Cochabamba or
Quchapampa is a city in central
Bolivia, located in a valley bearing the same name in the
Andes mountain range. It is the
capital of the
Cochabamba Department and is the
fourth largest city in Bolivia with a population of 630,587 according to the
2012 Bolivian census. The name derives from a compound of the
Quechua words
qucha, meaning "lake", and
pampa, "open
plain". Residents of the city and surrounding areas are commonly referred to as
Cochalas. Cochabamba is known as the "City of Eternal Spring" and "The Garden City" due to its spring-like temperatures year round. It is also known as "La Llajta", "town" in Quechua.