At Bly we’re always fascinated by the procession of names given to places over the course of their history. Originally known as “Charcas,” after the indigenous Charca people, who’ve lived in the region since ancient times, modern-day Sucre was given the name “La Plata,” when the Spaniards arrived, “Chuquisaca” when the indigenous people were trying to get rid of them, and finally its current title when the foreigners were at last booted out. This latest entry in the city’s denominatory history was in honor of the great Venezuelan-born independence leader and Bolivarian-right-hand, Jose Antonio Sucre.

Now you might be wondering what this dual capital business is about. The short answer is that Sucre was Bolivia’s only capital until the silver industry in nearby Potosí went on the decline, and northern cities like La Paz began to grow. Today Sucre remains the official capital, while La Paz—which is actually home to more government departments—gets stuck with the cumbersome label “Bolivia’s de facto capital city.”