Cochabamba
[key], city, alt. c.8,400 ft (2,560 m), capital of Cochabamba dept., W
central Bolivia, the third largest city in Bolivia. It is a commercial
center in an agricultural region that ships grains, coffee, tobacco,
sugarcane, cacao, fruits, and potatoes. Industries produce goods mainly for
local consumption. Founded in 1574, the city was called Villa de Oropeza and
was renamed in 1786. Cochabamba has many historical buildings, including a
convent with five paintings by the Spanish artist Goya, and a monument to the women of
the city who fought and died in the Bolivian war of independence (1815).
Cochabamba is the seat of the Universidad Mayor de San Simón.
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