Capinota facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Capinota
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 Capinota
Location in Bolivia
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| Country |  Bolivia |
| Department | Cochabamba Department |
| Province | Capinota Province |
| Population
(2012)
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| • Total | 29,659 |
| Time zone | UTC-4 (BOT) |
Capinota is a small but important town in Bolivia. It's located in the Cochabamba Department and is the main town of the Capinota Province.
Contents
Where is Capinota Located?
Capinota sits high up at 2,380 meters (about 7,800 feet) above sea level. It's a special spot where two rivers, the Río Arque and Río Rocha, meet. These rivers then flow together to form the Río Caine and later the Río Grande. The town is about 66 kilometers (41 miles) south of Cochabamba, which is the capital city of the department.
What's the Weather Like?
Capinota has a semi-arid climate, which means it's quite dry. On average, it gets about 500 millimeters (20 inches) of rain each year. The average temperature is around 18°C (64°F).
Seasons in Capinota
- Dry Season: This lasts from May to September. During these months, it's cooler, but it doesn't usually get cold enough for frost.
- Rainy Season: This runs from December to February. It's warmer during this time and that's when most of the rain falls.
| Climate data for Capinota, elevation 2,406 m (7,894 ft) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 39.0 (102.2) |
36.0 (96.8) |
35.5 (95.9) |
33.8 (92.8) |
32.0 (89.6) |
30.5 (86.9) |
30.8 (87.4) |
34.0 (93.2) |
36.0 (96.8) |
38.0 (100.4) |
39.2 (102.6) |
41.0 (105.8) |
41.0 (105.8) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 28.3 (82.9) |
27.8 (82.0) |
27.9 (82.2) |
27.8 (82.0) |
26.2 (79.2) |
24.4 (75.9) |
24.9 (76.8) |
27.1 (80.8) |
29.2 (84.6) |
30.6 (87.1) |
30.7 (87.3) |
29.3 (84.7) |
27.9 (82.1) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 20.4 (68.7) |
20.0 (68.0) |
19.8 (67.6) |
18.9 (66.0) |
15.7 (60.3) |
13.3 (55.9) |
13.4 (56.1) |
15.8 (60.4) |
18.7 (65.7) |
20.8 (69.4) |
21.6 (70.9) |
21.0 (69.8) |
18.3 (64.9) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 12.4 (54.3) |
12.3 (54.1) |
11.7 (53.1) |
10.0 (50.0) |
5.2 (41.4) |
2.2 (36.0) |
1.9 (35.4) |
4.4 (39.9) |
8.3 (46.9) |
11.0 (51.8) |
12.5 (54.5) |
12.8 (55.0) |
8.7 (47.7) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 5.0 (41.0) |
5.2 (41.4) |
3.0 (37.4) |
1.8 (35.2) |
−3.2 (26.2) |
−5.3 (22.5) |
−7.0 (19.4) |
−3.0 (26.6) |
−1.3 (29.7) |
1.5 (34.7) |
4.0 (39.2) |
3.0 (37.4) |
−7.0 (19.4) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 124.0 (4.88) |
98.2 (3.87) |
76.6 (3.02) |
21.6 (0.85) |
3.4 (0.13) |
2.8 (0.11) |
1.4 (0.06) |
6.5 (0.26) |
11.6 (0.46) |
24.4 (0.96) |
57.7 (2.27) |
103.0 (4.06) |
531.2 (20.93) |
| Average precipitation days | 13.6 | 11.5 | 9.4 | 3.4 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 1.5 | 2.9 | 4.8 | 7.3 | 11.4 | 67.6 |
| Source: Servicio Nacional de Meteorología e Hidrología de Bolivia | |||||||||||||
Who Lives in Capinota?
Most people in Capinota are of Quechua heritage or are mestizo (a mix of Indigenous and European backgrounds). In 2012, the Capinota province had a total population of 29,659 people. The main city of Capinota itself had 5,264 residents in 2012, and its population has been growing steadily over the years.
What Industries are There?
The biggest industry in Capinota is the Coboce Mill. This factory makes cement, which is a key material for building. It's located about four kilometers from the city, in a community called Irpa-Irpa. The Coboce company is very important for the local economy. It creates jobs and helps with trade and transportation in the area. Many local people work in transporting the cement products.
Farming and Crops
Farming is a big part of life in Capinota. Because there's no frost, farmers can grow crops all year round!
What Do Farmers Grow?
Farmers in Capinota mainly grow:
They also have gardens with vineyards (for grapes) and fruit trees, like peaches and apples.
How Farming is Done
The average farm field is quite small, about 0.35 hectares (less than an acre). Farmers own their land or rent it. They mostly prepare and plow the land by hand or with oxen, as tractors are not commonly used.
Lameo: An Ancient Farming Trick
Farmers in Capinota use a special, old technique called lameo (or may'kas). This is an ancient way to make the soil richer and healthier.
How Lameo Works
1. Using River Sediments: When it rains in the mountains, the Río Arque carries rich minerals and organic material downstream. 2. Flooding Fields: Farmers change the river's path to flood some of their fields. This allows the good materials from the river to settle on the land. 3. Building Bocatomás: To do this, they create special openings called bocatomás (man-made inlets) in the river. These need to be rebuilt every 1-3 years after the river floods. 4. Creating Dykes and Canals: Farmers build small walls (like dykes) around their fields. Inside the fields, they dig small canals to spread the water evenly. 5. Draining Excess Water: At the lower end of the field, furrows (small ditches) drain away any extra water. This leaves a layer of water about 12 to 15 centimeters (5-6 inches) deep on the land.
Benefits of Lameo
- Over 200 farmers use lameo on 228 hectares of land.
- It helps farmers grow a lot of crops, especially potatoes and a type of tomato.
- For fields further from the river, farmers mix the river sediments with their soil and add chicken manure to make it fertile.
- Studies show that the lameo technique has been used in this region for a very long time, possibly as far back as 1500 BCE (Before Common Era).
See also
In Spanish: Villa Capinota para niños
