Sucre or La Paz: Which one is the capital?

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Bolivia is an incredible country full of contrasts and incredible places. But do you know which is its capital? Sucre or La Paz?

Surely you also remember the geography classes in which when the capital of Bolivia was studied, some times it was said to be La Paz and many others it was Sucre.

So if you are thinking about travelling to Bolivia or you are just curious to know which is the real capital of the country, in this post we clarify the doubts and tell you which is the capital of Bolivia, will it be Sucre or La Paz?

Which is the capital of Bolivia: Sucre or La Paz?

Well, to your surprise, you could almost say that Bolivia has two capitals since both Sucre and La Paz are considered as such.

On the one hand, Sucre is the constitutional capital of Bolivia, as it appears in the Constitution of the country. While La Paz is the political and governmental seat. Although neither of them is really the most populated or the most important economically, Santa Cruz de la Sierra has that position.

In any case, both Sucre and La Paz should be on your list of what to see in Bolivia.

Sucre, the capital of Bolivia

As we have just told you, the Constitution of Bolivia establishes that Sucre is the capital of the country. It is also considered the historical capital and the seat of the judicial power.

Sucre used to be known as La Plata because it was located very close to the famous mines of Potosi, from where a lot of silver was extracted until the 17th century. Later, the city was named Sucre after General Sucre, right-hand man of Simón Bolívar, the first president of the country.

La Paz, the other capital of Bolivia

La Paz is also known as the capital of Bolivia since it is the city where the political center of the country is located. It houses the administrative bodies, the executive and legislative powers and it is where the president of the country resides.

It is also the most famous and developed city in Bolivia and the financial, social, academic and cultural center.

Now that you know that both Sucre and La Paz can be considered the capitals of Bolivia, we hope we have solved your doubts. Have you been to either city?