Editing Geography of Bolivia (section)

==Valleys==

The northeastern flank of the [[Cordillera Real (Bolivia)|Cordillera Real]] is known as the [[Yungas]], from the [[Aymara language|Aymara]] and [[Quechua language|Quechua]] word ''yunka'' meaning "warm valley".<ref>{{Ref Bertonio}}</ref><ref>Teofilo Laime Ajacopa, Diccionario Bilingüe Iskay simipi yuyayk'ancha, La Paz, 2007 (Quechua-Spanish dictionary)</ref> The steep, almost inaccessible slopes and peaks of this mainly semitropical valley area northeast of [[La Paz]] offer some of the most spectacular scenery in Bolivia. Rainfall is heavy, and lush vegetation clings to the sides of narrow river valleys. The land is among the most fertile in Bolivia, but poor transport has hindered its agricultural development. The government attempted to build a railway through the Yungas in 1917 to connect La Paz with the eastern lowlands. The railway was abandoned, however, after completion of only 150 kilometres.

The eastern slopes of the [[Cordillera Central (Bolivia)|Cordillera Central]] descend gradually in a series of complex north–south ranges and hills. Rivers, draining to the east, have cut long narrow valleys; these valleys and the basins between the ranges are favorable areas for crops and settlement. Rich alluvial soils fill the low areas, but erosion has followed the removal of vegetation in some places. The valley floors range from 2,000 to 3,000 metres above sea level, and this lower elevation means milder temperatures than those of the Altiplano. The cities of [[Sucre]], [[Cochabamba]] and the upper area of [[Tarija department]], are located in basins of this vast region.