Illimani in the context of "Fold mountains"

La Paz (Spanish: [la ˈpas]; lit. 'the peace'), officially Nuestra Señora de La Paz (Aymara: Chuqi Yapu Aymara pronunciation: [ˈtʃoqɛ ˈjapʊ]), is the seat of government of Bolivia. With 755,732 residents as of 2024, it is the third-most populous city in Bolivia. Its metropolitan area, which includes the neighboring city of El Alto, and other smaller towns, is the second most populous urban area in Bolivia, with a population of 2.2 million, after Santa Cruz de la Sierra with a population of 2.3 million. The city is also the capital of the department of the same name.

Located in west-central Bolivia 68 km (42 mi) southeast of Lake Titicaca, La Paz is set in a canyon created by the Choqueyapu River. It is in a bowl-like depression, part of the Amazon basin, surrounded by the high mountains of the Altiplano. Overlooking the city is the triple-peaked Illimani. Its peaks are always snow-covered and can be seen from many parts of the city. At an elevation of roughly 3,650 m (11,975 ft) above sea level, La Paz is the highest administrative capital city in the world. Due to its altitude, the city has an unusual subtropical highland climate, with rainy summers and dry winters.

The Choqueyapu River, sometimes called the La Paz River, is a river in the La Paz Department of Bolivia. It belongs to the drainage basin of the Amazon. The river originates in a spring called Achachi Qala (Aymara: achachi border stone, old, grandfather, qala stone) in the Cordillera Real near the mountain Chacaltaya at a height of 5,395 m. It crosses the city La Paz from north to south. South of Illimani and north of the Kimsa Cruz mountain range it turns to the east; at this point it is better known as the La Paz River. The confluence with Cotacajes River is the beginning of the Beni River, also known as Alto Beni ("high Beni") in this region. The river is known to be contaminated with sewage, with enteropathogenic bacteria which is believed to contribute to the high incidence of diarrheal disease in the city of La Paz.

Tributaries include the Amutara River.