Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz, with a surface of 370.621 km2 and a population of 2.029.471 inhabitants, is
a thriving area bordered on the north by the department of Beni and the Republic of
Brazil, on the south by the department of Chuquisaca and the Republic of Paraguay; the
east by the Republic of Brazil and west by Beni, Cochabamba and Chuquisaca. The
departmental capital is the city of Santa Cruz (437 m).
This region of eastern Bolivia is one of the most important from the economic
standpoint, thanks to its fertile land which preserves in its depths oil, natural gas, iron,
precious and semi-precious stones and allows to grow beautiful woods, sugar, cotton,
soybeans, rice, wheat, corn, etc. Livestock production is also very important, raising
cattle and thoroughbred horses, in addition to breeding lizards and other species.
Industrial activity has also gained much strength and many companies from the rest of
Bolivia have migrated to this hospitable region. It should be noticed, oil refineries,
agribusiness soybean and other grasses, milk and oil industries, and a host of others that
produce furniture, canned food, drinks, etc.
Sightseeing
The first to arrive in this region were the Spanish conquerors, attracted by the legend of
El Dorado, the legendary empire of untold wealth known as the Great Paititi. They never
found those treasures but, in founding towns and cities and interacting with the human
groups that inhabited the region, they instilled in their customs and rel igion. In mid-
seventeenth century, groups of Jesuits founded missions with peaceful Indians who
quickly learned various trades and crafts. The most important legacy of this colonization
are varied religious buildings, noteworthy for its beautiful wood carvings and fine
woodwork. Furthermore musical culture and fine arts instruction given to these Indians
have resulted in works recognized worldwide for its beauty.
Generically known as "missions", these stocks are now a major tourist sites, known all
around the world.
It is interesting to visit Samaipata ("Rest in the heights" in Quechua language) and its
Fort which has been declared by UNESCO "Cultural Patrimony of Humanity", not only
from the archaeological point of view but also as a territory of beautiful landscapes,
mainly because of the score of rivers that cross it. The Fort was the last outpost to the
east, the Inca Empire had.
An important tourist center Is also Kaa-Iya Park, (the Forest Protector in guarani
language) the largest protected area in Bolivia and the largest national park in South
America with a unique ecosystem by the characteristics presented. It is a refuge for
jaguars, peccaries, white wolfs, guanacos, pumas, deers and tapirs. The area also
abounds in reptiles and birds.
Located in the heart of the Bolivian Chaco region, southeast of the city of Santa Cruz to
the border with Paraguay, the Kaa Iya dry soil, with its range of hot and cold weathers,
often extreme, have left it as one of the most remote land areas. Considered the region's
largest remaining tropical forests in the world, Kaa Iya also contains an incredible range
of animal species, with much presence of some of the last remaining big cats and more
than 100 different species of mammals.
But the Kaa Iya also means ethnic groups, like the Ayoreo, Chiquitano and especially
Isoceño-Guarani peoples, who live within and near the Park.
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