Terrain

Bolivia is located in the Andes; the mountain range stretches from north to south in the west part of the country. The Cordillera Occidental is in the west, near the border with Chile, and the Cordillera Oriental, which is the core of the Andes, is in the north-east. Both demarcate the Bolivian plateau. In the Cordillera Oriental, also called Cordillera Real, the Andes reach their highest points with the Illimani (6,882 m) and the Illampu (6,550 m.

Bolivia is made up of different regions: the Altiplano (Bolivian plateau), the Yungas (a region of dense woods in the eastern Bolivian highlands), and the Llanos, a lowland area in the east. The Bolivian part of the Altiplano, which lies between 3,600 and 4,000 m, covers an area which is 800 km long and 130 km wide, between the Cordillera Occidental and the Cordillera Real. Lake Titicaca, the highest-lying navigable lake in the world and South America's largest lake, is located in the west of the country, in the region bordering with Peru.

Climate

Although Bolivia is situated in the tropics, the great differences in altitude result in a very diverse climate. In the higher-lying areas it is cold and dry, whilst in the Altiplano and the lowlands, the climate ranges between humid and dry. Average temperatures range from 8.3°C in the Altiplano to 26.1°C in the highest-lying valleys.

Fauna/Flora

The southern part of the Bolivian Altiplano is arid and barren. The deep valleys of the Yungas spread out on the eastern slopes of the Andes. The edge of the Amazon Basin, with its hot and humid rainforests, is in the north-east of the country. Most of this region becomes swampy during the rainy season, from December to February. However, large areas covered with fertile pasture land lie above the high-water level. In the south-east are the hot and dry plains of the Gran Chaco, separated by the Chiquitos Highlands (1070 m). Due to the varying altitudes in the Bolivian landscape, almost all types of vegetation area are found. The treeless central plateau is covered with ichu, a type of grass, and stunted shrubs.

Rubber trees and over 2,000 species of hardwood are found in the tropical forests in the east of the country. The llama, which lives mainly in the Altiplano, serves as a pack animal and supplies people with milk, meat, and wool. Alpacas, vicuñas, and guanacos also live on the plateau. Monkeys, pumas, jaguars, armadillos, and a multitude of reptile, bird, and insect species live mainly in the tropical rainforests. The savannahs are home to nandus, poisonous snakes, and termites. The condor, the largest land bird that is able to fly, has its habitat in the Andes and on the plateau.

History/Politics

Bolivia was already home to a highly developed culture between AD 600 and 1200, the Tihuanaco culture, which was later conquered by and incorporated into the Inca empire as it expanded. A lot of archaeological evidence remains from this period, as do the Aymara and Quechua languages. After the destruction of the Inca empire, the Spanish conquered the plateau in 1538 and exploited the rich mineral deposits, sending the mining products to their home country. In the early 19th century, resistance to colonial power was growing, and independence was proclaimed in 1825. The state was named after the leader of the revolution, Simón Bolivar, who also drafted the first constitution.

The following decades were characterised by a long succession of military dictatorships and the outbreak of the bloody Gran Chaco War (1932-1935), which led to the loss of the Gran Chaco area. In 1997, Hugo Bánzer Suárez, who had already ruled the country as a dictator from 1971 to 1978, won the presidential elections. When Hugo Bánzer Suárez fell seriously ill, he renounced the presidency, and vice president Gonzalo Sánchez took his place in August 2001. During the past few years, the country has faced a number of social and political movements which have affected the stability of the government.

Economy

Despite its wealth in mineral resources, Bolivia is among South America's least developed countries. Although the largest mining companies were nationalized in the 1950s, the Bolivian government has actively supported the development of private enterprise and foreign investment. Bolivia has rich ore deposits and its many mines process tin, lead, silver, copper, antimony, zinc, sulphur, bismuth, gold and tungsten. Mining, Bolivia’s most important earner of foreign capital, slumped in the late eighties after a drop in prices on the world market and the exhaustion of several mines. Bolivia is one of the most important producers worldwide of tin, bismuth, and antimony. Approximately half of the country's workforce is employed in agriculture, which accounts for 23% of the gross national product. In 2003, unemployment was at 7.6%, and inflation at 3.3%.

Culture

The Bolivians have retained the traditions of their pre-colonial ancestors in their clothes, language, architecture, and way of life. These traditions, however, have partly blended with Spanish customs. Clothes are colourful and are adapted to the demands of life at high altitudes. National holidays and religious festivals are held with dances and celebrations. At major public gatherings, for example religious feasts, music is usually played by wind and percussion ensembles.

The folk musicians’ repertoire is made up of both the music of well-known composers and pieces that have been handed down from generation to generation. The most important wind instrument is the quena, a notched flute made of bamboo cane. Frequently, the flute players also beat drums which are tied to their bodies. Other popular wind instruments are the panpipes, called antara in Quechua and siku in Aymara, and the tokoro, a larger version of the quena.