Mizque (from Quechua: misk'i, meaning "sweet") is a province in the Cochabamba Department, Bolivia. Its capital is Mizque.
The province, in 1992, had a population of 27,959 inhabitants, mostly indigenous citizens of Quechuan descent. In 2001, the population increased to 36,181 inhabitants and it was estimated at 41,062 in 2005.www.ine.gov.bo
Geography Mizque Province is home to a great diversity of ecoregions because it contains a wide variety of topographic features with heights ranging between 2,000 and 3,600 m. The province belongs to the Julpe-Mizque basin with an area of 3,845 km2.
The main rivers are: Mizque River, 75 km Julpe River, 60 km Uyuchama River, 50 km Tuqma River, 45 km Kari Kari River, 42 km Vicho Vicho River, 32 km
Although there is a large amount of superficial and sub-superficial water within the province, the zone is suffering from drought due to the lack of irrigation systems.
Some of the highest mountains of the province are listed below:Bolivia 1:100,000 Mizque 3835
Climate The climate is dry. There are a few irregular rainfalls and long periods of drought. The medium annual temperature varies between 16 and 18 °C. During the rainy season ("summer"), corresponding to the months from December to March, the province receives 87% of the annual precipitation, in December and January alone 57%, often occurring as hailstorms. During the dry season ("winter") the temperature goes down radically and snowfalls occur. The annual precipitation is between 300 and 700 mm, reaching 507 mm annually on an average.
Flora The semiarid and arid regions are covered with plants which are tolerant towards dry conditions. 75% of the total area of Mizque Province is cultivated.
Fauna
The red-fronted macaws (Ara rubrogenys), endemic to a small mountainous area of Bolivia, can be observed in Mizque. This species is considered to be endangered due to intense agriculture activity which has reduced its habitat. The problem is that the peasants of some zones look upon them as a plague because they raid the maize in the fields. There is a chance that they might be regarded as one of the tourist attractions of the region.www.pieb.com.bo (Spanish)
Subdivision The province is divided into three municipalities which are further subdivided into ten cantons.
Section Municipality Inhabitants Seat Inhabitants world-gazetteer.com Cantons1st Mizque26,659 Mizque 2.677 Cauta, Mizque, Molinero, Taboada, Tin Tin, Vicho Vicho 2nd Vila Vila4,591 Vila Vila426Siquimira, Vila Vila 3rd Alalay4.931 Alalay638Alalay, Ayapampa
The people The majority of the population of the Mizque Province lives in the rural area in communities far apart from each other. The lack of good roads makes trade and providing services difficult. The land in some areas is quite dry and not appropriate for farming. That may be some of the reasons why the Human Development Index in the municipalities of Mizque is among the lowest in Bolivia (0.365, 0.400 and 0.460), placing them in the positions 284 (Mizque), 305 (Vila Vila) and 298 (Alalay) out of 314 municipalities.cdteca.enlared.org.bo (Spanish)
The conditions of life are especially critical in the puna and remote communities. The level of income of a peasant family in the high zones or in the dryland is estimated at 200 - 250 US-$ per year.
Some data:Informe sobre Desarollo Humano (Spanish)
Mizque ProvinceMunicipalityMizqueVila VilaAlalay Nacional ranking (out of 314)284305 298Human Development Index (2001)0.4300.3650.400Life Expectancy Index0.4530.3940.540Education Index0.5090.4540.440Life expectancy (years)52.248.757.4Literacy of adults (% of 15 years old and more)61.455.966.2Average years of schooling3.12.12.8Population census 200126,6594,5914,931Percentage of rural population90.0%100.0%100.0%
There are 182 rural communities within the territory of the province situated in heights between 2,000 m in the template valleys and 3,600 m in the puna.
Language The predominant language is Quechua, spoken by 32,212 inhabitants and about 11,482 inhabitants are bilingual. They can speak Spanish as well. The following table shows the number of those belonging to the recognized group of speakers.obd.descentralizacion.gov.bo (Spanish)
Language Mizque Municipality Vila Vila Municipality Alalay MunicipalityQuechua24.2124.2294.529Aymara1721112Guaraní859Another native 1021Spanish 8.3787891.002Foreign4164Only native16.4993.4933.549Native and Spanish7.753742987Only Spanish6264715
Economy The economic activity is concentrated on agriculture and animal husbandry and to a minor extent on mining and crafts. The most important sectors in agriculture are the cultivation of potatoes, maize, wheat, peanuts, barley and onions.
Festivals and Fairs 2nd week in May: Fruit fair in Mizque, 1 day July 16: Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Alalay, 3 days September 8–14: Our Lord of Burgos (Señor de Burgos) in Mizque, 7 days September 23–25: Virgen Mestiza de Shikimira in Vila Vila, 3 days
References
Global Program of Development (Spanish)
External links Education: Statistical Data of Mizque Municipality Education: Statistical Data of Vila Vila Municipality Education: Statistical Data of Alalay Municipality Mizque and Campero Province