Sorata | |
|---|---|
 Panoramic view of Sorata | |
  Sorata Location within Bolivia | |
| Coordinates:15°46′S68°38′W / 15.767°S 68.633°W /-15.767; -68.633 | |
| Country |  Bolivia |
| Department |  La Paz Department |
| Province | Larecaja Province |
| Municipality | Sorata Municipality |
| Canton | Sorata Canton |
| Elevation | 8,786 ft (2,678 m) |
| Population (2029) | |
• Total | 2,217 |
| Time zone | UTC-4 (BOT) |
Sorata (Aymara:Surat'a) is a small town in theLa Paz Department in theBolivianAndes, northwest of the city ofLa Paz and east ofLake Titicaca. It is the seat of theLarecaja Province and theSorata Municipality. At the time of census 2001 it had a population of 2,217.[1] It is a somewhat popular weekend getaway and a relaxing base camp for a growing number ofhikers. It includes several small hotels, including a converted Italian mansion.
Incolonial days, Sorata provided a link to the Alto Benigoldfields andrubber plantations, and a gateway to theAmazon Basin. In August 1781 it was the site of an unorthodox siege by the nephew ofTupac Amaru, Andres, and his 16,000 soldiers. They constructeddikes above the town, and when these had been filled with runoff from the slopes of the nearby peakIllampu, they opened the floodgates and the town was washed away.[2][3]
Sorata is no longer a major commercial center, as there is now a more direct route to theYungas fromLa Paz. Today it is best known to foreign tourists, trekkers, and climbers, who visit this formerly little-known destination. The main square, Plaza General Enrique Penaranda, is Sorata's showcase. It is graced by towering date palms and immaculate gardens. The main town fiesta is held on September 14. Of note is Casa Gunthere, a historic mansion that now houses the Residencial Sorata. It was built in 1895 as the home of the Richters, aquinine trading family.
Sorata is located at the base of the mountainsIllampu, 6,368 m (20,892 ft), andJanq'u Uma, 6,427 m (21,086 ft), which are the northern anchors of theCordillera Real. By the most reliable figures, Janq'u Uma is 11 m (36 ft) lower thanIllimani, near La Paz, but surveys in the area are imperfect, and there is much debate between the citizens of both areas as to which mountain is higher.
Sorata features an unusualsubtropical highland climate, with oceanic elements and high levels of diurnal temperature variation.
| Climate data for Sorata, elevation 2,647 m (8,684 ft) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 21.3 (70.3) | 20.8 (69.4) | 21.1 (70.0) | 21.4 (70.5) | 20.9 (69.6) | 20.4 (68.7) | 20.1 (68.2) | 21.3 (70.3) | 22.2 (72.0) | 23.0 (73.4) | 22.9 (73.2) | 22.2 (72.0) | 21.5 (70.6) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 15.7 (60.3) | 15.6 (60.1) | 15.4 (59.7) | 15.3 (59.5) | 14.4 (57.9) | 13.7 (56.7) | 13.4 (56.1) | 14.5 (58.1) | 15.4 (59.7) | 16.2 (61.2) | 16.4 (61.5) | 16.0 (60.8) | 15.2 (59.3) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 10.1 (50.2) | 10.3 (50.5) | 9.8 (49.6) | 9.2 (48.6) | 8.0 (46.4) | 7.0 (44.6) | 6.7 (44.1) | 7.8 (46.0) | 8.7 (47.7) | 9.4 (48.9) | 9.9 (49.8) | 9.9 (49.8) | 8.9 (48.0) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 178.4 (7.02) | 160.5 (6.32) | 142.1 (5.59) | 53.2 (2.09) | 19.2 (0.76) | 8.0 (0.31) | 6.2 (0.24) | 14.7 (0.58) | 34.1 (1.34) | 53.7 (2.11) | 63.6 (2.50) | 116.9 (4.60) | 850.6 (33.46) |
| Average precipitation days | 20.5 | 18.8 | 18.8 | 9.0 | 4.2 | 2.3 | 2.5 | 3.6 | 6.3 | 8.6 | 9.7 | 15.9 | 120.2 |
| Averagerelative humidity (%) | 84.1 | 84.9 | 84.3 | 81.6 | 77.6 | 73.4 | 75.2 | 75.0 | 75.9 | 76.7 | 78.0 | 81.0 | 79.0 |
| Source: Servicio Nacional de Meteorología e Hidrología de Bolivia[4][5] | |||||||||||||
15°46′24″S68°38′53″W / 15.77333°S 68.64806°W /-15.77333; -68.64806
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