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The city of El Alto (Spanish for The Height) is a northeastern suburb of La Paz, Bolivia, located on the Altiplano highlands - while La Paz is constructed in a canyon. As of the 2001 census, the population was 649,958. The city contains La Paz's El Alto International Airport. El Alto is one of the highest cities in the world, up to 4150 meters (13,615 feet) above sea level. It has a cold climate, reaching the maximum temperature of 17 degrees Celsius (62°F) in summer. It is the fastest growing city in Bolivia, due to a trend of movement from Bolivia's rural areas to the La Paz region that started with the rural reform of 1952 and increased in the last 10 years. 79% of its inhabitants are Aymara, 6% are Quechua and 19% are European descent[citation needed]. El Alto is known as La Paz's dormrooms, though recent growth of commerce and industry has made local authorities to claim the title of "Bolivia's Economic Capital." |
