Тариха: Тарихы, географиясы және мәдениеті

the Bolivian department

The name of Tarija is said to come from Francisco de Tarija or Tarifa. This group did not include anyone by the name of Francisco de Tarija. Similar sounding toponyms exist for surrounding places, such as Tariquia and Taxara. In 1826 the citizens of Tarija voted to become part of Bolivia. In 1807, Tarija had become separated from Upper Peru to become part of the jurisdiction of Salta (part of Argentina), but because of its close ties to what became Bolivia, it returned to its original jurisdiction. In 1899, Argentina renounced its claims in exchange for the Puna de Atacama. The valley that Tarija is situated in was first occupied by Western Hemispheric indigenous groups, such as the Churumatas. Subsequently, the Inca Empire – administered by the Quechua civilization – conquered the land and dispersed the Churumatas and other local groups over wide territories of the Andes. Mitimaes is the Quechuan name that the Incas used for the resisting ethnic groups they uprooted and then dispersed geographically. The Tomatas are thought to have been brought to San Juan del Oro River in the vicinities of Tarija from Norte Chico, Chile. The Tomatas appear to have given placenames from their old lands to their new area of settlement thus explaining the existence of "Chilean" placenames such as Loa, Calama, and Erqui (Elqui) in Bolivia. The San Jacinto Dam is located a few kilometers south of Tarija, and the Chorros de Jurina falls is located a few kilometers northwest from the city. Tarija's land and climate are adequate for grape and wine production. The Festival of Wine is held annually in Tarija.

Tarija has a semi arid climate (Köppen BSh/BSk), bordering on a subtropical highland climate (Cwb). The summers are warm and generally humid, while "winters” are dry, with barely any rainfall, and temperatures warm during the day and cooler at night. Almost all the annual precipitation is received during the southern hemisphere summer months. Frosts occasionally occur from May to October. On July 25, 2019, the most intense snowfall in Tarija since 1954 was recorded.

Tarija is commonly regarded by Bolivian nationals and tourists alike as the "Bolivian Andalusia". The Guadalquivir River that borders the city was named after the Spanish river of the same name. Residents of Tarija call themselves Chapacos, regardless of social class and ethnic background. Although the origin of the name is uncertain, there is a hypothesis that it is a variation of chacapa, the name of an indigenous settlement in the region during early colonial times. During Bolivia's post revolutionary period, the Chapacos voted in favor of being annexed by Bolivia instead of Argentina. For that reason, Tarijeños have been included among Bolivia's most loyal and patriotic people. However, the modern culture is slightly isolated from the rest of urban Bolivia, and in recent times, many Tarijeñans feel much more connected to Tarija itself than to the rest of Bolivia. Their local creed is reflected in a famous, folkloric Cueca song, titled "Chapaco Soy".

The city's Guadalquivir Coliseum has hosted games of Bolivia's national basketball team.