Turco Municipality

Turco Municipality is the second municipal section of the Sajama Province in the Oruro Department in Bolivia, and was founded on February 15, 1957.[1] Its seat is Turco, situated 154 km west of Oruro at an altitude of 3,860 m. The municipality covers an area of 3,973 km², not taking into account the area of Laca Laca Canton.[1][2]

Turco Municipality

Turku
Municipality
Darwin's rhea (Rhea pennata garleppi) photographed at the Tika Uta ranch, Turco Municipality
Turco Municipality
Location of the Turco Municipality within Bolivia
Coordinates: 18°10′S 68°11′W
Country Bolivia
DepartmentOruro Department
ProvinceSajama Province
Cantons4
CreatedFebruary 15, 1957
SeatTurco
Area
 • Total1,534 sq mi (3,973 km2)
Elevation
12,660 ft (3,860 m)
Population
 (2001)
 • Total4,160
 • Ethnicities
Aymara
Main square of Turco

It is bordered to the north by the Curahuara de Carangas Municipality and San Pedro de Totora Province, to the south by the Litoral and Sabaya Provinces, to the west by Chile and to the east by the Carangas Province (Qhurqhi (Corque) and Chuqi Quta (Choquecota) Municipalities).

Geography

The most important rivers are Sajama, Cosapa, Lauca, K'uwiri and Qullpa Jawira (also named río Turco, Turco River) .

A couple of volcanoes and mountains of the Bolivian Western Mountain Range like Uqi Uqini and the volcanic complex of Kimsa Chata, a group of three mountains named Umurata, Acotango and Capurata in the west of the municipality are making up the natural border of Turco Municipality with Chile. Other mountains are listed below:[3]

Subdivision

The municipality is divided into four cantons and nine ayllus.

Canton Created [1] Inhabitants (2001) [4]
Asunción Laca LacaDecember 21, 1962342
ChachakumaniAugust 30, 1957374
CosapaNovember 11, 1950918
TurcoJuly 27, 19512,526

Flora and fauna
Polylepis tarapacana near Sajama volcano
Tunilla soehrensii

Part of Cosapa Canton is situated within Sajama National Park.[5] This park was created to conserve the rare woods of the queñua species Polylepis tarapacana and to protect species of wild flora and fauna like yareta (Azorella compacta), Andean hairy armadillo (Chaetophractus nationi), Darwin's rhea (Pterocnemia pennata), vicuña (Vicugna vicugna), taruca (Hippocamelus antisensis), Andean mountain cat (Felis jacobita) and cougar or puma (Felis concolor), all of them occurring in the municipality,[1] as well as their habitat.

The region has a rich diversity of native plants which are both useful for the inhabitants and the animals. The most important species are:[1]

Common name Scientific name Usability
AñawayaAdesmia spinosissimaforage for llamas
WayllaStipa obtusaforage for llamas
IchuStipa ichuforage, handicraft
Iru ichuFestuca orthophyllaforage, handicraft
Qanlli kiskaTetraglochin cristatumforage
ChillkaSenecio pampaeforage, medical plant
Yarita, yaretaAzorella asorellamedical plant, heating material
Tara taraFabiana densamedical plant, heating material
Ñaka thulaBaccharis incarummedical plant, heating material
Supu thulaParastrephya lepidophyllamedical plant, heating material
AyrampuOpuntia soehrensii / Tunilla soehrensiimedical plant, forage
Muña muñaSatureja ovatamedical plant, forage
ItapalluCajophora horridamedical plant, forage
Kinwa, queñuaPolylepis tarapacanaforage, heating material, ornamental
ChachakumaEscallonia resinosamedical plant
Llapa, pasto banderaBoutelova simplexforage
Yawarilla, cebadilla comúnBromus unioloidesforage
Cebadilla de montañaAgrostis breviculmisforage
Chiji blancoDistichlis humilisforage
Chiji negroMulenbergia fastigiataforage
GarbancilloAstragalus garbancillotoxic
LampayaLampaya medicinalismedical plant, forage, heating material
QuraCajophora horridaforage
K’achuAnoda triangularisforage

The people

Most of the people in the municipality are of Aymara descent known as Carangas. They are mostly bilingual. According to census 2001 the main languages spoken are Spanish (3,544 speakers) and Aymara (3,259 speakers).[4]

Transport
Route 4 (Ruta 4) near Tambo Quemado with Sajama volcano in the background

The international transit road from Oruro to Chile crosses Turco Municipality leading to Tambo Quemado situated in the Chachacomani Canton in the north-western part of the municipality [1][6] at the border between Chile and Bolivia.

See also

References
  1. Plan de desarollo municipal Municipio de Turco (Spanish)
  2. The data of the area of Laca Laca Canton were erroneously added to the Choquecota Municipality during the census of 2001.
  3. Bolivian IGM map 1:50,000 Chachacomani Hoja 5838-IV, Cerro Uyarani Hoja 5838-I, Estancia Antin Curahuara 5939-III, Estancia Agua Rica Hoja 5839-II, Estancia Laguna 5839-III, Estancia Marcarani 5939-IV, Estancia Miraflores 5838-II, Nevado Quimsachata Hoja 5738-I
  4. Instituto Nacional de Estadistica de Bolivia (INE) (Spanish)
  5. Mireya Muñoz, El Parque Nacional Sajama: Un caso de paisaje cultural en el altiplano de Bolivia p. 194
  6. In the map below Tambo Quemado erroneously is shown as part of Lagunas Canton in the Curahuara de Carangas Municipality (Sajama Province), but actually belongs to Turco Municipality.
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