Bolivia contains Sucre, the country’s constitutional capital.
Sucre was founded by the Spanish in 1538 under the name Ciudad de la Plata de la Nueva Toledo. It became an important colonial administrative and cultural center because of nearby silver wealth, especially the mines associated with Potosí. The city’s whitewashed colonial architecture earned it the nickname “the White City.”
Sucre is Bolivia’s constitutional and judicial capital, and the seat of the Supreme Court. La Paz is the seat of Bolivia’s executive and legislative branches, which is why the country is often described as having two capitals or a constitutional capital and a seat of government.
The city’s historic center was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1991. Sucre also played a major role in Bolivia’s independence movement: the country’s declaration of independence was signed there in 1825. It is distinct from Potosí, the historic mining city located farther southwest.