent approximate settlement-center points.
Bolivia’s Two-Capital Map Context
Sucre
Article 6 of Bolivia’s Constitution names Sucre as the national capital. The city is also the capital of Chuquisaca Department and the seat of the country’s highest judicial institutions. On a reference map, Sucre should receive the national-capital symbol rather than being shown only as a departmental seat.[4]
La Paz
La Paz contains the seat of government and is the capital of La Paz Department. It forms a continuous built-up system with El Alto, although the two are separate municipalities. A combined city marker would hide both the administrative boundary and the sharp topographic change between the basin of La Paz and the Altiplano above it.
Nine Departments and Their Capitals
Bolivia is organized territorially into departments, provinces, municipalities, and Indigenous Native Peasant Territories. The nine departments are the first-order units used for the regional structure of this map.[3] Their ISO 3166-2 codes use the national prefix BO followed by a one-letter subdivision code.[5]
| Department | ISO 3166-2 | Capital | Broad Map Zone | Settlement Pattern |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beni | BO-B | Trinidad | Northern lowlands | River-linked cities and widely separated towns |
| Chuquisaca | BO-H | Sucre | Inter-Andean valleys and southeastern highlands | One dominant capital with smaller valley and provincial centers |
| Cochabamba | BO-C | Cochabamba | Central valleys and northern tropical slopes | Dense metropolitan corridor surrounded by regional towns |
| La Paz | BO-L | La Paz | Altiplano, mountain basins, Yungas, and northern lowlands | Large dual-city urban system with varied elevation zones |
| Oruro | BO-O | Oruro | Central Altiplano | Department capital supported by mining, rail, road, and market towns |
| Pando | BO-N | Cobija | Northern Amazonian lowlands | Small network centered on Cobija and river-road settlements |
| Potosí | BO-P | Potosí | Southern highlands and southwestern Altiplano | Highland cities, mining centers, transport towns, and border settlements |
| Santa Cruz | BO-S | Santa Cruz de la Sierra | Eastern plains, Chiquitanía, and Chaco | Large metropolitan core with long-distance regional corridors |
| Tarija | BO-T | Tarija | Southern valleys and Gran Chaco | Valley capital linked to Chaco and Argentina-border cities |
Three Geographic Zones Shape the City Network
The national statistical institute describes three predominant geographic zones: the Andean region, the Sub-Andean region, and the eastern plains. These broad zones explain why Bolivian cities differ sharply in elevation, spacing, road access, and metropolitan form.[2]
Closely Linked Highland Centers
La Paz, El Alto, Oruro, Potosí, Viacha, Uyuni, and Villazón occupy high basins, plateaus, and mountain corridors. Settlements may appear close on a flat map while remaining separated by steep relief, high passes, or long road alignments.
Linear Urban Growth
Cochabamba, Sucre, and Tarija occupy valley settings where urban expansion follows flatter land and transport routes. In the Cochabamba basin, several municipalities form a continuous east–west urban strip rather than isolated city points.
Large Distances Between Regional Hubs
Santa Cruz de la Sierra anchors the largest eastern urban system. Trinidad, Cobija, Riberalta, Guayaramerín, San Ignacio de Velasco, Puerto Suárez, and Camiri serve separate lowland, Amazonian, Chiquitanía, and Chaco subregions.
Selected Cities and Towns
The table is a map index, not a legal classification of every populated place. “City,” “town,” “metropolitan municipality,” and “regional hub” describe each location’s map role. Population is intentionally omitted because locality, municipal, built-up-area, and metropolitan totals are not interchangeable.
| Place | Map Type | Department | Geographic Area | Latitude | Longitude | Map Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sucre | Constitutional capital | Chuquisaca | Inter-Andean highlands | -19.0196 | -65.2619 | National and departmental capital |
| La Paz | Seat of government | La Paz | Andean basin | -16.4897 | -68.1193 | Government center and departmental capital |
| El Alto | Major city | La Paz | Altiplano | -16.5000 | -68.1500 | Separate municipality within the La Paz–El Alto urban system |
| Santa Cruz de la Sierra | Major city | Santa Cruz | Eastern plains | -17.7833 | -63.1821 | Department capital and eastern metropolitan core |
| Cochabamba | Major city | Cochabamba | Central valley | -17.3895 | -66.1568 | Department capital and Kanata metropolitan core |
| Oruro | Department capital | Oruro | Central Altiplano | -17.9718 | -67.1060 | Highland administrative and transport center |
| Potosí | Department capital | Potosí | Southern highlands | -19.5836 | -65.7531 | Highland administrative center |
| Tarija | Department capital | Tarija | Southern valley | -21.5355 | -64.7296 | Valley capital linked to Chaco and border corridors |
| Trinidad | Department capital | Beni | Northern lowlands | -14.8333 | -64.9000 | Administrative center of Beni |
| Cobija | Department capital | Pando | Northern Amazon | -11.0267 | -68.7692 | Administrative and border center of Pando |
| Sacaba | Metropolitan municipality | Cochabamba | Central valley | -17.3980 | -66.0383 | Eastern section of the Cochabamba urban corridor |
| Quillacollo | Metropolitan municipality | Cochabamba | Central valley | -17.3923 | -66.2784 | Western section of the Cochabamba urban corridor |
| Viacha | Metropolitan municipality | La Paz | Altiplano | -16.6539 | -68.3036 | Southwestern part of the wider La Paz–El Alto system |
| Warnes | Metropolitan municipality | Santa Cruz | Eastern plains | -17.5079 | -63.1679 | Northern part of the Santa Cruz metropolitan belt |
| Montero | Regional hub | Santa Cruz | Northern Santa Cruz plains | -17.3387 | -63.2505 | Regional center north of the metropolitan core |
| Riberalta | Regional hub | Beni | Amazonian lowlands | -11.0065 | -66.0631 | Northern river and service center |
| Guayaramerín | Border city | Beni | Mamoré River lowlands | -10.8258 | -65.3581 | Brazil-border city and river crossing |
| Rurrenabaque | Regional town | Beni | Andean foothill lowlands | -14.4413 | -67.5278 | Gateway between foothills and the Beni lowlands |
| Yacuíba | Border city | Tarija | Gran Chaco | -22.0164 | -63.6775 | Argentina-border regional center |
| Villa Montes | Regional hub | Tarija | Gran Chaco | -21.2624 | -63.4690 | Pilcomayo and Chaco corridor center |
| Bermejo | Border city | Tarija | Southern foothills | -22.7320 | -64.3370 | Argentina-border settlement |
| Uyuni | Regional town | Potosí | Southwestern Altiplano | -20.4597 | -66.8250 | Service and transport center near Salar de Uyuni |
| Tupiza | Regional town | Potosí | Southern highland valleys | -21.4435 | -65.7187 | Intermediate center on the Potosí–Villazón route |
| Villazón | Border city | Potosí | Southern highlands | -22.0866 | -65.5942 | Border crossing opposite La Quiaca |
| Puerto Suárez | Border city | Santa Cruz | Southeastern lowlands | -18.9490 | -57.7970 | Brazil-border and Paraguay River corridor center |
| Puerto Quijarro | Border municipality | Santa Cruz | Southeastern lowlands | -17.7797 | -57.7735 | Eastern rail-road border connection |
| San Ignacio de Velasco | Regional hub | Santa Cruz | Chiquitanía | -16.3736 | -60.9637 | Regional center of northeastern Santa Cruz |
| Camiri | Regional hub | Santa Cruz | Andean foothills and Chaco edge | -20.0385 | -63.5183 | Intermediate center on the southern eastern corridor |
| Copacabana | Regional town | La Paz | Lake Titicaca basin | -16.1653 | -69.0856 | Lakeside town near Peru |
| Desaguadero | Border town | La Paz | Altiplano | -16.5650 | -69.0417 | Main road border crossing toward Peru |
Metropolitan Corridors Extend Beyond One Municipality
Final 2024 census reporting describes metropolitan expansion around the central urban axis and in Tarija. The built-up footprints around La Paz–El Alto, Cochabamba, and Santa Cruz de la Sierra now cross several municipal boundaries, so a map based only on administrative seats can understate the continuity of the urban landscape.[1]
La Paz–El Alto
The core consists of La Paz in its steep basin and El Alto on the plateau. Wider urban expansion reaches toward Viacha, Achocalla, Laja, and Pucarani. Each municipality should retain its own marker even when a generalized urban-area layer shows one connected footprint.
Cochabamba–Kanata
Cochabamba forms an east–west valley corridor with Sacaba, Tiquipaya, Colcapirhua, Quillacollo, Vinto, Sipe Sipe, Tolata, and Arbieto. The settlement pattern is more linear than a single circular metropolitan point.
Greater Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz de la Sierra is linked to surrounding municipalities including Warnes, Cotoca, La Guardia, Porongo, and El Torno. The metropolitan footprint belongs to the eastern plains and spreads across flatter terrain than the La Paz or Cochabamba systems.
Urban and Rural Population, 2024 Census
Bolivia’s final 2024 census counted 11,365,333 residents. Of that total, 7,846,708 lived in urban areas and 3,518,625 lived in rural areas, equal to 69% urban and 31% rural.[1] The chart describes the national census classification and should not be read as a count of people inside the selected map markers.
Highland, Valley, Amazonian, and Border Settlement Clusters
Altiplano and Southern Highland Chain
La Paz–El Alto, Viacha, Oruro, Potosí, Uyuni, Tupiza, and Villazón form a long western and southern chain. The sequence links the Titicaca basin, central Altiplano, mining districts, salt-flat region, and Argentina border. Marker spacing should be read alongside terrain rather than as a direct measure of travel time.
Central Valley Belt
Cochabamba and its neighboring municipalities create the densest continuous valley corridor. Sucre lies farther southeast in a separate highland-valley setting, while Tarija anchors a southern valley system with extensions toward San Lorenzo, Uriondo, and the Chaco routes.
Amazonian North
Trinidad, Riberalta, Guayaramerín, Rurrenabaque, and Cobija are separated by long distances and major river systems. They should not be interpreted as a single compact northern urban belt. Each serves a different part of Beni, Pando, or the Andean foothill transition.
Eastern Plains and Chiquitanía
Santa Cruz de la Sierra dominates the eastern city network, but Montero, Camiri, San Ignacio de Velasco, Puerto Suárez, and Puerto Quijarro organize distinct northern, southern, Chiquitanía, and Brazil-border corridors.
Border Cities and International Gateways
Bolivia is landlocked and shares borders with Peru, Chile, Argentina, Paraguay, and Brazil. Border settlements therefore have a map role that differs from departmental capitals or inland regional centers. A border marker identifies geographic position and cross-border context; it does not claim that every marked location is the busiest or only official crossing.
| Border Direction | Selected Bolivian Places | Mapped Context |
|---|---|---|
| Peru | Desaguadero, Copacabana | Altiplano and Lake Titicaca approaches |
| Chile | Pisiga area, Tambo Quemado corridor, southwestern highland routes | High-elevation western crossings; not all are represented as city markers |
| Argentina | Villazón, Yacuíba, Bermejo | Southern highland, Chaco, and valley crossings |
| Brazil | Cobija, Guayaramerín, Puerto Quijarro, Puerto Suárez | Amazonian river borders and southeastern road-rail corridor |
| Paraguay | Southeastern Chaco routes | Sparse settlement network with long distances between service centers |
Why Straight-Line Distance Can Mislead
Elevation Changes
La Paz and El Alto are adjacent but occupy different landforms: a steep basin and the Altiplano edge. Similar map proximity elsewhere may hide major climbs, passes, or escarpments.
River and Wetland Barriers
In Beni and Pando, straight lines between towns may cross broad river systems, seasonally flooded plains, or areas without a direct all-season road.
Valley Alignment
Roads in the Andes and Sub-Andean region often follow valleys and passes rather than the shortest geometric line between settlements.
Large Eastern Distances
The eastern lowlands are flatter, yet regional centers may remain hundreds of kilometers apart. A sparse marker pattern reflects settlement spacing rather than missing map data.
City, Town, Municipality, and Locality Labels
Bolivia’s official territorial system and census place records use several geographic concepts that should not be merged into one label. The national community database provides cities, communities, populated centers, and localities from the 2012 census, while the Constitution and INE administrative pages describe departments, provinces, municipalities, and Indigenous Native Peasant Territories.[3][8]
Map Data Notes
What Is Reliable
- Bolivia’s ISO alpha-2 code is BO, and the country has nine ISO-coded departments.
- Sucre is the constitutional capital; La Paz is the seat of government.
- The final 2024 census total is 11,365,333, divided into 7,846,708 urban and 3,518,625 rural residents.
- The broad Andean, Sub-Andean, and eastern-plain zones follow the national statistical institute’s geographic description.
What May Vary
- City population rankings change when sources use locality, municipality, built-up area, or metropolitan boundaries.
- Small populated-place coordinates may differ slightly among GeoNames, OpenStreetMap, Natural Earth, and national datasets.
- Urban footprints can cross municipal boundaries and may not match a single administrative polygon.
- Older locality-level census records should not be presented as current 2024 city totals.
Sources
- Instituto Nacional de Estadística — Final 2024 census urbanization and metropolitan notes
- Instituto Nacional de Estadística — Geographic aspects of Bolivia
- Instituto Nacional de Estadística — Political and administrative organization
- Cámara de Diputados — Constitution of the Plurinational State of Bolivia
- International Organization for Standardization — ISO 3166 entry for Bolivia
- GeoNames — Bolivia populated places and coordinate reference
- Natural Earth — Populated Places dataset and selection notes
- Instituto Nacional de Estadística — 2012 cities, communities, populated centers, and localities database
Bolivia Map FAQ
What is the capital of Bolivia?
Sucre is the constitutional capital. La Paz is the seat of government. A precise map should label the two roles separately.
What are Bolivia’s main cities?
The principal urban centers include Santa Cruz de la Sierra, La Paz, El Alto, Cochabamba, Sucre, Oruro, Potosí, and Tarija. Trinidad and Cobija are also important because they are the capitals of Beni and Pando.
How many departments does Bolivia have?
Bolivia has nine departments: Beni, Chuquisaca, Cochabamba, La Paz, Oruro, Pando, Potosí, Santa Cruz, and Tarija.
Are El Alto and La Paz the same city?
No. They are separate municipalities within one connected urban system. La Paz occupies a steep basin, while El Alto spreads across the Altiplano above it.
Are Bolivian towns the same as municipalities?
No. A municipality is an administrative territory and may contain several cities, towns, communities, or localities. A named settlement does not automatically represent a separate municipality.
Why are city populations not ranked in the main table?
Bolivian population sources may refer to localities, municipalities, built-up areas, or metropolitan systems. Those boundaries produce different totals, so the table avoids a misleading mixed-boundary ranking.