GEOGRAPHY
Area:   1.1 million sq.km (425,000 sq.mi.); about the size of Texas
                    and California combined
Cities:  Capital- La Paz (Administrative-pop. 713,400); Sucre
        constitutional-130,800).  Other major cities- Santa Cruz                 (697,00), Cochabamba (407,800), El Alto (405,500)
Terrain: High plateau (altiplano, temperate and semitropical
        valleys, and the tropical lowlands
Climate: Varies with altitude- from humid and tropical to
        semi-arid and cold

PEOPLE
Population (1995 est.): 7.4 million
Ethnic groups: 56% indigenous (primarily Aymara, Quechua, and Guarani), 42% European and mixed
Religion: Predominantly Roman Catholic
Languages: Spanish (official), Quechua, Aymara, Guarani
Health: Infant mortality rate- 67/1,000

GOVERNMENT
Type: Republic
Independence: August 6, 1825
Constitution: 1967; revised 1994
Subdivisions: 9 departments
Major Political parties: Nationalist Democratic Action (AND),
Movement of the Revolutionary Left (MIR), Nationalist
Revolutionary Movement (MNR), Conscience of the Fatherland
(CONDEPA), Free Bolivia Movement (MBL), Civic Solidarity Union
(UCS)

A Very Brief History*

Pre-Conquest: 
Throughout its pre-Columbian history, one culture dominated Bolivia, the Tiahuanaco, by Lake Titicaca.  Their beginnings are dated from around 1000BC and their achievements in stone masonry and grandiose religious structures rival those of the Incas.  However, they were not conquered by the Incas but collapsed through some natural disaster around 900AD.  Archaeologists believe that Lake Titicaca was once much larger than its present
size and that whatever forces caused its diminishing spelled the end of Tiahuanco, which is now further away from the lake.For some 300 years, the people of Tiahuanco shared aspects of
their culture such as road-building, land terracing and irrigation with the Huari of central Peru, with whom they probably had commercial links.  Unlike the Huari, the descendants of the Tiahuanco (the Aymara) resisted the Incas (the Quechua) who never really achieved domination over these fiercely independent people.

Colonial Times: 
Bolivia was conquered by the Spanish in 1538, its vast resources of silver making it a very valuable possession.  It became part of the Viceroyalty of Peru, but there were revolts as early as 1661.  By 1824 a series of uprisings had paved the way for independence.  Bolivar's general, Sucre, invaded Bolivia after winning the Battle of Ayacucho in Peru, and the Spaniards were defeated in the Battle of Tumusla in 1825.  Later that year, Simon Bolivar named the country after himself.  Bolivia has become progressively smaller since independence, losing a series of territorial wars.  The most painful loss was
that of its Pacific coast to Chile in the War of the Pacific from 1879-1883.  Both Brazil and Argentina followed suit by annexing Bolivian territory, and the greatest loss in terms of
size came when Paraguay seized a vast chunk of Chaco in the first half of the century. 

Modern Events:
When not under attack from outside its borders Bolivia suffered internal strife and a succession of military governments which at one time gave it the dubious distinction of having had more political coups than years of independence.  The last de facto military government left power in 1982, but throughout that decade economic chaos undermined the country with inflation at one point standing at around 35,000% per annum.  The 1990s have seen the arrival of both political and economic stability, with democratic elections leading to a peaceful hand-over of power and considerable continuity of policy.  Inflation is now down to
a very respectable 10% or so.  The rather surprising 1997 election went to
Hugo Banzer, a former military dictator from the bad old days of the 1970s.  The poverty plaguing the nation  worsened under his tenure. Corruption and cronyism continued and the gap between rich and poor remained wide. Not surprisingly, President Banzer's administration had been besieged by protests and strikes.  Under pressure from the World Bank and others, the Bolivian government has spent the past 15 years "privatizing" its major public enterprises into the eager hands of multinational corporations -- the electric company, the phone company, water company, oil industry, the national airline, and more.   Also, Banzer's U.S.-backed Dignity Plan, to eradicate Bolivia's illegal coca growing has had a profound effect on the economy, striping the nation of nearly $300 million a year and leaving many farmers jobless and angry. 

Large-scale protests in April and September of 2000 led Banzer to order a crackdown that resulted in clashes that killed 20 people and injured more than 200. In April of 2001, demonstrations resulted in two more deaths, prompting the Roman Catholic Church to plead with the government for peaceful solutions.  Many Bolivians said Banzer should resign, but he had flatly refused to step down before the end of his term Aug. 6, 2002.  His commitment to privatization and coca eradication had won him unwavering support from the U.S. government, which many say buoyed him during the social conflicts that might have ousted lesser governments. 

In a ironic twist of fate, Banzer stepped down as president on August 6, 2001, handing power over to then vice-president Jorge Quiroga, a young Texas-educated businessman.  Banzer succummed to lung cancer on May 5, 2002.

As Quiroga finished out Banzer's term, he vowed to continue the coca eradication campaign.  In a surprising turn of events, Cochambamba coca leader and activist, Evo Morales, tied for a close second to Gonzàlo ("Goni") Sànchez de Lozado with 20.92% of the vote to Lozado's 22.40%.  Under Bolivian law, when no single candidate wins by a clear majority, Congress must decide the winner.  The right-wing Sànchez de Lozado was chosen.

Today, protests over the coca eradication and the plight of the indigenous continue, but new is a tinge of anti-American sentiment, for their continual interference in Bolivia's affairs.



                    Lonely Planet Bolivia.

          
The people and cultures of Bolivia are just as diverse as the land.  Nearly three-quarters of Bolivians are purely Indigenous, and many people maintain traditional cultural values and belief systems.  Only 60-70% of the population speak Spanish, and then only as a second language. The largest of the approximately three dozen indigenous groups are the Aymara (Altiplano region), Quechua (Highland valleys), and Guarani (Chaco).  They have affected much of the culture with their own dialects, music, artisan handicrafts and special outlook on life.   The great majority of Bolivians are Roman Catholic, the official religion, but  many indigenous communities interweave pre-Columbian and Christian symbols into their religious practices. 
La Paz and Altiplano Slide Show
Slide Show of the Amazon Basin
Just over a century ago a diplomatic crisis was brewing in La Paz over a glass of chicha.  The new British ambassador to Bolivia made the mistake of sneering at the local corn-brewed drink when served it by the incumbent dictator.  As a punishment, he was forced to drink a barrelful of chocolate and be led through the streets of the capital strapped to a donkey.  When the news reached London, Queen Victoria was not amused.  She demanded a map of South America, drew a cross through the country and declared, "BOLIVIA DOES NOT EXIST!"            

-From "Bolivia Handbook"
                    by Alan Murphy

.
A Very Brief History*

Pre-Conquest: 
Throughout its pre-Columbian history, one culture dominated Bolivia, the Tiahuanaco, by Lake Titicaca.  Their beginnings are dated from around 1000BC and their achievements in stone masonry and grandiose religious structures rival those of the Incas.  However, they were not conquered by the Incas but collapsed through some natural disaster around 900AD.  Archaeologists believe that Lake Titicaca was once much larger than its present
size and that whatever forces caused its diminishing spelled the end of Tiahuanco, which is now further away from the lake.For some 300 years, the people of Tiahuanco shared aspects of
their culture such as road-building, land terracing and irrigation with the Huari of central Peru, with whom they probably had commercial links.  Unlike the Huari, the descendants of the Tiahuanco (the Aymara) resisted the Incas (the Quechua) who never really achieved domination over these fiercely independent people.

Colonial Times: 
Bolivia was conquered by the Spanish in 1538, its vast resources of silver making it a very valuable possession.  It became part of the Viceroyalty of Peru, but there were revolts as early as 1661.  By 1824 a series of uprisings had paved the way for independence.  Bolivar's general, Sucre, invaded Bolivia after winning the Battle of Ayacucho in Peru, and the Spaniards were defeated in the Battle of Tumusla in 1825.  Later that year, Simon Bolivar named the country after himself.  Bolivia has become progressively smaller since independence, losing a series of territorial wars.  The most painful loss was
that of its Pacific coast to Chile in the War of the Pacific from 1879-1883.  Both Brazil and Argentina followed suit by annexing Bolivian territory, and the greatest loss in terms of
size came when Paraguay seized a vast chunk of Chaco in the first half of the century. 

Modern Events:
When not under attack from outside its borders Bolivia suffered internal strife and a succession of military governments which at one time gave it the dubious distinction of having had more political coups than years of independence.  The last de facto military government left power in 1982, but throughout that decade economic chaos undermined the country with inflation at one point standing at around 35,000% per annum.  The 1990s have seen the arrival of both political and economic stability, with democratic elections leading to a peaceful hand-over of power and considerable continuity of policy.  Inflation is now down to
a very respectable 10% or so.  The rather surprising 1997 election went to
Hugo Banzer, a former military dictator from the bad old days of the 1970s.  The poverty plaguing the nation  worsened under his tenure. Corruption and cronyism continued and the gap between rich and poor remained wide. Not surprisingly, President Banzer's administration had been besieged by protests and strikes.  Under pressure from the World Bank and others, the Bolivian government has spent the past 15 years "privatizing" its major public enterprises into the eager hands of multinational corporations -- the electric company, the phone company, water company, oil industry, the national airline, and more.   Also, Banzer's U.S.-backed Dignity Plan, to eradicate Bolivia's illegal coca growing has had a profound effect on the economy, striping the nation of nearly $300 million a year and leaving many farmers jobless and angry. 

Large-scale protests in April and September of 2000 led Banzer to order a crackdown that resulted in clashes that killed 20 people and injured more than 200. In April of 2001, demonstrations resulted in two more deaths, prompting the Roman Catholic Church to plead with the government for peaceful solutions.  Many Bolivians said Banzer should resign, but he had flatly refused to step down before the end of his term Aug. 6, 2002.  His commitment to privatization and coca eradication had won him unwavering support from the U.S. government, which many say buoyed him during the social conflicts that might have ousted lesser governments. 

In a ironic twist of fate, Banzer stepped down as president on August 6, 2001, handing power over to then vice-president Jorge Quiroga, a young Texas-educated businessman.  Banzer succummed to lung cancer on May 5, 2002.

As Quiroga finished out Banzer's term, he vowed to continue the coca eradication campaign.  In a surprising turn of events, Cochambamba coca leader and activist, Evo Morales, tied for a close second to Gonzàlo ("Goni") Sànchez de Lozado with 20.92% of the vote to Lozado's 22.40%.  Under Bolivian law, when no single candidate wins by a clear majority, Congress must decide the winner.  The right-wing Sànchez de Lozado was chosen.

Today, protests over the coca eradication and the plight of the indigenous continue, but new is a tinge of anti-American sentiment, for their continual interference in Bolivia's affairs.



                    Lonely Planet Bolivia.

PHOTOS!!!!
LEARN ABOUT BOLIVIA

Campesinos march  with  the Wiphala in hand, the banner representing the Indigenous Population of Bolivia.

GEOGRAPHY
Area:   1.1 million sq.km (425,000 sq.mi.); about the size of Texas
                    and California combined
Cities:  Capital- La Paz (Administrative-pop. 713,400); Sucre
        constitutional-130,800).  Other major cities- Santa Cruz                 (697,00), Cochabamba (407,800), El Alto (405,500)
Terrain: High plateau (altiplano, temperate and semitropical
        valleys, and the tropical lowlands
Climate: Varies with altitude- from humid and tropical to
        semi-arid and cold

PEOPLE
Population (1995 est.): 7.4 million
Ethnic groups: 56% indigenous (primarily Aymara, Quechua, and Guarani), 42% European and mixed
Religion: Predominantly Roman Catholic
Languages: Spanish (official), Quechua, Aymara, Guarani
Health: Infant mortality rate- 67/1,000

GOVERNMENT
Type: Republic
Independence: August 6, 1825
Constitution: 1967; revised 1994
Subdivisions: 9 departments
Major Political parties: Nationalist Democratic Action (AND),
Movement of the Revolutionary Left (MIR), Nationalist
Revolutionary Movement (MNR), Conscience of the Fatherland
(CONDEPA), Free Bolivia Movement (MBL), Civic Solidarity Union
(UCS)

Physical and Social Geography.
For many of you, Bolivia might as well not exist.  Maybe the first time you really thought about the country was when you learned I was being assigned here for Peace Corps.  (I think someone even got it confused with Bulgaria!) Certainly, Bolivia remains one of the least known of all South American countries.  So for all you curiosity seekers, I've created this page to share a little info and some photos about this land-locked nation.  Just click on what grabs your fancy on the left and you will be directed to that area on the page. For further information, I've added some helpful links with more official info.
.
Bolivia's 1.1 million sq.km., about the size of Texas and California combined, contain some of the most varied landscapes in the world. Often called "the Tibet of South America", Bolivia is the highest and most isolated of the Latin American countries with rugged mountain peaks reaching over 6,000 meters. The Western Cordillera of the Andes Range forms a natural border with Chile.  To its east lies the high, barren Altiplano, bounded by the Eastern Cordillera with basin altitudes ranging from 3500 to 4000 meters. Lake Titicaca, the highest navigable lake in the world (3810 meters), is situated on the western border with Peru.  The southern portion of the Altiplano contains remnants of two other lakes, now vast white salt deserts known as the Salares.  South and east of the Altiplano, lies the
Cordillera Central known as the highland valleys, with semi-arid fertile basins that support intense agriculture.  The Andes sharply drops down to the vast and biologically rich rainforests and savannas of Amazon Basin to northeast border with Brazil.  Rising moist air from the Amazon is trapped as it heads towards the Andes, so the eastern slopes (the Yungas) are thickly forested and the rainfall is high.   In the south-eastern corner of Bolivia, along the Paraguayan and Argentine borders, lies the flat, hot desert scrubland of the Chaco.