Provinces and Capitals in Santa Cruz Department of Bolivia
The Department of Santa Cruz, Bolivia’s most populous and largest department, is administratively divided into 15 provinces. These provinces vary greatly in size, population, and economic importance. Some are highly urbanized—centered around Santa Cruz de la Sierra—while others are vast, sparsely populated regions covering forests, plains, and border areas.
Urban growth and economic activity are heavily concentrated in the central provinces, especially Andrés Ibáñez, while frontier provinces such as Cordillera, José Miguel de Velasco, and Ñuflo de Chávez cover enormous territories with lower population densities.
List of Provinces in Santa Cruz Department
| Province | Capital |
|---|---|
| Andrés Ibáñez | Santa Cruz de la Sierra |
| Ignacio Warnes | Warnes |
| José Miguel de Velasco | San Ignacio de Velasco |
| Ichilo | Buena Vista |
| Chiquitos | San José de Chiquitos |
| Sara | Portachuelo |
| Cordillera | Lagunillas |
| Vallegrande | Vallegrande |
| Florida | Samaipata |
| Obispo Santiesteban | Montero |
| Ñuflo de Chávez | Concepción |
| Ángel Sandoval | San Matías |
| Manuel María Caballero | Comarapa |
| Germán Busch | Puerto Suárez |
| Guarayos | Ascensión de Guarayos |
Key Points
- 🏙️ Most populous province: Andrés Ibáñez
- 📏 Largest by area: Cordillera
- 🌾 Economic core: Andrés Ibáñez, Obispo Santiesteban, Warnes
- 🌲 Frontier & low-density provinces: Ángel Sandoval, José Miguel de Velasco, Ñuflo de Chávez
Here is a clear ranking of the provinces of Santa Cruz Department by population and by land area, using the figures you provided.
Provinces Ranked by Population (Highest → Lowest)
- Andrés Ibáñez – 1,653,001
- Obispo Santiesteban – 181,169
- Cordillera – 120,111
- Ñuflo de Chávez – 116,545
- Ignacio Warnes – 108,888
- Ichilo – 92,721
- Chiquitos – 82,429
- José Miguel de Velasco – 69,972
- Guarayos – 48,301
- Germán Busch – 42,799
- Sara – 42,278
- Florida – 32,842
- Vallegrande – 26,576
- Manuel María Caballero – 23,267
- Ángel Sandoval – 14,415
🔹 Most populated: Andrés Ibáñez
🔹 Least populated: Ángel Sandoval
Provinces Ranked by Land Area (Largest → Smallest)
- Cordillera – 86,245 km²
- José Miguel de Velasco – 65,425 km²
- Ñuflo de Chávez – 54,150 km²
- Ángel Sandoval – 37,442 km²
- Chiquitos – 31,429 km²
- Germán Busch – 24,903 km²
- Guarayos – 20,293 km²
- Ichilo – 14,232 km²
- Sara – 6,886 km²
- Vallegrande – 6,414 km²
- Andrés Ibáñez – 4,821 km²
- Florida – 4,132 km²
- Obispo Santiesteban – 3,673 km²
- Manuel María Caballero – 2,310 km²
- Ignacio Warnes – 1,216 km²
🔹 Largest province: Cordillera
🔹 Smallest province: Ignacio Warnes

















