Orinoca is a district (cantón) in the Andamarca Municipality in the Bolivian Sud Carangas Province in Oruro Department.

The Orinoca District is located at 18°58′S 67°15′W / 18.967°S 67.25°W / -18.967; -67.25 (Orinoca), 3,800 m above sea-level, on the western shore of Lake Poopó, 180 km (115 mi) south of Oruro. Its extension from north to south and from east to west is 35 km.

The population of the district increased at 34.0 % from 1,259 inhabitants (census 1992) to 1,687 inhabitants (2001), there is no urban population in this district. 44.9 % of the population are younger than 15 years old, the rate of literacy is 77.7 % (1992).

Main idiom of the province is Aymara, spoken by 97.0 %, while 76.7 % of the population speak Spanish and 43.3 % Quechua (1992).

71.4 % of the population are Catholics, 17.5 % are Protestants (1992).

The village of Isallawi in the Orinoca District is the birthplace of Evo Morales, Bolivia's President.

97.5 % of the population have no access to sanitary facilities, 100.0 % have no electricity (1992).

Orinoca is a small town in the Bolivian Oruro Department.

Orinoca has 163 inhabitants (2001) and is the administrative center of Orinoca District. It is located at 18°58′02″S 67°15′30″W / 18.96722°S 67.25833°W / -18.96722; -67.25833 (Orinoca), 3,788 m above sea-level, 185 km south of the department's capital, Oruro, and 20 km west of Lake Poopó.

Orinoca is accessible by road, and a bus service that serves the town twice a week.

The village of Isallawi in the Orinoca District is the birthplace of Evo Morales, Bolivia's President.

References

Juan Evo Morales Ayma (born October 26, 1959), popularly known as Evo (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈeβo]), is a Bolivian politician and activist, serving as the 80th President of Bolivia, a position that he has held since 2006. He is also the leader of both the Movement for Socialism party (MAS) and the cocalero trade union. Politically a socialist, his presidency has seen a focus on implementing leftist policies in the country, introducing a new constitution, land reforms, nationalising various key industries, opposing United States and corporate involvement in the country's politics, and poverty reduction measures.

Born into a working class Aymara family in Isallawi, Orinoca Canton, Evo grew up aiding his parents as a subsistence farmer. After studying for a degree, Morales undertook national service until 1978, when he returned to the family profession of farming, moving with them to Chapare Province. He eventually settled into growing coca, the plant from which cocaine is made. His activism led him into the political arena, and he eventually became the leader of the MAS, through which he got involved in social protests like the gas conflict and the Cochabamba protests of 2000. The MAS claimed that its aims were giving more power to the country's indigenous and poor communities by means of land reforms and redistribution of gas wealth, and gradually increased its electoral support.