Which nation has the world’s highest capital city, La Paz?

Bolivia is the nation whose administrative capital, La Paz, is the world’s highest national capital city.

La Paz sits in a steep canyon in the Andes at roughly 3,650 meters above sea level. The city is the seat of Bolivia’s government and executive and legislative institutions, while Sucre remains the country’s constitutional capital and judicial capital. This distinction is a common source of confusion.

La Paz was founded by Spanish colonists in 1548 near the site of the Indigenous settlement of Chuquiago. The neighboring city of El Alto occupies the high plateau above La Paz and has grown into a major urban center in its own right.

The city’s elevation affects its climate, architecture, transport, and daily life. The Mi Teleférico cable-car network was developed to connect La Paz with surrounding highland districts and El Alto. Quito, Ecuador, is also very high, but La Paz is generally recognized as the highest national administrative capital.