Tarija

Tarija
City & Municipality
Aerial view of Tarija
Metropolitan Cathedral of Tarija
National Museum of Tarija
Luis de Fuentes y Vargas Main Square
Vineyards in the Tarija Valley
Tarija
Location in Bolivia
Tarija
Tarija (South America)
Coordinates: 21°32′S 64°44′W / 21.533°S 64.733°W / -21.533; -64.733
Country Bolivia
DepartmentTarija
ProvinceCercado
FoundedJuly 4, 1574
Government
 • MayorJohnny Marcell Torres Terzo
Elevation
1,854 m (6,083 ft)
Population
 (2012 Census)
 • Urban
268,000
 • Metro
330,000
Time zoneUTC-4 (BOT)
Area code4
WebsiteOfficial website

Tarija or San Bernardo de la Frontera de Tarixa is a city in southern Bolivia. Founded in 1574, Tarija is the largest city and capital and municipality within the Tarija Department, with an airport offering regular service to primary Bolivian cities, like Bolivia capital La Paz, as well as a regional bus terminal with domestic and international connections. Its climate is semi-arid (BSh) with generally mild temperatures in contrast to the harsh cold of the Altiplano (e.g., La Paz) and the year-round humid heat of the Amazon Basin (e.g., Santa Cruz de la Sierra). Tarija has a population of 234,442 as of 2013.

The cities lies in a depression in the eastern Andes known as the Central Valley of Tarija.