El Alto, Administrative city in La Paz Metropolitan Area, Bolivia
El Alto extends across a flat plateau at 4,061 meters above sea level, functioning as a major commercial and residential district next to La Paz.
The settlement grew from railway workers constructing links to Lake Titicaca in the early 1900s, gaining independence from La Paz on March 6, 1987.
The population of one million residents includes a strong Aymara community that maintains traditional practices through markets, festivals, and indigenous ceremonies.
The Mi Teleferico cable car system connects El Alto with La Paz, providing efficient transportation between the two cities for thousands of daily commuters.
El Alto contains distinctive cholet buildings, which combine traditional Aymara architectural elements with modern design in multi-colored vertical structures.
Location: El Alto Municipality
Inception: 1985
Elevation above the sea: 4,150 m
Website: http://elalto.gob.bo
GPS coordinates: -16.50482,-68.16243
Latest update: May 27, 2025 20:40
This collection includes towns established above 3,000 meters altitude, mainly located in the Andes and on Asian highlands. These urban centers house several million inhabitants who live daily under conditions where oxygen is scarce. La Rinconada in Peru reaches 5,300 meters, making it the highest city in the world, while La Paz in Bolivia, at 3,639 meters, has over 1.6 million residents. Sites with historical significance such as Potosí in Bolivia, founded in the 16th century for its silver mines and now a UNESCO World Heritage site, and Lhasa in Tibet, the former capital of the Tibetan kingdom with dozens of Buddhist temples including the renowned Jokhang Temple, are included. Additionally, towns like Puno in Peru or Shigatse in China demonstrate human adaptation to extreme environments, creating communities of hundreds of thousands. These destinations offer a look into Andean and Himalayan cultures shaped by elevation and provide exceptional travel experiences.
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