We explain everything about Bolivia and its physical and cultural characteristics. In addition, how is its economy, religion and the history of this country.
Bolivia
Bolivia is a national state whose official name is Plurinational state of Bolivia. Its plurinational denomination is due to The presence in its territory of multiple native ethnicities indigenous, such as the Aymara, Quechuas, Yuracares and Ayoreos.
It is a sovereign country of South America located in the central region of the subcontinent . It borders the north and east with Brazil, to the south with Argentina and Paraguay, and to the west with Chile and Peru. It is one of the two countries of South America that has no exit to the sea.
It has an area of 1,098,000 square kilometers which makes it the fifth largest country in South America. Its population is 12 million inhabitants, so it is the eighth most populated in the subcontinent.
In this region they originated important pre -Columbian cultures Like the Tiwanaku or the Moxeña culture . It was subsequently dominated by the Inca Empire, and was subjected years later by the Spanish Empire in the fifteenth century.
Bolivian democracy is exercised in different ways according to its 2009 Constitution: it is a participatory democracy (It is exercised through referendums, assemblies, councils and previous consultations), representative (Its representatives are chosen by secret, direct and universal vote) and community (Representatives belong to the various indigenous peasant communities).
Why is it called that? The name “Bolivia” comes from Simón Bolívar, one of the greatest heroes of the independence of South American countries. The name of the country was chosen by the Bolivian Constituent Congress in 1825 in recognition of the Venezuelan leader.
Characteristics of Bolivia
- Its population is 12 million inhabitants.
- It has an area of 1,098,000 square kilometers, which represents a population density of 10.9 inhabitants per square kilometer.
- It has two capitals: an officer, the city of Sucre, and one administrative, the city of La Paz.
- The predominant climates are the warm tropical of savanna in the flat areas and the warm temperate of mountain and cold temperate in the mountainous areas.
- Its relief is made up of mountains and volcanoes that are part of the Andes mountain range in the west, and by plains in the east.
- The 36 native languages spoken in the country in addition to Spanish are considered official languages by the Bolivian State.
- The predominant religion is the Catholic.
- Its main economic activities are agriculture, mining and tourism.
- Its currency is the Bolivian (Bob).
Extension, population and capital of Bolivia
Bolivia has an extension of 1,098,000 square kilometers . It has a population of 12 million inhabitants and a population density of 10.9 inhabitants per square kilometer.
According to the provisions of the Bolivian Constitution, The capital of the nation is the city of Sucre originally called Chuquisaca or La Plata by the Spanish conquerors. The city was renamed in 1825 in honor of the Great Marshal of Ayacucho, the Venezuelan Antonio José de Sucre, first president of the country and organizer of his Republican Constitutional System. It is a city of around 300,000 inhabitants located in the southern region of the country.
The city of La Paz is the administrative headquarters of the State and its political, cultural and financial epicenter. It has 950,000 inhabitants and, located about 3650 meters above sea level, is the highest capital in the world.
Bolivia is divided into 9 provincial departments, which in turn are subdivided into provinces. The most populated departments are Santa Cruz, La Paz and Cochabamba which concentrate 70 % of the country’s population. The most populous city in the country is neither of its two capitals, but is Santa Cruz de la Sierra, with 1,900,000 inhabitants. The second most populated is the high, which is located in the Metropolitan Area of La Paz, and has 1,100,000 inhabitants.
Climate, relief and hydrography of Bolivia
The predominant climate of the territory of Bolivia is the warm tropical of Sabana which extends in the low and oriental regions of the country. It is characterized by high temperatures all year and a rainfall regime with a long dry season in the winter months.
In the mountainous areas near the Andes mountain range, the subhumid mounted temperate climate, characterized by having more abundant rainfall but also concentrated in the summer and lower temperatures due to the effect of altitude.
In the highest areas of the mountain range and In the Altiplano region the weather is Arid and cold temperate with temperatures reduced by altitude and rainfall that does not exceed 250 millimeters per year.
Bolivia’s relief can be divided into four major regions:
- The Andes . It is a mountain chain crosses the country at its western end and branches in several mountain ranges, such as the Western mountain range, the Central Mountains and the Eastern Cordillera, made up of mountains and volcanoes in activity. It is also a seismically active zone to be on the edge of the South American and Nazca plates. Its highest point is the Sajama Nevado, in the department of Oruro, with 6542 meters of altitude.
- The highlands . It is an extensive plateau located at a great altitude in the Andes mountain range. This region, which it shares with Chile and Argentina, is at an average altitude of around 3,800 meters above sea level. In it are height lakes such as Titicaca, and the Salar de Uyuni, the largest in the world with almost 11,000 square kilometers.
- The Yungas . They are mountainous areas of lower altitude, which are crossed by river valleys and covered with humid tropical forests. They are located east of the highlands, towards the eastern region of Bolivia.
- The plains . They are low and wavy areas, covered by dense tropical forests and crossed by numerous rivers. They are found in the northern and northeast region of Bolivia, and are part of the Amazon basin.
The rivers of the plains of Bolivia are characterized by being extensive and caudalosos . The most important are the Madre de Dios River, Beni, Mamoré and Iténez, which are part of the Amazon River basin. Other important rivers are Paraguay and the Pilcomayo.
In the area of the highlands the rivers are shorter and less caudalos . The presence of two large lakes high, the Titicaca and the poopó. In addition, there is the Salar de Uyuni, the largest in the world, and the Salar de Coipasa.
“The path of death” The route that linked the city of La Paz, in the Altiplano, with the city of Coroico in the Yungas Valley, had a 3600 meters high unevenness in 64 kilometers of extension. His high slope, frequent landslides and scarce width (there was hardly any space for two cars to pass), added to almost any part of the journey had wardrobe, they made him baptized as “the route of death” due to the large number of fatal accidents that occurred. It was currently replaced by a new safer route, and the old road to Coroico is used only to perform bicycle adventure tourism.
Bolivia culture
Although Spanish It is the most spoken language by the population of Bolivia, Its 36 native languages are considered official by the plurinational state. Like most Spanish colonies in South America, Its predominant religion is the Catholic, although there is a significant percentage of the Protestant population.
Traditional rhythms such as Cueca Orureña and Paceña, El Tinku, the Diablada and the Kullawada They are musical expressions characteristic of the country . Among the maximum exponents of Bolivian music are Gladys Moreno, Clean and Orlando Rojas.
As for the painting, Marina Núñez del Prado and Roberto Mamani Mamani stand out, whose works represent the Andean culture and the worldview of the original peoples of the country.
In the field of literature, Adela Zamudio, a pioneer of the Latin American feminism of the nineteenth century, and Jaime Saenz, one of the most important Bolivian writers of the twentieth century.
As for gastronomy, Bolivia offers a wide variety of typical dishes. Among the most prominent are The silpancho, a meat preparation served on rice, egg and potatoes and the Llajwaa spicy sauce based on tomato and chili that is used as accompaniment in many meals.
Bolivia national symbols
The national symbols of Bolivia are:
- The Bolivian flag . It was adopted in 1851 and consists of three horizontal stripes of red, yellow and green colors. In the yellow strip of the middle is the country’s shield.
- The whipala . It was officially adopted by the Plurinational State of Bolivia in 2009. It is composed of seven -colored pictures: red, orange, yellow, white, green, blue and violet.
- The National Anthem of Bolivia . Originally titled “Patriotic Song”, it was written with lyrics by José Ignacio de Sanjinés and Music by Leopoldo Benedetto Vincenti. He premiered in La Paz, in front of the Government Palace, in 1845 and was formalized in 1851.
- The Bolivian shield . It shows a rising sun behind the hill of Potosí and the minor hill in the upper part, and a white flame, the chapel of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, a beam of wheat and a palm tree in the lower part. Everything is inside a blue oval with a golden steak and the word “Bolivia” in yellow next to ten stars. To each side are the national flags, a cannon, two rifles, an ax, a frigio hat and an Andean condor.
Economic Activities of Bolivia
The most important economic activities of Bolivia are:
- Agriculture . The main agricultural products produced by Bolivia are soybeans, sugar cane, rice, corn and wheat. In addition, it is the second world producer of quinoa after Peru.
- Mining . It is a traditional economic activity of Bolivia. The production of zinc, silver, lead and gold stands out, is the fourth world producer of tin and one of the main world producers of natural gas.
- Tourism . The culture of the country and its natural landscapes are very attractive to international tourism. The most visited destinations in Bolivia are the Salar de Uyuni, Lake Titicaca, the Ruins of Tiwanaku, the Oruro Carnival and the Madidi National Park.
- Its official currency is the Bolivian (Bob), and its main business partners are China, Brazil, Argentina and India .
History of Bolivia
Chiripa and Wankarani cultures were some of the most important in the pre -Columbian era in Bolivia. His vestiges date back to 1500 a. C. Subsequently, the Tiwanaku culture was strengthened around Lake Titicaca, which dominated parts of Bolivia, Peru, northern Chile and northwest of Argentina. Tiwanaku’s collapse around 1100 d. C. led to the rise of the Aymara groups.
The Bolivian Altiplano was conquered in the fifteenth century by the Inca Empire, which imposed some cultural aspects but also respected the Aymara language and identity. For this reason, today the Quechua languages (of the Inca Empire) and Aimara persist in Bolivia. With the Spanish conquest of the 16th century, The region was subject to Spanish Empire as part of the Viceroyalty of Peru.
The colonial domination in what is today Bolivia was predominantly dedicated to mining exploitation. Potosí silver deposits were mostly worked by indigenous labor. The region responded to the authority of the Royal Audience of Charcas, based in La Paz, and was one of the most prosperous and densely populated in the Spanish Empire. In 1776 he went to the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata and began to be called Alto Peru.
In the 18th century there were some indigenous uprisings, such as the one directed by Túpac Amaru II, and in 1809 uprisings were developed in Chuquisaca and La Paz. The fight between patriots and realistic ended with the victory of the troops of Simón Bolívar and Antonio José de Sucre which led to the declaration of the independence of Alto Peru in 1825. The Assembly of Deputies proclaimed the existence of the Republic of Bolívar, in tribute to the “Libertador”, and shortly after changing its name to Bolivia. Sucre assumed as his first president.
The nineteenth and large part of the 20th century were characterized by political instability, including a war against Chile, in which Bolivia and Peru lost territories (1879-1883), and a war against Paraguay (1932-1935), in which both countries suffered great human losses.
Since 1982, democratically chosen governments followed and, in 2009, during the presidency of Evo Morales, the Official Plurinational State Name of Bolivia was adopted.
References
- Educa.com.bo (SF) Bolivia hydrography. https://www.educa.com.bo/
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2023) Bolivia. Country record. Diplomatic Information Office of Spain. https://www.exteriors.gob.es/
- UN news (2019) Bolivia, at the forefront of the protection and promotion of indigenous languages. https://news.un.org/
- Website of the National Institute of Statistics of Bolivia. https://www.ine.gob.bo/
