Bolivia
South America
General Information about Bolivia.
La Paz - The highest Capital city in the world
Potosà - Gateway to the old colonial silver mines
Salar de Uyuni - The world's largest Salt flats
Sucre - The old colonial capital of the Americas
National Anthem - with its translation in English
Arrival in Bolivia is like stepping into a different world. You will be surrounded by new sights, sound, and smells. A landlocked country, Bolivia maintains its authentic traditional roots of Andean culture. While you will find La Paz to be a bustling city of commerce, in general the country has a very rural lifestyle.
The salt lakes are breathtaking. The most common way to explore these waterless lakes is to hire a four wheel drive tour, and bounce around the roads until you arrive at some of the most stunning scenery in South America. No trip to Bolivia is complete without a visit to lake Titicaca which is the highest navigable lake in the world.
Bolivia has dealt with major instability in the past, undergoing numerous coups and counter coups. Often the changes are so short that they fail to bring about a new form of government or institution. With its current administration, Bolivia finally has its first indigenous President, Evo Morales, who represents the populist movement. He has strong ties both to Fidel Castro of Cuba and Hugo Chavez of Venezuela.
Bolivia has been a landlocked nation since the war of the Pacific loss to Chile, are today there are still tensions between the two countries. The country suffers economically due not only to corruption of the government over time but also to the drop in international silver prices and the United States eradication of the coca crop which makes up a major part of Bolivia's income, especially directly for the lower class who grow the plant.
The Bolivian population is by and large indigenous, with many people identifying with their ancient traditions and speaking either Quechua or Aymara. The upper class is composed mainly of a small white community and the populations tend not to mix. The nation also has one of the lowest literacy rates in Latin America and higher education is not accessible for most Bolivians.
Bolivia has a rich culture and the folklore, music and dance are a testament to the people. The bright colours worn to dance in are a sign of joy in what is generally a difficult life.
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