Official Name: | Huacaraje Municipality |
Settlement Type: | Municipality |
Pushpin Label Position: | bottom |
Pushpin Map Caption: | Location within Bolivia |
Subdivision Type: | Country |
Subdivision Type1: | Department |
Subdivision Name1: | Beni Department |
Subdivision Type2: | Province |
Subdivision Name2: | Iténez Province |
Seat Type: | Seat |
Leader Title: | Mayor |
Leader Title1: | President |
Established Title: | Foundation |
Unit Pref: | Imperial |
Population As Of: | 2001 |
Population Blank1 Title: | Ethnicities |
Population Blank2 Title: | Religions |
Timezone: | BOT |
Utc Offset: | -4 |
Huacaraje (or Guacaraje) is a municipality and locality in Bolivia, located in the Iténez province in the Beni Department. It is situated between the towns of Magdalena and Baures. The municipality covers an area of 9,876 km² and has an approximate population of 3,700 inhabitants, with a population density of about 2.7 inhabitants per km².
It features a tropical-humid climate, with heavy rainfall, and an average temperature of 32.5°C.
According to historian Saúl Suárez Medina in his work "Almanaque Oriental", this town was founded on November 29, 1800, with 80 families from the Itonama ethnic group by Ramón Velarde, the corregidor of Magdalena at the time, as a resting point for travelers covering the 14 leagues between Magdalena and Baures.
According to this historian, the name "Huacaraje" originates from the Itonama word "Guacanaro", which means "place of rest".
The main economic activity is livestock farming, and due to the sandy loam soil, subsistence agriculture is also practiced. There is also subsistence craftwork such as weaving hammocks, making hats, wood crafts, and other ethnic-origin activities like hunting, fishing, and gathering wild fruits, including cocoa.
Besides the urban area (2,300 inhabitants), it has 3 communities:
Jessica Jordan, Miss Bolivia and a two-time candidate for the governorship of Beni, was born and spent her childhood in this municipality.