# Creation of Beni Department (18 November 1842)

URL: https://allhistories.com/bolivia/timeline/1842-creation-of-beni-department
Location: Trinidad, Beni
Themes: Treaty

President José Ballivián creates the department of Beni from the former Jesuit mission lands of Moxos in the Amazonian lowlands, with Trinidad as its capital. His government promotes exploration of the region's rivers and encourages settlement and commerce in a territory where state presence had been minimal. The department takes its name from the Beni River, a major tributary of the Amazon system.

## Why it matters
The new department strengthened Bolivian claims over its vast eastern lowlands and their river routes toward the Amazon.

Ruler at the Time: [José Ballivián](https://allhistories.com/bolivia/rulers/jose-ballivian)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia — Beni Department](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beni_Department)
- [Wikipedia — José Ballivián](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jos%C3%A9_Ballivi%C3%A1n)
- [Wikipedia — Early Republic & Confederation (period overview)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peru%E2%80%93Bolivian_Confederation)