Bolivia is a nation full of extremes. The world’s highest capital, La Paz sits at a staggering 3,600 m; in the southwest of the country the largest salt flats in the world, the Salar de Uyuni, sprawl an incredible 10,582 km². It also shares the highest navigable lake in the world, Lake Titicaca, with Peru. It is also one of South America’s poorest nations, but ironically one of the richest in terms of natural resources. Her people are proudly one of the continent’s most indigenous populated countries, with over 60% claiming to be of native heritage. A history littered with upheavals and struggles and blessed with some of the most striking landscapes on earth, Bolivia’s tale is one full of contrasts and contradictions.
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Bolivia is a landlocked country bordering Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, Chile and Peru. Although it lies entirely within tropical latitudes, weather conditions vary from tropical in the lowlands to freezing temperatures in the Andes. Proportionately, Bolivia contains more land above 3050 m than any other country in the world. The western part of the country is covered by the rugged terrain of the Andes and the ‘Altiplano’ and is home to the Eduard Avaroa Reserve. Sharing its border with Chile, this park boasts some of the continent’s most surreal landscapes with an average altitude of 3962 meters. Enter another planet and marvel at brightly-coloured lagoons, bubbling geysers, natural thermal springs and spectacular pink flamingos as far as the eye can see. Just north of the park is Salar de Uyuni. A blinding white desert, it was once a massive salt water lake that over time evaporated into the thin and dry air of the mountains leaving a monstrous salt deposit weighing in at approximately 64 billion tons.
The mineral wealth of Bolivia has been exploited since the Spanish conquest in the 16th century. Potosi, at 4090 m and at the foot of Cerro Rico (Rich Mountain) was one of the largest and wealthiest cities in the Americas. Rich in silver mines, it produced much of the colonists’ wealth. By the 17th century the mineral wealth was mostly dried up and this inevitably began the country’s economic decline. Today, the mountain is still being mined for the prospect of silver and poor working conditions are taking the lives of many Bolivians every day.
The Republic of Bolivia was established in 1825 and named in honour of their liberator Simon Bolivar. Unfortunately independence did not bring stability. In the War of the Pacific (1879-1883) Bolivia lost its costal land to Chile and, subsequently its access to the sea and in 1903 it lost a piece of its Acre Province, rich in rubber to Brazil. It has had a long and arduous past, but seems to be finding its path. One thing is to be said: despite everything, Bolivians have stayed true to their traditions and culture. Their spirit is representative of the true South America.
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