La Paz

La Paz, Bolivia, sits at about 3,640 m above sea level and is the highest administrative capital in the world. Bolivia's constitutional capital is Sucre, which is much lower.

The title depends on counting La Paz as the capital. Altitude also varies across the city, from roughly 3,250 to 4,040 m.

Context

La Paz sits in a canyon-like basin at the edge of the Altiplano, a high plateau lying at roughly 3,650 to 3,800 m. The city's centre is lower than its upper districts, and the neighbouring city of El Alto, on the plateau rim above, is higher still, which accounts for the wide altitude range in the note.

Bolivia divides its capital functions. Sucre is the constitutional capital and seat of the Supreme Court, while La Paz hosts the executive and legislature and is called the administrative or de facto capital. Whether La Paz counts as the world's highest capital therefore depends on accepting that arrangement; Quito, Ecuador, at about 2,850 m, is generally ranked as the highest capital for countries with a single unambiguous capital.

The altitude has practical effects: air pressure is roughly two thirds of sea-level pressure, so visitors commonly experience altitude sickness, and cooking and aviation at the nearby airport are adapted to thin air. Published heights for the city differ by source because they refer to different points, such as the airport, the main square or the city centre.