Bolivia (Quechua: Buliwya; Aymara: Wuliwya; Guarani: Volívia), officially the Plurinational State of Bolivia, is a sovereign country located in the central-western region of South America, politically constituted as a plurinational state, decentralized with autonomies.
It is organized into nine departments. Its capital is Sucre, seat of the judicial body; La Paz is the seat of the executive, legislative and electoral bodies, it is also the political, cultural and financial epicenter of the country.
It is bordered to the north and east by Brazil, to the south by Paraguay and Argentina, and to the west by Chile and Peru, it is a state landlocked and constitutionally maintains a territorial claim to Chile for a sovereign outlet to the Pacific Ocean.
Its surface is the sixth largest in Latin America and includes different geographical areas such as the Andes mountain range, the Altiplano, the Amazon, the Llanos de Moxos and the Chaco, being one of the countries with the greatest biodiversity in the world.
Ancient civilizations such as Tiwanaku, La cultura hidráulica de Las Lomas, the Moxeña culture, the Aymara Nation that survives to the present day developed in its territory. First the Incas and later the Spanish conquerors dominated the territory until the country became independent in 1825.
OFFICIAL LANGUAGES: Spanish, Quechua, Aymara, Guarani and 33 other languages
FORM OF GOVERNMENT: Presidential State
OFFICIAL TIME: GMT –4 hours (normal/summer)
NATIONAL HOLIDAY: August 6, Independence Day
CURRENCY: Boliviano (BOB).
Bolivia Geography and climate
Bolivia is located in the central area of South America, with an area of 1,098,581 km² that extends from the Central Andes, through part of the Chaco to the Amazon.
Borders: It limits to the north and east with Brazil, to the east and southeast with Paraguay, to the south with Argentina, to the southwest with Chile and to the northwest with Peru.
Geographical and Climatic Zones
The territory is divided into 3 zones:
Altiplano: The highest area is more than 3000 m above sea level and is located between the two great Andean branches: the Western and Eastern Cordilleras, which have some of the highest peaks in America.
The average temperature is between 15 to 20°C. At night, temperatures drop drastically and are just above 0°C, while at noon the climate is dry and the intensity of solar radiation is greater. Frosts occur almost every month and snow is frequent.
Valleys and Yungas: The sub-Andean zone is intermediate between the highlands and the plains and includes the valleys. The weather is warm. Moist northeasterly winds are pushed up into the mountains, making this area wet and rainy. Temperatures drop with increasing altitude, however snowfall is possible at elevations of 2,000 meters above sea level.
Llanos and Amazon: The llanos cover 59% of the national surface and are located north of the Eastern Cordillera, which extends from the foot of the Andes to the Paraguay River.
It is a land of plains and low plateaus, covered by extensive jungles rich in flora and fauna. Tropical humid climate with an average temperature of 30°C. Winds from the Amazon rainforest cause significant rainfall. Starting in May, dry winds produce minimal precipitation, so the days are clear.
Bolivia Culture
The culture of Bolivia is characterized by having a great diversity of expressions as a result of the variety of geographical scenarios that its current territory includes, as well as the ethnic diversity that characterizes it.
In Bolivia there are about 40 ethnic groups, which in many cases preserve their traditions, cultures and languages.
Bolivia presents in all its cultural variants a considerable indigenous influence.
Bolivian culture has been defined by its interesting geographical layout, the predominant indigenous population and the mix of its ancestral traditions with European cultural elements that were imported during the period of Spanish colonialism. The amalgamation of all these elements has resulted in a rich, varied culture without similar in the rest of the world.