José Miguel de Velasco Province

José Miguel de Velasco or Velasco is a province in the Santa Cruz department of Bolivia. Its capital is San Ignacio de Velasco. The province is named after the Bolivian president José Miguel de Velasco Franco. It was created by law on October 12, 1880, during the presidency of Narciso Campero. Until its creation it was integrated into Chiquitos Province.[1]

José Miguel de Velasco
Province
Location of the José Miguel de Velasco Province within Bolivia
Provinces of the Santa Cruz Department
Coordinates: 15°30′0″S 61°0′0″W
Country Bolivia
DepartmentSanta Cruz Department
CapitalSan Ignacio de Velasco
Area
 • Total25,261 sq mi (65,425 km2)
Elevation
1,329 ft (405 m)
Population
 (2001)
 • Total56,702
 • Density2/sq mi (0.9/km2)
Websitewww.santacruz.gob.bo

Geography

Velasco is located between the major Bolivian city of Santa Cruz de la Sierra and the Brazilian border. An unpaved highway connects the province with the city of Santa Cruz to the west and Brazil to the east.[2]

Subdivision

José Miguel de Velasco Province is divided into three municipalities which are further subdivided into cantons.

Section Municipality Inhabitants (2001) [3] Seat Inhabitants (2001)
1stSan Ignacio de Velasco Municipality41,412San Ignacio de Velasco19,401
2ndSan Miguel Municipality10,273San Miguel de Velasco4,484
3rdSan Rafael Municipality5,017San Rafael de Velasco2,057

Culture

Velasco features a mestizo culture, blending the culture of the Spanish conquistadors and missionaries with those of the indigenous peoples. Spanish is the most commonly used language in public, though indigenous languages, such as Chiquitano, are also used. Due to the proximity of the province to Brazil, Portuguese speakers can be found, particularly merchants in the city of San Ignacio. There is a small presence of Mennonites and descendants of post-World War II German immigrants.

Places of interest

See also

References
  1. Official site of José Miguel de Velasco Province (Spanish)
  2. Guia Turistica de la Provincia "Velasco", Gobierno Municipal de San Ignacio de Velasco, 1996
  3. National Institute of Statistics, Bolivia Archived 2011-09-24 at the Wayback Machine (Spanish)


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