Copacabana, Bolivia facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Copacabana Kotakawana
City
Panorama of Copacabana and Lake Titicaca, 6 de agosto Avenue, parade in Copacabana, Eduardo Abaroa Naval Monument, an Aymara man and a totora boat, Basilica of Our Lady of Copacabana
Copacabana, Bolivia Location in Bolivia
Country	Bolivia
Department	La Paz Department (Bolivia)
Province	Manco Kapac Province
Municipality	Copacabana Municipality
Area
• Total	346.5 km2 (133.8 sq mi)
• Land	340.1 km2 (131.3 sq mi)
• Water	6.4 km2 (2.5 sq mi)
Elevation	3,841 m (12,602 ft)
Population  (2006)
• Total	6,000
• Density	358.5/km2 (929/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC−4 (BOT)
Area code(s)	Area code 591
FIPS code	45-16000
Climate	Cwc
GNIS feature ID	1245051

Copacabana is the main Bolivian town on the shore of Lake Titicaca. The town has a large 16th-century shrine, the Basilica of Our Lady of Copacabana, dedicated to Our Lady of Copacabana, the patron saint of Bolivia. The town is a tourism destination in Bolivia. It is also known for its trout and quaint atmosphere. Built between Mount Calvario and Mount Niño Calvario, the town has approximately 6,000 inhabitants. Copacabana's religious celebrations, cultural heritage and traditional festivals are well known throughout Bolivia. Boats leave for Isla del Sol, the sacred Inca island, from Copacabana. Copacabana is served by Copacabana Airport.

History

An illustration of the Basilica of Our Lady of Copacabana in 1877

During the wars of independence, the Basilica of Our Lady of Copacabana was despoiled of most of its rich ornaments and gifts, and ruthless plundering by faithless custodians in the course of political disturbances has further contributed to impoverish it. The edifices, originally very handsome, are in a state of sad neglect. It is a shrine for pilgrims from Bolivia and southern Peru, and on 6 August, the feast of its patron saint, it is attended by thousands.

Before 1534, Copacabana was an outpost of Inca occupation among dozens of other sites in Bolivia. The Incas held it as the key to the very ancient shrine and oracle on the Island of Titicaca, which they had adopted as a place of worship, adopting the veneration with which it was held by the Aymaras from time immemorial. At Copacabana, there were minor shrines in which the ceremonies of the Incas were observed along with those of the original inhabitants. When the Spaniards first visited the Islands of Titicaca and Loati, in 1534 and 1538, the Andean Cosmovision were abandoned and the Dominicans made Copacabana the centre of their missions. Non-monastic priests then replaced them at the instigation of the Viceroy Francisco de Toledo, and finally the mission and its annexes were entrusted to the Augustinians in 1589.

In 1582, the grandson of Inca ruler Manco Kapac, struck by the sight of the statues of the Blessed Virgin which he saw in some of the churches at La Paz, tried to make one himself, and after many failures, succeeded in producing one of excellent quality, and it was placed at Copacabana as the statue of the tutelar protectress of the community. Many miracles have been attributed to it, and its fame has spread far beyond the limits of its surroundings to all five continents. It is kept in a special chapel, where local Aymaras, Bolivians and those from all over the world are untiring in their devotions.

During the Great Indigenous Uprising of 1781, while the church itself was desecrated, the "Camarin", as the chapel is called, remained untouched and exempt from spoiling. Copacabana is the scene of often boisterous indigenous celebrations. On 2 February and 6 August, Church festivals are celebrated with indigenous dances that the clergy have not been able to suppress entirely. Copacabana is surrounded by pre-Columbian ruins of considerable interest.

Climate

Copacabana has a cold subtropical highland climate (Cwc), a rare variant of this type of climate, but commonplace near most of Lake Titicaca. Similar to many areas with this climate, Copacabana features a markedly drier "low-sun" season. Because of the high altitude of Copacabana, the town is chilly throughout the course of the year. However, due to the fact that Copacabana is located in the tropics, there are only slight variations in temperatures. While daytime temperatures hover around 15 °C (59 °F) throughout the year, nighttime temperatures during the "low-sun" season are somewhat cooler than at other times of the year. It is not uncommon for temperatures to drop below freezing during the "low-sun" season.

Gallery

• 

  View of Copacabana from Lake Titicaca

• 

  Copacabana's famous Basilica, Basilica of Our Lady of Copacabana.

• 

  Copacabana with the Basilica.

• 

  Shopping street with Lake Titicaca in the background.

• 

  Copacabana.

• 

  Street Butcher, Copacabana Bolivia

• 

  Copacabana on the shore of Lake Ticicaca at night

Places of interest

• Chinkana
• Iñaq Uyu
• Pachat'aqa

See also

In Spanish: Copacabana (Bolivia) para niños