Oruro Department

Oruro
Departamento de Oruro (Spanish)
Ururu jach'a suyu (Aymara)
Department
Sajama National Park
Sajama National Park
Flag of Oruro
Flag
Coat of arms of Oruro
Coat of arms
Location within Bolivia
Location within Bolivia
Country Bolivia
CapitalOruro
Provinces16
Government
 • BodyDepartmental Legislative Assembly of Oruro
 • GovernorJohnny Franklin Vedia (MAS-IPSP)
Area
 • Total
53,588 km2 (20,690 sq mi)
Population
 (2024 census)
 • Total
570,194
 • Density11/km2 (28/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC-4 (BOT)
HDI (2019)0.727[1]
high · 4th of 9
LanguagesSpanish, Quechua, Aymara
GDP (2023)constant Dollar of 2015[2]
 - TotalUS$ 1.6 billion
Int$ 3.7 billion (PPP)
 - Per capitaUS$ 2,700
Int$ 6,400 (PPP)
Websitewww.preforuro.gov.bo Edit this at Wikidata

Oruro (Spanish pronunciation: [oˈɾuɾo]; Quechua: Uru Uru; Aymara: Ururu) is a department of Bolivia, with an area of 53,588 km2 (20,690 sq mi). Its capital is the city of Oruro. According to the 2012 census, the Oruro department had a population of 494,178.

Provinces of Oruro

The department is divided into 16 provinces which are further subdivided into municipalities and cantons.

Province Map # Area (km2) Population
(2012 census) 		Capital
Carangas 10   5,472 11,041 Corque
Cercado 2   5,766 309,277 Oruro
Eduardo Avaroa 5   4,015 33,248 Challapata
Ladislao Cabrera 12   8,818 14,678 Salinas de Garci Mendoza
Litoral 13   2,894 10,409 Huachacalla
Nor Carangas 8   870 5,502 Huayllamarca
Pantaleón Dalence 3   1,210 29,497 Huanuni
Poopó 4   3,061 16,775 Poopó
Puerto de Mejillones 16   785 2,076 La Rivera
Sabaya 15   5,885 10,924 Sabaya
Sajama 14   5,790 9,390 Curahuara de Carangas
San Pedro de Totora 9   1,487 5,531 Totora
Saucarí 7   1,671 10,149 Toledo
Sebastian Pagador 6   1,972 13,153 Santiago de Huari
Sud Carangas 11   3,536 7,231 Santiago de Andamarca
Tomás Barrón 1   356 5,267 Eucaliptus

Note: Eduardo Abaroa Province (#5) is both north of and south of Sebastián Pagador Province (#6).

Government

Executive offices

The chief executive officer of Bolivian departments (since May 2010) is the governor; until then, the office was called the prefect, and until 2006 the prefect was appointed by the president of Bolivia. The current governor, Johnny Franklin Vedia Rodríguez of the Movement for Socialism – Political Instrument for the Sovereignty of the Peoples, was elected on 7 March 2021.[3][4]

Took office Office expired Prefect/Governor Party Notes
22 Jan 2006 30 May 2010 Alberto Luís Aguilar Calle MAS-IPSP First elected prefect. Elected in Bolivian general election, December 2005
30 May 2010 31 May 2015 Santos Javier Tito Véliz MAS-IPSP Elected in the first round of the regional election on 4 April 2010; first governor.
31 May 2015 19 Nov 2019 Víctor Hugo Vásquez Mamani MAS-IPSP Elected in the first round of the regional election on 29 March 2015.
19 Nov 2019 31 May 2020 Zenón Pizarro Garisto (interim) MAS-IPSP
31 May 2020 3 May 2021 Edson Milton Oczachoque Gerónimo (interim) MAS-IPSP
3 May 2021 Johnny Franklin Vedia Rodríguez MAS-IPSP Elected in the first round of the regional election on 7 March 2021.

Legislature

The chief legislative body of the department is the Departmental Legislative Assembly, a body also first elected on 4 April 2010. It consists of 33 members: 16 elected by each of the department's provinces; 16 elected based on proportional representation; and minority indigenous representative selected by the Uru-Chipaya people.[citation needed]

After the regional election on 7 March 2021, the legislature met for its first session of 3 May 2021 and elected a new executive committee consisting of Edwin Fuentes Camacho as president and Delia Gongora Veliz as vice-president.[5]

Demographics

Sanctuary of the Virgin of Socavon, Carnival of Oruro 2007.
Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
1976 310,409—    
1992 340,114+0.57%
2001 391,870+1.59%
2012 494,587+2.14%
2024 570,194+1.19%
Source: Citypopulation[6]

Languages

The languages spoken in the department are mainly Spanish, Quechua and Aymara. The following table shows the number of those belonging to the recognised group of speakers.[7]

Language Department Bolivia
Quechua 134,289 2,281,198
Aymara 127,086 1,525,321
Guaraní 383 62,575
Another native 1,943 49,432
Spanish 342,332 6,821,626
Foreign 6,878 250,754
Only native 30,745 960,491
Native and Spanish 188,963 2,739,407
Spanish and foreign 153,439 4,115,751

Notable people

  • Evo Morales, who was the Bolivian president from 2006 to 2019, was born in the village of Isallawi near Orinoca.
  • Juan Mendoza, hero and pioneer of the Bolivian aviation.[8]
  • Zulma Yugar, who is a Bolivian politician and folk singer with international recognition and influence.

Places of interest

See also

References

  1. ^ "Sub-national HDI – Area Database – Global Data Lab". hdi.globaldatalab.org. Retrieved 13 September 2018.
  2. ^ "TelluBase—BoliviaFact Sheet (Tellusant Public Service Series)" (PDF). Tellusant. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
  3. ^ "Gobernador de Oruro, Johnny Vedia". eabolivia.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 26 March 2023.
  4. ^ "Nuestro Gobernador". oruro.gob.bo (in Spanish). Retrieved 26 March 2023.
  5. ^ "Asambleístas departamentales eligieron a su directiva 2021-2022". EL FULGOR.com (in Spanish). 3 May 2021. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
  6. ^ "Bolivia: Provinces". Retrieved 27 November 2022.
  7. ^ obd.descentralizacion.gov.bo Archived 18 February 2009 at the Wayback Machine (Spanish)
  8. ^ "Aviador Juan Mendoza voló el avión armado por él mismo". Hoy el héroe y pionero de la aviación boliviana está más vivo que nunca. (in Spanish). 26 March 2013. Retrieved 26 March 2013.

18°40′S 67°40′W / 18.667°S 67.667°W / -18.667; -67.667