Tarija, Bolivia
Encyclopedia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
. Founded in 1574, Tarija is both the capital and largest city within the Tarija Department
Tarija Department
Tarija is a department in Bolivia. It is located in south-eastern Bolivia bordering Argentina to the south and Paraguay to the east. According to the 2001 census, it has a population of 391,226 inhabitants. It has an area of 37.623 km²...
, with an airport (Capitán Oriel Lea Plaza Airport
Capitán Oriel Lea Plaza Airport
Capitán Oriel Lea Plaza Airport is an airport in Tarija, Bolivia.-Airlines and destinations:...
, TJA
IATA airport code
An IATA airport code, also known an IATA location identifier, IATA station code or simply a location identifier, is a three-letter code designating many airports around the world, defined by the International Air Transport Association...
) offering regular service to primary Bolivian cities, as well as a regional bus terminal with domestic and international connections. Its climate is Mediterranean (similar to the Bolivian cities of Cochabamba
Cochabamba
Cochabamba is a city in central Bolivia, located in a valley bearing the same name in the Andes mountain range. It is the capital of the Cochabamba Department and is the fourth largest city in Bolivia with an urban population of 608,276 and a metropolitan population of more than 1,000,000 people...
and Sucre
Sucre
Sucre, also known historically as Charcas, La Plata and Chuquisaca is the constitutional capital of Bolivia and the capital of the department of Chuquisaca. Located in the south-central part of the country, Sucre lies at an elevation of 2750m...
), in contrast to the harsh cold of the Altiplano
Altiplano
The Altiplano , in west-central South America, where the Andes are at their widest, is the most extensive area of high plateau on Earth outside of Tibet...
(i.e., La Paz
La Paz
Nuestra Señora de La Paz is the administrative capital 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...
) and humid heat of the Amazon Basin
Amazon Basin
The Amazon Basin is the part of South America drained by the Amazon River and its tributaries that drains an area of about , or roughly 40 percent of South America. The basin is located in the countries of Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, and Venezuela...
(i.e., Santa Cruz de la Sierra
Santa Cruz de la Sierra
Santa Cruz de la Sierra, commonly known as Santa Cruz, is the capital of the Santa Cruz department in eastern Bolivia and the largest city in the country...
). Tarija has a population of 170,900 (2006 official estimate).
History
Although in the local imagery the name of Tarija is said to come from a certain Francisco de Tarija or Tarifa, researched information disproves that probability. The valley, of where present-day Tarija is situated, was identified as "Tarija" and shared an articulation similar to its current pronunciation, prior to Spanish expeditions and occupation. In testimonials by members of the first group of Spaniards entering the Valley, the name of Tarija was already mentioned. This group did not include anyone by the name of Francisco de Tarija. One should also note that similar sounding toponyms exist for surrounding places, such as Tariquia and TaxaraTaxara
Tajzara, pronounced Taxara in English, is a small region on the arid Bolivian Altiplano, located between Tarija and Villazon, near the town of Iscayachi. While the surrounding land might appear rather nondescript, is one of the most biologically unique locations in the world. The name Taxara is...
. Tarija was claimed by Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
until 1899, when it renounced its claims in exchange for the Puna de Atacama
Puna de Atacama
The Puna de Atacama or Atacama Plateau is an arid high plateau averaging about above sea level and spanning an area of , in the Andes of northern Chile and Argentina and southwest Bolivia. Before the War of the Pacific , the region belonged to Bolivia. In 1898 it was ceded to Argentina in...
.
The valley Tarija is situated in was first occupied by Western Hemispheric indigenous groups, such as the Churumatas and the Tomatas, among others. Subsequently, the Inca Empire
Inca Empire
The Inca Empire, or Inka Empire , was the largest empire in pre-Columbian America. The administrative, political and military center of the empire was located in Cusco in modern-day Peru. The Inca civilization arose from the highlands of Peru sometime in the early 13th century...
– administered by the Quechua civilization – conquered the land and dispersed the Churumatas and other local groups over wide territories of the Andes. Mitimaes
Mitimaes
-Origin of the name:Mitimaes comes from the Quechua word mitma meaning "resettlement". These were originally groups of families taken from their communities by the Inca State and transferred to loyal or conquered towns to perform political, cultural, social, and economic functions.-History:Mitimaes...
is the Quechuan name that the Incas used for the resisting ethnic groups they uprooted and then dispersed geographically. When the Spanish first arrived to the valley of Tarija they encountered several stone roads, most likely the remnants of pre-Incaic cultures, such as that of the Churumatas. However, during that period, the presence of indigenous peoples remained sparse within the valley. Several of the pre-Incaic roads and trials have been preserved, and currently function as a walking trail for Tarijenos.
Facilities and tourism
Tarija's main plaza is regarded as a picturesque and pleasant place to take a break or stroll around. The plaza is surrounded by restaurants of various cuisines, local handicraft shops, and internet cafes. Within immediate walking distance is the public market, a university campus, and a number of sights including the renowned Paleontology Museum of Tarija City. The public water supply, while still not potable by North American or Western European standards, is relatively clean in contrast to other Bolivian cities of equal or larger size.High-quality restaurants, such as El Gattopardo and Cafe Mokka, as well as fast food restaurants like McRonalds, Kukis, and Homeros service the city. Tarija is also known for its youth entertainment, like the famed Plazuela Sucre, which attracts young people from all over the area. Tarija's nightlife is popular with tourists, like its dance clubs Vertigo and Bunker,. From Tarija, primary destinations and land routes coincide with the cardinal directions: Paraguay
Paraguay
Paraguay , officially the Republic of Paraguay , is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the east and northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest. Paraguay lies on both banks of the Paraguay River, which runs through the center of the...
/the Gran Chaco
Gran Chaco
The Gran Chaco is a sparsely populated, hot and semi-arid lowland region of the Río de la Plata basin, divided among eastern Bolivia, Paraguay, northern Argentina and a portion of the Brazilian states of Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul, where it is connected with the Pantanal region...
, to the east via Yacuiba
Yacuíba
Yacuiba is a city in southern Bolivia and the capital city of Gran Chaco Province in the Tarija Department. It lies three kilometers from the Argentine border. It has a population of approximately 80,000 and lies above sea level. ıt was part of Salta Province of Argentina until its cession to...
; Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, to the south via Bermejo, Yacuiba
Yacuíba
Yacuiba is a city in southern Bolivia and the capital city of Gran Chaco Province in the Tarija Department. It lies three kilometers from the Argentine border. It has a population of approximately 80,000 and lies above sea level. ıt was part of Salta Province of Argentina until its cession to...
or Villazón; Tupiza
Tupiza
Tupiza is a city in Potosí Department, Bolivia. It is located at around at an elevation of about 3160 m. The population is 23,100...
/the Salar de Uyuni
Salar de Uyuni
Salar de Uyuni is the world's largest salt flat at . It is located in the Potosí and Oruro departments in southwest Bolivia, near the crest of the Andes, and is elevated above the mean sea level. The Salar was formed as a result of transformations between several prehistoric lakes...
, to the west via Villazón; and the central cities of Bolivia, to the north via Potosí
Potosí
Potosí is a city and the capital of the department of Potosí in Bolivia. It is one of the highest cities in the world by elevation at a nominal . and it was the location of the Spanish colonial mint, now the National Mint of Bolivia...
.
Tarija's land and climate are adequate for grape and wine production. The Festival of Wine is held annually in Tarija. The San Jacinto Dam is located a few kilometers south of Tarija. Also, the Chorros de Jurina falls, located a few kilometers from the city, is an enjoyable and popular local outing.
Lifestyle
Tarija is commonly regarded by Bolivian nationals and tourists alike as the Bolivian Andalucia. The GuadalquivirGuadalquivir
The Guadalquivir is the fifth longest river in the Iberian peninsula and the second longest river to be its whole length in Spain. The Guadalquivir is 657 kilometers long and drains an area of about 58,000 square kilometers...
River that borders the city was named after the Spanish river of the same name. Residents of Tarija call themselves Chapacos, regardless of social class and racial background. Although the origin of the name is uncertain, there is a hypothesis that it is a variation of "chacapa", the name of an indigenous settlement in the region during early colonial times.
During Bolivia's post-revolutionary period for independence, the Chapacos (or residents of Tarija) voted on a referendum in favor of opting to be annexed by Bolivia instead of Argentina. It's for that reason that Tarijeños are esteemed as Bolivia's most loyal and among Bolivia's most patriotic. Their local creed is reflected in a famous, folkloric Cueca
Cueca
Cueca is a family of musical styles and associated dances from Chile, Bolivia, Peru, and Argentina. In Chile, the cueca holds the status of national dance, where it was officially selected on September 18, 1979.- Origins :...
song, titled "Chapaco Soy".
Tarijeños enjoy a relaxed lifestyle and are sometimes particularly proud of a lackadaisical approach to punctuality. A three-hour siesta beginning at noon is practiced daily. During the siesta, most offices and shops are closed and the city streets are empty as families reunite to eat lunch, followed by a short nap.