Bolivia. Geography of Bolivia, Map of Bolivia, economic and geographical position of Bolivia

- a state in central South America. It borders on Brazil in the north and east, Paraguay in the southeast, Argentina in the south, and Chile and Peru in the west.

The name of the country comes from Simon Bolivar (1783-1830), one of the leaders of the fight against the Spanish colonialists.

Official name: Plurinational State of Bolivia

Capital: The official capital of the country is Sucre, but the seat of government is in the city of La Paz.

The area of ​​the land : 1,098,581 sq. km

Total Population: 9.9 million people

Administrative division: The state is divided into 9 departments.

Form of government: Republic.

Head of State: President, elected for 5 years.

Population composition: 55% are Indians (mainly Quechua and Aymara), mestizos, 30% are mestizos (descendants of mixed marriages of Europeans with Indians), 15% are descendants of Spanish settlers.

Official language : Spanish, but most local Indians speak Aymara, Quechua and Guarani.

Religion: 95% are Catholics, 2% are Protestants, 1% are Jews.

Internet domain: .bo

Mains voltage: ~230 V, 50 Hz

Country dialing code : +591

Country barcode: 777

Description of the country

Bolivia is the heart of South America. It was once part of the great Inca Empire. Numerous ruins of ancient cities of the pre-Columbian era have been preserved to this day in Bolivia. The Incas adapted to live in a harsh high-altitude climate, and now the majority of the country's population lives on the Altiplano plateau, where the actual capital of the country is located - La Paz, which is the highest capital in the world.

Among the “best” places in Bolivia are also National Parks, the biodiversity of which is considered one of the richest in the world, the highest ski resort on the planet - Chacaltaya - and the largest dry salt lake in the world, Salar de Uyuni.

Climate

Tropical and subequatorial on the plains, sharply continental in the mountainous regions. Weather and climatic conditions in Bolivia strongly depend on the altitude of the place above sea level. Average monthly temperatures in summer (December-February) range from +21-24 C over flat areas to +3 C on the slopes of the Cordillera. In winter (May-August) the average temperature ranges from +19 to -1 C, respectively. Moreover, in mountainous areas frosts are possible at any time of the year.

Due to the proximity to the equator, the seasons are rather weakly expressed - the difference between summer and winter temperatures is less than 10 C in flat areas, but in mountainous areas it can reach 30 C. At the same time, the temperature in winter in the mountains can drop to -20 C.

Precipitation ranges from 150 to 2000 mm per year, the rainy season lasts from October-November to March. The dry season is from April to September. In mountainous areas, precipitation falls unevenly. On the eastern slopes of the mountains, up to 1500-200 mm of rain falls, while some isolated intermontane valleys and western slopes, as well as the plains of the Llanos, receive no more than 300 mm of precipitation per year. At the same time, in areas that are sometimes no more than 10 km apart in a straight line, weather conditions can differ radically.

There are frequent strong katabatic winds from the mountains, as well as powerful winds carrying clouds of dust coming to the flat areas of the country from the Amazon basin. Most favorable time to visit the country - from late June to early September.

Geography

Bolivia is located almost in the center of South America. The area of ​​the country is 1,098,581 square meters. km. In the north and east it borders with Brazil, in the southeast with Paraguay, in the south with Argentina and in the west with Chile and Peru. Bolivia has no access to the ocean.

The Andes Mountains stretch in the western part of the country. The mountainous area is divided into three regions: the Cordillera Occidental, the Cordillera Real and the Altiplano high plateau that separates these ranges. In the Western Cordillera region there are volcanoes, both extinct and active, among which is the highest point of the country - the extinct Sajama volcano (6542 m). The Andes descend sharply into an area of ​​desert plains called the Oriente, descending 4,350 m over just 80 km. The eastern plains occupy most of the country's territory.

The main rivers of the country are the Beni in the northern part of the Cordillera Real, the Desaguadero in the Altiplano and the Mamore, with numerous tributaries in the eastern plains area.

Bolivia is also home to lakes Titicaca, Poopo and Coipasa. Lake Titicaca is located on the border of Bolivia and Peru. It was formed in a tectonic basin. This is the largest alpine navigable lake in the world, it is located at an altitude of 3812 m, its area is 8446 sq. km. Most of Lake Titicaca belongs to Peru, the smaller part belongs to Bolivia.

The salt lake Poopo lies at an altitude of 3690 m. To the west of Poopo there is a salty and periodically dry lake Koipasa. To the south of Coipas there are salt marshes, among which is the largest on the planet - Uyuni.

Flora and fauna

Vegetable world

The slopes of the Andes are covered with dense forests. In the upper parts of the slopes, deciduous trees grow, among which alder predominates, in the lower parts - cinchona, tree ferns, bamboos and lianas. In the northeastern part of the Andes grow tropical rainforests dominated by palm trees. It is here that the coca bush is actively cultivated.

In the southern Andes, open forests and dry deciduous forests appear. Quebracho forests are found in the vicinity of Lake Titicaca. Orienta is dominated by tall grass savannas. In the northeast of the plains, the humid equatorial forest begins, which is part of the Amazonian jungle. The southern part of Oriente is occupied by savannas with xerophytic shrubs, xerohalophytic and swampy tropical forests and woodlands, and in the extreme south - tropical dry forests and woodlands.

Animal world

The fauna of Bolivia is very diverse. The Altiplano plateau is home to llama, alpaca, vicuña, guanaco, red fox, chinchilla, viscacha, armadillos and rodents. The northeastern part of the Andes (Yungas) is home to the jaguar, capybara, peccary and tapir. In the eastern savannas you can see rhea ostrich, deer, armadillo, anteater and peccary.

In the north of Oriente, the tropical rainforests are home to monkeys, sloths, peccaries, tapirs, ocelots, maned wolves, bush dogs, foxes, anteaters, badgers, porcupines, armadillos, capybaras and the bats. Large caiman crocodiles and snakes live in the rivers of the northern part of Oriente. A large number of tropical birds and a lot of insects are also found here.

Lake Titicaca and the rivers of Bolivia contain many fish, including perch, trout and piranha.

Attractions

Bolivia is one of the poorest countries in the world. Landlocked and without countless mineral reserves, it is quite for a long time was a victim of incessant political conflicts and military coups. But the cultural heritage of the Inca era, the majestic landscapes of the Andes and the colorful local population, more than 60% of whom are Indians - direct descendants of mysterious ancient civilizations, make this country the most unusual and most exciting place on the continent.

The "Tibet of America", as Bolivia is sometimes called, truly deserves its name - it is the highest and most isolated of Latin American countries, also widely known for its ancient traditions and numerous monuments to the lost civilizations of the pre-Columbian era.

Banks and currency

The official currency of the country is the Bolivian Boliviano. 1 Boliviano is equal to 100 centavos. In circulation there are banknotes in denominations of 200, 100, 50, 20, 10 and 5 bolivianos and coins in 5, 2 and 1 boliviano and 50, 20 and 10 centavos.

Foreign currency can be exchanged in banks, exchange offices, hotels and large shopping centers. In most stores you can pay in US dollars. Large retail outlets, hotels and restaurants accept credit cards. Trade receipts are best purchased in US dollars. They can be exchanged at banks and large shopping centers.

Banks operate in weekdays from 8:30 to 18:00 with a lunch break from 12:00 to 14:30 and on Saturday from 8:30 to 12:00.

Useful information for tourists

Bolivia is a high mountainous country, so be prepared to spend the first few days in bed suffering from a mild form of altitude sickness.

If you go to Lake Titicaca, take care to protect yourself from harsh ultraviolet radiation.

Description

The official name is the Plurinational State of Bolivia. The country was named by the liberators of South America from the colonial yoke after the main one - Simon Bolivar. The capital is Sucre.
Bolivia is a living example of the revival of pre-Columbian culture and a manifestation of the people's ability to preserve the rich ethnographic heritage, as well as the ecological diversity of nature, found on its territory from the Amazon tropics to the Andean mountains.

Introduction
Theoretical part
1.1 General information about country
1.2 Geographical location
1.3 Political structure
1.4 Main historical stages
1.5 Population (languages, peoples, ethnic groups, religions)
1.6 Visas, customs, currency
2. Analytical part
2.1 Natural and recreational conditions for tourism development
2.1.1 Climate
2.1.2 Relief
2.1.3 Land and coastal waters of the world's oceans
2.1.4 Natural areas
2.2 Tourist infrastructure
2.2.1 Transport industry
2.2.2 Accommodation industry
2.2.3 Food industry
2.2.4 Entertainment and leisure industry
2.2.5 Sports industry
2.2.6 Healthcare industry
2.2.7 Education industry
2.2.8 Crafts and folk crafts
2.2.9 Agricultural sectors related to tourism
2.3 Historical and cultural heritage
2.3.1 Museums, galleries, exhibition halls
2.3.2 Religious monuments
2.3.3 Monuments of secular architecture
3. Practical part
Conclusion
Bibliography
Applications

The work consists of 1 file

Federal State Educational Institution of Higher Professional Education

"Russian State University of Tourism and Service"

(FSOU VPO "RGUTiS")

Institute of Tourism and Hospitality (branch) (Moscow)

Department of Tourism

COURSE WORK

in the discipline "Country Studies"

on the topic “Characteristics of the main factors and conditions for the development of tourism in Bolivia”

Completed by Vyatkina Tatyana

Group T3-3

Checked by Associate Professor Adashova T.A.

Moscow

2011

Introduction

1. Theoretical part

1.1 General information about the country

1.2 Geographical location

1.3 Political structure

1.5 Population (languages, peoples, ethnic groups, religions)

• 1.6 Visas, customs, currency
• 2. Analytical part
• 2.1 Natural and recreational conditions for tourism development
• 2.1.1 Climate
• 2.1.2 Relief
• 2.1.3 Land and coastal waters of the world's oceans
• 2.1.4 Natural areas
• 2.2 Tourist infrastructure
• 2.2.1 Transport industry
• 2.2.2 Accommodation industry
• 2.2.3 Food industry
• 2.2.4 Entertainment and leisure industry
• 2.2.5 Sports industry
• 2.2.6 Healthcare industry
• 2.2.7 Education industry
• 2.2.8 Crafts and folk crafts
• 2.2.9 Agricultural sectors related to tourism
• 2.3 Historical and cultural heritage
• 2.3.1 Museums, galleries, exhibition halls
• 2.3.2 Religious monuments
• 2.3.3 Monuments of secular architecture
• 3. Practical part

Conclusion

Bibliography

Applications

Introduction

The official name is the Plurinational State of Bolivia. The country was named by the liberators of South America from the colonial yoke after the main one - Simon Bolivar. The capital is Sucre.

Bolivia is a living example of the revival of pre-Columbian culture and a manifestation of the people's ability to preserve the rich ethnographic heritage, as well as the ecological diversity of nature, found on its territory from the Amazon tropics to the Andean mountains.

Bolivia - unique country. She has the richest natural resources, That is the most important condition for the development of tourism.

Bolivia has the second largest natural gas reserves in the world South America after Venezuela and is rich in other minerals. The development of Bolivia was greatly influenced by the culture and customs of the ancient disappeared peoples of Urus and Callahuayas.

There are many attractions throughout the country that preserve the great and mysterious story. Some of them are on the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.


Bolivia has wonderful poets, historians, writers, and is also proud of its representatives of theater and cinema. Considering the population of this small country, it is considered one of the few countries that produces such a large number of books per capita.

It cannot be overstated that Bolivia has the richest indigenous folklore in Latin America.

Bolivian music is spread throughout the world under the general name of "Andean music", which, in many cases, has allowed other neighboring countries to try to appropriate it.

The cultural heritage of the Bolivian nation consists of all cultural, spiritual and material goods found or created on the territory of the country by individuals or groups of people, which is evidence of spiritual or material human creativity: scientific, archaeological, technical, etc.


One of the main functions of the Bolivian state is to preserve this cultural heritage of all peoples living on its territory and to promote its recognition, rescue and preservation, to make it accessible to all and the right of Bolivians to disseminate it.

This topic is relevant at the moment, explaining this by the fact that tourism in the territory of the represented country is developing rapidly, and the geography of tourism is expanding. On at this stage Relations between Russia and Latin America are gaining new and new momentum, therefore, in the presented scientific work, Bolivia acts as an object of study, as one of the key countries in Latin America, promising for the development of tourism.

The relevance of the chosen topic is determined by the small amount of theoretical information and practical skills and knowledge. There is a lack of awareness in the field of tourism, namely, topics such as the country's recreational resources, Bolivia's tourism potential, prospects for the development of tourism and the hotel services sector, as well as socio-cultural relations between Russia and Bolivia are little addressed.

Bolivia is a unique country, both in terms of climate, recreational resources, and in terms of culture and traditions. For Russia, it is also attractive because South America is not as explored by tourists as the same European countries.

Target scientific work: Conduct a comprehensive study of Bolivia's tourism potential.

The work consists of a theoretical part, which provides basic information about the country and its capital, an analytical part, which provides information about the tourism infrastructure, and a practical part, which provides an analysis of the existing natural, recreational, socio-economic, cultural and historical features of the country and their impact on tourism.
When writing the work, comparative geographical, statistical, and cartographic methods were used.

Theoretical part

1. General information about the country

Bolivia is well covered in educational and scientific literature, periodicals (“GEO”, “Around the World”) and Internet resources.

In the north the country borders with Brazil, in the southeast with Paraguay, in the south with Argentina, and in the east with Peru and Chile.

On the territory of modern Bolivia, until the 10th century AD, one of the oldest great Andean civilizations existed, created by the Tiwanac Indian tribes.

Later, the territory of Bolivia was part of the Aymara state, and in the 15th century it became part of the Inca Empire.

In the 1630s, the Spaniards conquered the Incas and began two centuries of Spanish rule. In 1825, during the struggle for independence, the state of Bolivia was formed on these lands. As a result of the war with Chile (1879-1883) and Paraguay (1932-1935), Bolivia lost almost 2/3 of its original territory.

1. Geographical position

Bolivia is located in the central part of South America, between 57º 26´ and 69º 38´ meridians east longitude Greenwich and parallels 9º 38´ y 22º 53´ south latitude, occupying more than 13º.

In the north the country borders with Brazil, in the southeast with Paraguay, in the south with Argentina, and in the east with Peru and Chile.

Bolivia's area is 1,098,580 km². It ranks 27th in the list of countries by area after Ethiopia and fifth in size after Brazil, Argentina, and Peru. Bolivia has been landlocked since 1879, when it lost the coastal region of Antofagasta in the Pacific War with Chile. However, Bolivia has access to the Atlantic Ocean - along the Paraguay River. Bolivia has a huge variety of ecological zones. The country's western highlands are located in the Andes, including the Altiplano plateau. The eastern low plains include large areas of the Amazon rainforest and the Chaco. The highest point in the country is the extinct volcano Sajama (6542 m), located in the department of Oruro. Lake Titicaca is located on the border of Bolivia and Peru. The world's largest salt marsh, Uyuni, is located in the southwestern part of the country, in the department of Potosi.

The largest cities in Bolivia are La Paz, El Alto, Santa Cruz de la Sierra and Cochabamba.

Fig.2 Geographical location

1.3 Political structure

Republic. The head of state and government is the president, elected by the population for one 5-year term. Since January 22, 2006 - Juan Evo Morales. The president heads the government, approves the composition of the cabinet of ministers, and is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces.

The candidate who receives a simple majority of votes (more than 50% of the votes) is considered elected. If the winner is not determined, parliament, at a joint meeting of both chambers, elects the president from the two candidates who received a simple majority of votes.

Bicameral parliament - 36 senators and 130 deputies, elected for a 5-year term.

On December 18, 2005, presidential elections were held, in which the radical left candidate Evo Morales, who leads the Movement towards Socialism, won. The gap between Evo Morales and his closest rival, Jorge Quiroga, was more than 15%. At the same time, elections of 27 senators and 150 deputies to the national congress took place.

Evo Morales, a native of peasants, a representative of the Aymara, one of the largest Indian tribes in South America, a friend of Fidel Castro and Hugo Chavez, built his election campaign on patriotic slogans, sharply criticizing “American imperialism and neoliberalism.”

1.4 Main historical stages

Ancient period

In 40 - 13 centuries. BC e. in the north of Bolivia (Mojas province) there was an original Hydraulic mound culture, whose inhabitants waited out floods on a large number of artificial embankments and Agriculture. Later, a number of other cultures arose - Chiripa, Vankarani, etc.

In the 6th century BC, the Tiwanaku civilization arose on the shores of Lake Titicaca, about which very little is known.

In the 14th century, the territory was captured by the Incas. The Inca Empire was created with its capital in Cusco/

Colonial period

Bolivia in the colonial period (early 16th - early 19th centuries). In 1538, the territory of the Inca Empire was conquered by Hernando Pizarro, brother of the conqueror of Peru. For almost 300 years, the territory of Bolivia was an integral part of the Spanish colonial empire. The Indians fought hard against colonial enslavement. The largest was the uprising of 1780-81 under the leadership of the Katari brothers, but it, like other Indian uprisings, was brutally suppressed.

Bolivia during the period of the wars for independence (1809-25).

In May 1809, there was an uprising in Chuquisaca, which was suppressed.

On December 9, 1824, the army of General Antonio José de Sucre defeated the Spaniards at the Battle of Ayacucho and liberated the territory of Bolivia.

An important revolutionary stage in the history of Bolivia was the war of independence (see War of Independence of the Spanish Colonies in America 1810-26).

In December 1824 liberation army under the command of General Sucre, an associate of S. Bolivar, won a decisive victory at Ayacucho and defeated the Spanish troops.

In August 1825, the congress in Chuquisaca proclaimed the creation of the independent republic of Bolivia (named after Bolivar).

Independence period

19th century

On August 6, 1825, the Constituent Assembly of all the provinces declared the independence of the province of Upper Peru. The state was named Bolivia in honor of Simon Bolivar, with whose support the country's territory was liberated, and the capital of the state was named after the liberating general Sucre.

XX century

In 1899, the development of rich deposits of tin began, in the production of which Bolivia became one of the world leaders. This industry attracted increased interest from Great Britain and the United States, which actually took control of it.

During the First World War 1914-18 Bolivia remained neutral

XXI Century

In January 2006, Juan Evo Morales became president. That same year, he announced the nationalization of the oil and gas industry.

Name of the people	Area(s) of residence within the country	Number of people (in million people)	Share of total number(V %)	Predominant religion and religious denominations	National language
Aymara	Department of La Paz and Oruro	2.25 million people (2006)	25 %	Catholicism	Aymara
Quechua	Departments of Oruro, Potosi, Cochabamba and northern Chuquisaca	3.821.820 million people	37,1 %	Catholicism	Quechua, Spanish
Bolivians	the departments of Santa Cruz, Tarija, Pando, Beni and the southern part of the department of Chuquisaca.	9.7 million people	39,5%	Catholicism	Spanish

1.5 Population

Population - 9.9 million (estimated as of July 2010).

Annual growth - 1.7% (fertility - 3.1 births per woman).

Average life expectancy is 64 years for men, 70 years for women.

Ethno-racial composition - Indians 55% (mainly Quechua and Aymara), mestizos 30%, whites 15%.

Languages ​​- 3 official languages: Spanish 60.7%, Quechua 21.2%, Aymara 14.6%; other languages ​​3.6% (2001 census).

Religions - Catholics 59%, Protestants (Evangelical Methodists) 11%, Atheists and agnostics 12%, Incanism 15%, Buddhism and others 3%.

Literacy - 93% of men, 80% of women (according to the 2001 census).

1.6 Visa, customs, currency

Visa formalities: A tourist visa to Bolivia is issued at the Consular Section of the Bolivian Embassy.

Documents required for obtaining a tourist visa to Bolivia:

international passport valid for at least 6 months;

Round trip air tickets;

certificate from place of work;

hotel reservation confirmation or invitation;

a completed application form and one 3x3 photo;

certificate of vaccination against yellow fever.

Customs control: In Bolivia, when passing through customs control, a customs declaration is filled out.

Duty-free import into Bolivia is allowed: tobacco products - up to 500 g (400 cigarettes or 50 cigars), alcoholic beverages - 5 liters.

It is prohibited to import into Bolivia: medicines and medicines that are not registered in the country, as well as food products animal origin, fruits and seeds, as well as foreign lottery tickets. It is not permitted to export live wild birds or coca leaves.

Foreigners entering the country must have a yellow fever vaccination certificate. When importing animals, a veterinary certificate with a note on vaccination against rabies.

The main currency of the country is the Boliviano.

Boliviano (Bs. 1. = 100 centavos).

Bills Bs. 5, 10, 20.50, 100 y 200.

Bs coins. 1 y 2. 10,20,50 centavos.

Exchange rate against the US dollar: 1$ = 6.51 Bs.

Valid credit cards: American Express, Visa, Master Card and Eurocard. avktravel.

You can exchange currency in all Bolivian banks, in Bolivian hotels and large shopping centers, as well as in specialized exchange offices, as well as at street money changers, but you must be extremely careful - not all money changers are honest people.

2. Analytical part

2.1 Natural and recreational conditions for tourism development

2.1.1 Climate and natural areas

Despite the fact that the entire territory of Bolivia is located in the Tropic of Capricorn, the country's climate is very diverse. If its topography were only low plains, then the climate would be relatively the same. However, the air temperature in Bolivia is determined not only by latitude, but also by altitude, that is, at higher altitudes the temperature is lower, and at lower altitudes it is higher. Starting from sea level and as it rises, the air temperature drops by 0.55ºC every 100 m. Thus, in the zone of the Cordillera Real or Eastern and Western or Volcanic towards the west of the country, the climate is regulated by altitude. This explains that at the same latitude there are peaks with eternal snow and polar cold and plains with a hot, tropical climate. Tropical and subequatorial on the plains, sharply continental in the mountainous regions. Weather and climatic conditions in Bolivia strongly depend on the altitude of the place above sea level. Average monthly temperatures in summer (December-February) range from +21-24 C over flat areas to +3 C on the slopes of the Cordillera. In winter (May-August) the average temperature ranges from +19 to -1 C, respectively. Moreover, in mountainous areas frosts are possible at any time of the year. Due to the proximity to the equator, the seasons are quite weakly expressed - the difference between summer and winter temperatures is less than 10 C in the flat areas, but in mountainous areas it can reach 30 C. At the same time, the temperature in the winter in the mountains can drop to -20 C.

Precipitation ranges from 150 to 2000 mm per year, the rainy season lasts from October-November to March. The dry season is from April to September. In mountainous areas, precipitation falls unevenly. On the eastern slopes of the mountains, up to 1500-200 mm of rain falls, while some isolated intermontane valleys and western slopes, as well as the plains of the Llanos, receive no more than 300 mm of precipitation per year. At the same time, in areas that are sometimes no more than 10 km apart in a straight line, weather conditions can differ radically. There are frequent strong katabatic winds from the mountains, as well as powerful winds carrying clouds of dust coming to the lowland areas of the country from the Amazon basin. The most favorable time to visit the country is from late June to early September.

Bolivia has three hydrographic systems:

Northern Basin or Amazon: From east to west the main rivers are the Madre de Dios, Orton, Abuna, Beni, Yata, Mamore and Itenes or Guapore.

Central basin or lacustrine: Consists of lakes Titicaca and Poopo, as well as the Desaguadero River and giant salt pans - Coipasa and Uyuni.

Southern Basin or de la Plata: Consists mainly of the Paraguay, Pilcomayo and Bermejo rivers.

2.1.2 Relief

The western mountainous region of Bolivia, one of the most populous regions of the world, forms the heart of the country. The Andes reach their greatest width and complexity here. To the west along Chile's borders are the Cordillera Occidental, which contain a large number of active volcanoes and are crowned by the Republic's greatest peak, Mount Sayama, the height more than 24,400 feet (6,523 kilometers) above sea level. To the east is the Cordillera Oriental, whose magnificent northern part near La Paz is called the Cordillera Real (royal chain). Between the ridges lies the flat, barren terrain of the Altiplano (High Mountain Plateau). The plateau is relatively a level depression about 500 miles long and 80 wide, lying at an altitude of ~12,250 feet. The surface of this huge plateau, composed mainly of water- and wind-eroded mountain deposits, slopes gently to the South; its smoothness is softened by occasional hills and mountain ridges. The boundaries of the Altiplano are characterized by large scarps.

2.1.3 Land and coastal waters of the world's oceans

The waters of Bolivia are divided into 3 parts - the Amazon basin in the northeast, the Rio da la Plateau basin in the extreme southeast and the Lake Titicaca basin in the Altiplano. The vast swampy plains along the Beni and Mamore rivers, which belong to the Amazon basin, include lakes and lagoons, some of them quite large, such as Lake Rogoaguado. In the vicinity of the Paraguay River (which runs parallel to the eastern border of Bolivia and is part of the La Plata basin) there are several small lakes, of which the largest are Kakerez and Mandiore. To the north are the large Harayes swamps. This area, like the northeast, is prone to flooding during the summer. The third water system is located in the Altiplano - this is the largest region inland waters South America. One of the highest mountain lakes is located here - Lake Tikicaca. The Desaguadero River flows from it; Lake Poopo, into which this river flows. There are also shallow salt lakes in the Altiplano. Bolivia's water system is landlocked and therefore all excess liquid rapidly evaporates and is absorbed by dry soils. Lake Titicaca occupies ~8500 square kilometers. This is the largest alpine lake in South America. It is located at an altitude of ~12,500 (3,810 km.) feet and is 120 miles long and no more than 50 miles wide. Its maximum depth is more than 900 feet (~300 meters). There are many islands on the surface of the lake. The lake is freshwater.

2.1.4 Natural areas

There are 3 main geographical zones on the territory of Bolivia: the Andean zone, the sub-Andean zone, and the lowland zone.

The Andean zone covers a quarter of the national territory. It spreads over an area of ​​approximately 274,645 km2. In the Andean zone, the Western or Volcanic Cordillera and the Eastern Cordillera are distinguished. Between these two mountain ranges lies the Altiplano plateau. The departments of La Paz, Oruro and Potosi are located in this zone. The lowest temperatures in the country are recorded here (can reach -20C). The Altiplano plateau is located at an altitude of approximately 3555 m above sea level.

The subandean zone, with a more temperate climate, covers about 16% of the territory - approximately 175,772 sq. km. These are fertile flat lands. The departments of Cochabamba, Chuquisaca, Tarija and part of the department of Santa Cruz are located here. This zone is located at an altitude between 1000 and 3000 m above sea level in the central part of the country

At the foot of the Eastern (or Royal) Cordillera on the northeast side on an area of ​​659,149 square meters. km (254,516 sq. miles) are the eastern plains with a tropical climate. They cover 60% of the territory in the northwest, west and southwest of the country. Here the average annual temperature remains at 22-25C. This zone includes the north of the department of La Paz, the eastern part of the department of Cochabamba, as well as the departments of Santa Cruz, Beni and Pando.

Table 3. The role of the main natural sites in tourism activities

Name of natural object, location	Role in tourism activities
The historic city of Sucre in the Department of Chuquisaca (On the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites).	- hiking
Archaeological site of Fuerte de Samaipata. Department of Santa Cruz. (On the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites).	- ecological tourism Hiking
Noel Kempff Mercado National Park. Department of Santa Cruz. .(On the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites).	- excursion and educational Hiking Ecological
The ancient city of Tiahuanaco: the spiritual and political center of pre-Hispanic Indian culture. Department of La Paz VIII - V centuries BC. e. .(On the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites).	hiking Excursion-educational
Lake Titicaca is the highest navigable lake in the world.	- excursion and educational Ecological
The largest dry salt lake on Earth is Solar de Uyuni (total area is about 12 thousand sq. km).	- excursion and educational Ecological
Chacatalya is the highest ski resort (5486 m). The Chacaltaya ski resort restaurant is the highest restaurant on the planet (5340 m).	-ecological Extreme
The most dangerous road in the world is the Camino de la Muerte (Road of Death).	-extreme
Incalahta, the "City of the Incas" is one of the most important archaeological sites in Bolivia. It is located 130 km east of Cochabamba at an altitude of 2950 m above sea level in the municipality of Pocona.	- hiking Excursion-educational
Sajama National Park in the Western Cordillera in Oruro County, Bolivia. Borders the Lauca National Park in Chil	- hiking Excursion-educational
Sajama is an extinct stratovolcano in Bolivia, in Puna of the Central Andes, and is the highest peak in the country (6780 m). Is located in national park Sajama in southwestern Bolivia, 16-24 km from the border with Chile	- excursion and educational Ecological
Puma Punku is a megalithic complex of buildings located next to the more famous megalithic complex of Tiwanaku, in Bolivia, 72 km from La Paz near the eastern shore of Lake Titicaca.	- hiking Excursion-educational

Bolivia is a godsend for lovers of rich excursions, active rest(including alpine skiing), extreme entertainment, environmental, educational and adventure tourism. It combines well with the dissimilar Peru and Chile, and also allows you to explore all the natural areas of South America without leaving your territory - from high-altitude snow-covered areas to dense impenetrable jungle.

2.2 Tourist infrastructure

Tourism in Bolivia is emerging as the number one non-traditional source of income. Over the past decade, revenue from the country's tourism industry has grown by more than 50%, thus allowing the “smoke-free industry” to take first place among non-traditional sources of income in the country's economy, second only to only to the oil and mining sector.

Bolivia is a poor country, and international tourism is one of the main sectors of the economy.

In the post-war years, the leisure and tourism industry throughout South America developed rapidly. More and more countries were involved in tourism management.

The Bolivian government has approved a new national tourism development plan, which provides for the distribution of $200 million for the development of the tourism industry over 5 years. It is planned to attract unemployed citizens to training and maintenance of tourist facilities, which would help solve two problems in Bolivia - the underdevelopment of tourism infrastructure and unemployment.

Bolivian Tourism Minister Ricardo Cox says there are plans to develop both domestic and foreign tourism.

12 main directions have been formed that combine cultural and natural values.

Bolivia's mining and ore wealth is unique. Almost the entire periodic table is here. There is especially a lot of tin, lithium, tungsten, and other rare earth metals, which are in demand due to scientific and technological progress. Therefore, now a stream of interested business representatives from around the world has poured here with proposals for joint extraction of these metals. Bolivia has rich natural resources - tin, gas, oil, zinc, tungsten, antimony, silver, iron, lead, gold, timber, hydropower resources. At the same time, Bolivia remains one of the poorest and least economically developed countries in Latin America.

GDP per capita in 2010 was $4.8 thousand (150th place in the world). Unemployment - 8.5% (in 2009), below the poverty level - 60% of the population (in 2006).

Agriculture (11% of GDP, 40% of workers) - soybeans, coffee, coca, cotton, corn, sugar cane, rice, potatoes; logging.

Livestock: cattle, sheep

Industry (37% of GDP, 17% of employees) - tin and oil mining, food industry, tobacco, hand crafts, cloth.

The service sector accounts for 52% of GDP, 43% of workers.

2.2.1 Transport industry

Traffic: car rental:

In order to rent a car, you must have an international license, credit card and be over 25 years old.

Taxi is one of the main ways to get around the city. It is better to agree on the price in advance.

Bus service in Bolivia is very poorly developed.

Airports (Bolivia): Cochabamba (Jorge Wilsterman), La Paz (El Alto), Oruro (Oruro), Santa Cruz (El Trompillo)

Airlines:

American Airlines

The railway connection includes only two railway lines - in the west and in the east. Local trains rarely have sleeping cars and travel quite slowly. If you are going to travel long distances, it is better to use the services of local airlines. River transport is well developed in the east of the country.

Ports:

Puerto Aguirre is considered the largest port in Bolivia, other ports are little known. The most convenient way to get to Bolivia is by plane or by bus from one of the South American countries. El Alto International Airport is located in a suburb of the Bolivian capital, La Paz. This is one of the highest airports in the world - it is located at an altitude of more than four thousand meters above sea level. Bolivia's main airport is Viru Viru International Airport, which is located in the city of Santa Cruz de la Sierra. A fairly economical and fast option for traveling around the country is domestic air travel. The largest cities in Bolivia are served by AeroSur airline.

The development of transport infrastructure in the country is significantly complicated by mountainous terrain. The railway network, with a total length of four thousand seven hundred kilometers and including only two branches, connects industrial cities and major centers where minerals are mined with the ports of Peru and Chile on the Pacific coast, as well as with the railways of Argentina and Brazil. There are practically no sleeping cars on local passenger trains, they travel quite slowly, and if you need to cover a long distance, it is more convenient to use the services of aviation companies.

2.2.2 Accommodation industry

Bolivia, a highland country in the heart of South America, will surprise you with its miraculously preserved authenticity. Bolivia, like a small oasis among modern megacities, attracts an increasing number of tourists from year to year. This isolated country, the majority of whose inhabitants are indigenous Indians, will amaze you with indescribable Andean mountain landscapes and the mysteries of pre-Columbian America.

Hotels in Bolivia are considered quite affordable; when renting a room, you can bargain and get a cozy room for a very reasonable price. Hotels in Bolivia from global operators are located mainly in the capital and provide international quality. If you prefer immersing yourself in the life of the natives to hotels, it is easy to rent accommodation from local Indians in Bolivia. Village residents willingly provide houses covered with palm leaves for rent to tourists. This will provide an opportunity to directly get acquainted with the way of life and culture of the indigenous inhabitants of South America.

The country also has a developed network of hostels. Among the hotels in Bolivia, the “salt hotel” is especially noteworthy, where everything - from the walls to the furniture - is made of salt. It is best to book hotels in Bolivia in advance, as international conferences are often held here.

In Bolivia, unlike many other neighboring countries, there is a very developed classification system for places where you can spend the night.

It includes the following types:

Posada - occupies an honorable last place in the classification; as a rule, it is a bed in some room, without linen, towels, etc. If there is a shower (cold), then you are lucky. It is extremely rare. Accommodation here is very cheap, 1-1.5 dollars per person.

Alojamiento – there are both good and bad options, but both of them usually have a shared shower with cold water, and in good options even with a water heater. The general situation is rather dull, but they already provide sheets. Most of these establishments are not very clean. average price 3.5 dollars per person.

Residencia and Hospedaje (Casa de huespedes) - The next two classes, respectively. These are already quite decent, but still cheap inns. They are the most popular among local residents. You can find both very simple rooms and rooms with a private shower and TV. Eat hot water. The cost is approximately 3.5 - 5 dollars per person.

Hostal is almost a hotel, but in some ways it falls short - or not all rooms have their own bathroom. Sometimes a light breakfast is included. Occasionally there is internet.

Hotel – the very name “hotel” is already a certain standard. The rooms always have TV, a private bathroom, hot water, internet, sometimes wi-fi, often breakfast is included in the price. It happens from two stars and beyond. Prices start from $18 for a double room.

However, it is worth remembering that there are many exceptions to this rule, depending solely on the owners of a particular establishment.

The cost of living is given as an average; as a rule, the real level of the establishment is reflected in its price.

There are also luxury hotels in the country: Buganvillas Hotel-Condominium *****; Santa Cruz, Camino Real *****, Santa Cruz; Casa Grande Apart Hotel *****, La Paz; Gran Hotel Santa Cruz *****, Santa Cruz; Ritz All Suites Hotel *****, La Paz; Radisson Plaza Hotel La Paz *****, La Paz. Some belong to global hotel chains with high level service.

2.2.3 Food industry

Bolivian cuisine consists of traditional Indian dishes with a noticeable Spanish influence.

The most popular national dishes are based on meat - selten (pancakes with meat), polos spiedo (chicken fried over an open fire), charque (dried and fried alpaca meat), masako (mashed bananas or yucca with alpaca meat), shashlik " pacumutus,” as well as roasted pork belly with sweet potatoes and fried plantains. Rice and corn are most often found in the diet of local residents of Bolivia as a side dish. Hot sauces “llahua” and “locotos” are also always served at the table. Among fish dishes, you should try fried trout and kingfish.

In the center of large cities there are many establishments where you can eat tasty and inexpensive food:

Don Gerardo

Address: Calle Camarco (Hernando Siles) 757, Sucre

The dishes are simple and tasty. The portion sizes are quite impressive at a fairly modest price.

The only drinks available are lemonades and beer. There is no tea, coffee or strong alcohol.

The cost of a hearty lunch is 14-20 bolivianos (2-3 dollars)

Type of cuisine: Traditional Bolivian

Caparuch

Address: Av 16 de Julio 1692, La Paz. Simple and inexpensive restaurant in the city center. hours (from 12 to 16) only standard set lunches are served.

In the evening, all sorts of other dishes are prepared, also tasty and inexpensive.

There is a bar.

The cost of lunch is 12 bolivianos (1.7 dollars)

Burger King, Subway

Address:Socabaya / Mercado, La Pas

If it suddenly happens that, among all the variety of local tasty and inexpensive food, you suddenly want fast food uncontrollably, then you can go to Burger King or Subway.

The assortment is the same as always, just like everywhere else in the world. Prices are significantly lower than in Russia, but in comparison with local prices in ordinary cafes it seems expensive.

During lunch hours (somewhere from 12 to 14) a strange thing happens: Burger King is occupied by crowds of schoolchildren with food stamps, and there are no empty seats to be found. The rest of the time it is deserted.

The most useful option of the establishment is Wi-Fi, but not too fast. You have to ask for the password at the counter, but visitors do this so rarely that the staff can’t always remember it right away.

Lake embankment or Central Bazaar

Address: Copacabana, promenade or Market

You can have a delicious meal of freshly caught trout overlooking the lake, there are many cafes there (a little more expensive for the view) or at the central bazaar - there is no view here, but it’s cheaper. In both cases, you will be fried with fresh fish caught in the lake that morning.

Price per person:€<10

-Public Canteen/Comedor Popular

Address: Avaroa / Perez, Copacabana

If you want to eat in a real Bolivian “food court”, then this is an excellent choice. The comedor is a large covered area with many tables with Bolivian hostesses ready to prepare some food for you.

Price per person:

€<10

Tips are 5-10% of the bill. Most restaurants and upscale hotels automatically add a 13% service surcharge to the bill, in which case tipping is not required. Doormen also expect tips. In a taxi, the easiest way is to agree on the price of the trip in advance or round the amount up.

In Bolivia there is a cuisine for every taste, and for little money.

2.2.4 Entertainment industry

Almost all celebratory events in Bolivia have political or religious origins. The reason to celebrate this or that holiday is either a Christian saint, or an Indian deity, or a revolutionary event or the date of some significant event for this country. Bolivians celebrate holidays with ceremonies and rituals appropriate to the occasion, music, solemn or dance processions, and feasts.

The most revered holiday in Bolivia is the fiesta in honor of Our Lady, celebrated in February and lasting throughout the week.

The most elite area of ​​La Paz, the so-called Zona Sur, is home to the city's best restaurants, nightclubs, discos and casinos.

Bolivia has a fairly low standard of living, but the country is not criminal and peaceful. Despite this, you need to be careful on the streets and in tourist centers, watch your bags, cameras and wallets.

In the center of La Paz there are youth entertainment clubs Las Caporales Music Bar

Jazz in Sopocachi- jazz club

There are also shops here:

Ayni Bolivia arts and crafts store

Witches Market Type - Flea/Street Markets

In Bolivia you can have a good rest not only by sightseeing, but also by shopping.

Shops are open on weekdays from 9:30 to 19:30 with a lunch break from 12:30 to 15:00 and on Saturdays from 10:00 to 15:00.

2.2.5 Sports industry

The main sport in Bolivia is football. No other sport can compete with football in Bolivia, which is called Spanish football here. Mostly men and boys play, but women are also starting to participate a little.

Bolivia also has many other sports. These are tennis, swimming, horse riding, golf, gymnastics, motorsports, mountaineering, trekking, running, and other types of athletics, roller skating, volleyball. Recently, activities such as cycling and mountain biking have become increasingly popular. We cannot fail to mention water sports - water skiing, jet skis, rafting and rowing. Until recently, Bolivia had (30 km northeast of La Paz) the highest ski resort in the world - Chacaltaya. Here tourists were offered more than 10 slopes located between altitudes of 4700 and 5400 m, and 8 ski lifts. The lack of oxygen and the difference in altitude made this place one of the most extreme in the world, and skiing in Chacaltaya was suitable only for trained skiers. But, due to global warming, the Chacaltaya glacier began to melt and in 2009 this resort was closed. In general, the ski season in Bolivia lasts from April to June.

In the mountainous parts of Bolivia, of course, mountaineering and rock climbing are common - after all, in the Bolivian Andes there are several six-thousanders! In tropical areas there are many deep, fast rivers, so-called whitewater, which are very convenient for rafting. And Bolivia's tropical national parks are equipped for Canopy tours.

If you consider fishing and hunting to be sports, then in Bolivia there are many opportunities to realize yourself in these areas.

2.2.6 Healthcare industry

In terms of key indicators, health in Bolivia ranks near last among Western Hemisphere countries. Only Haiti scores consistently lower. Bolivia's infant mortality rate of 66 per 1,000 live births is the worst in South America. Proper nutrition is a constant struggle for many Bolivians. Experts estimate that 7 percent of Bolivian children under five and 23 percent of the total population suffer from malnutrition.

Bolivians living in rural areas lack adequate sanitation and health services, rendering many helpless against yet powerful diseases such as malaria (in tropical areas) and Chagas disease. Statistics show that only 20 percent of the rural population in Bolivia has access to safe water and sanitation. The prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) in Bolivia appears to be low, around 0.1 percent of the population. Between 1984 and 2002, only 333 cases of AIDS were reported to the United Nations CIA World Factbook officials, estimating that number for 2007 at 8,100, with fewer than 500 deaths.

The main high-risk infectious diseases are:

food or water diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis and typhoid fever.

Bolivia's healthcare system is in the process of reform, partly financed by international organizations such as the World Bank. The number of doctors practicing in Bolivia has doubled in recent years, to almost 130 per 100,000 citizens, comparable to the ratio in the region. Current priorities include providing basic health care to more women and children, expanding immunization, and addressing diarrhea and tuberculosis, which are the leading causes of death among children. As a percentage of the national budget, Bolivia's health care spending is 4.3 percent, also on par with regional norms. However, its annual per capita income expenditure of US$145 is lower than most South American countries.

2.2.7 Education in Bolivia, as in many other areas of Bolivian life, has a divide between Bolivia's urban and rural areas. Rural illiteracy remains high, as the rest of the country becomes increasingly literate. This discrepancy is due in part to the fact that many children living in rural areas are forced to contribute economically to their family households and are thus much less likely to attend school. On average, children from rural areas attend school for 4.2 years, while children in urban areas receive an average of 9.4 years of schooling. A gender gap also exists. The country's literacy rate overall, 86.7%, is comparatively lower than other South American countries. In addition, the Bolivian Ministry of Education and Culture has established several hundred adult literacy centers, mainly in urban areas. Expenditure on education is not well organized and most goes towards recurrent expenses, leaving little for expansion. About 87% of children attend primary school, but only about 35% make it to secondary school. The dropout rate is very high, especially among the poor. In rural areas, only about 40% of children attend school after third grade, where many speak Quechua, Aymara or other dialects and have problems with Spanish-language classes. Private schooling is beyond the reach of the majority of the population and university exams, for those who can afford to take part, are highly competitive and difficult. Most upper class families send their children to private Bolivian universities (which are very good) or to Europe, USA, Argentina, Brazil or Chile to study the education industry

2.2.8 Crafts, trades

In Bolivia, local people make inexpensive products from llama and alpaca wool: ponchos, capes, hats, sweaters, carpets. Ceramic jars and jugs, painted with national patterns, and various amulets are sold in all tourist places, in markets and just on the streets.

Animal skins such as llamas and alpacas are in great demand, but here you need to pay attention to the quality of the dressing.

In markets you can find skins of jaguar, python, anaconda, and other exotic animals.

Large selection of souvenirs in La Paz at the Witches Market. This is a whole street of shops. Lots of ancient utensils, dried toads with glass eyes (for prosperity), stuffed armadillos, figurines of Tiawanac monoliths.

Silver is still mined in Bolivia, although very little and in an artisanal way. Therefore, it makes sense to bring silver items from here - souvenirs, for example, an antique machete or jewelry - rings, bracelets or earrings with ancient Indian patterns.

2.2.9 Agriculture and industry

The basis of Bolivia's economy is the mining industry (it employs 60 thousand people) and agriculture. The nationalization of the tin mining industry in 1952 created the state-owned Corporación Minera Boliviana (COMIBOL), Bolivia's leading mining enterprise, accounting for 65% of the national production of tin and about 40% of lead, zinc, copper and tungsten. Private national capital owning medium and small mines has significant positions. The mines still employ a workforce of women and children. The fate of 10-12 year old boys who work in narrow adits where adult miners cannot work is especially tragic. Indian women, often with children behind them, select pieces of ore from waste rock near the mines for a meager wage.

The extraction of antimony, copper, tungsten, lead, zinc, and bismuth is of great importance. In the 70s, new enterprises for the production of concentrates and smelting of crude metal were built. In the south of Bolivia, in the pre-Indian depression, oil and natural gas fields are being developed, but due to a decrease in oil reserves, its production has been steadily declining in recent years, and the country is forced to stop exporting it. In 1972, a gas pipeline was launched to the border with Argentina, through which Bolivian gas is supplied to Buenos Aires.

Almost 66% of Bolivia's self-employed population are peasants, while seven out of every ten are poor land-poor or landless peasants. The modern Quechua or Aymara peasant uses tools of the same archaic type to cultivate his piece of land as in the time of the Incas. This is a chakitaklya - a narrow shovel with a transverse protrusion; taklya - hoe; a club for breaking clods of earth; threshing stick and sickle. Wage labor has not received much development in Bolivian agriculture. On their small plots of land, Bolivian peasants conduct purely subsistence farming, which generally determines the very low marketability of all agriculture. Although the majority of the population is employed in agriculture, it does not satisfy the country's needs for either food or raw materials. About 2/5 of the food consumed is imported (mainly from the USA).

In addition to coffee, cocoa and plantation industrial crops, citrus fruits, bananas, the collection of coca leaves, cinchona bark and rubber are also of export importance. Bolivia's livestock industry is based on pastoralism. Cattle breeding is concentrated mainly in Oriente, small cattle, llamas and alpacas in the Altiplano.

2.3 Historical and cultural heritage

Bolivia is home to a huge number of monuments of Indian cultures of pre-Columbian America. Such world-famous sites as the ruins of Huancarani, Chiripa, Inca or Tiahuanaco have long become a real place of pilgrimage both for local residents, who still revere these places as sacred, and for foreign tourists. The famous “Inca Trail” or “Takeshi Trail” stretches across the Los Chicas Mountains - a stone-paved road with numerous branches leading to Machu Picchu and beyond, throughout the territory of this once mighty empire.

The list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Bolivia includes 6 names (as of 2010), this is 0.7% of the total (911 as of 2010). 5 objects are included in the list according to cultural criteria, 1 object - according to natural ones.

In addition, as of 2010, 7 objects on the territory of the state are among the candidates for inclusion in the World Heritage List, including 4 according to cultural, 1 - according to natural and 2 - according to mixed criteria.

2.3.1 Museums, galleries, exhibition halls

Bolivia has many museums dedicated to art, history and modernity. In addition, there are state libraries with a large collection of books and many galleries.

The Museum of Contemporary Art is open in La Paz.

Museum visitors may note that Bolivian craftsmen have long moved away from imitative traditions. No regard for foreign samples.

The main attractions of the city of Sucre are the home of the art museum De La Ricoleta in the building of a former convent, Fort De La Glorieta, the University of Mayor de San Francisco Javier, the National Library of Bolivia, the De Charcas Museum, the Museum of Contemporary Art, The Museum of Ethnic Textiles, the rich Museum of Anthropology, Bolivar Park with small copies of famous ones.

National Museum of Archeology with a collection of exhibits of the culture of Tiahuanaco, Museo del Litoral or Maritime Museum (historical collection from the era of the war of 1879, in which Bolivia lost its sea coast), Museo del Oro (numerous objects of the pre-Columbian era made of precious metals), National Museum of Ethnography and Folklore with an exhibition on the customs and art of the Chipayas and Ayoreos ethnic groups, dedicated to the musical instrument of the same name, Museo de' Charango Museum, Natural History Museum with an extensive exhibition on paleontology, geology and biology of the country, Casa Museo Marina Nuques Museum del Prado, dedicated to the culture and traditions of the Quechua and Aymara tribes with works by the artist Marina Nuques del Prado, the excellent Museum of National Art in the building of the Palace of the Count of Arana (1775) and the Museo de Metales Preciosos Precolombino, which has a luxurious a collection of silver, gold and copper works from pre-Columbian American cultures.

2.3.2 Religious monuments

The world's tallest statue of Christ with viewing windows is in Cochabamba.

The city has several monuments dedicated to miners. The most famous of them is located on Shakhtar Square.

Another monument to the miner (“Al Minero”) is located at the junction of del Maestro, Villazon, Arce y Serrudo streets.

There are very few monuments of sculptural art of the 16th century in the country. The most famous of them is the most revered sculpture in Bolivia of the Dark Virgin of Titicaca in the small town of Copacabana, on the shore of Lake. Titicaca, and Our Lady of Candelaria in the Cathedral of La Paz. The first is the creation of the wonderful Indian sculptor Francisco Tito Yupanqui, a native of Copacabana, the second was brought from Spain.

2.3.3 Secular architecture

Bolivia's culture is rich and diverse. This can be seen and felt in painting, literature, music, and dance. Architectural monuments surprise us with their beauty. For example, Tiawanaku is a religious center, which consists of the Akapana pyramid hill, the Kalasasaya temple complex or otherwise “Gate of the Sun”, “Palace of Sarcophagi” and other structures. In Sucre you can visit and see such attractions as churches, monasteries, palaces and administrative buildings. The churches of Catedral, San Francisco, La Merced, Casa de Libertad, Palacio de La, Art Museum De La Ricoleta, Fort De La Glorieta and other buildings amaze us with their beauty.

The city of Potosi offers you to see the Crystal Palace, the Church of San Benito, the Church of San Lorenzo, and other buildings. La Paz - its center is Murillo Square, where the Presidential, the Parliament building and the Legislativo Palace are located. Here it is worth visiting the Museum of Art, the Church of Santo Domingo, museums, palaces. Now let’s talk a little about Lake Titicaca, or as the Indians called it “stone puma,” with a length of 194 km and a width of 65 km. It contains the islands of Isla Suriki, Uros, Taquile, Isla Kalahuta, Isla Incas. An Indian temple was discovered at the bottom of the lake.

Amazing nature, favorable climate and unique culture make Bolivia more and more attractive to tourists. This country attracts with its natural attractions. Travel lovers are attracted by extreme tourism, which is quite well developed in this country. Bolivia has a very long and mysterious history, which is of interest to more and more tourists.

There are good hotels in both big and small cities. A network of hostels with affordable prices has been developed for young people.

The transport industry in the country is quite well developed. There are both air and rail connections.

In restaurants you can taste wonderful national and European cuisine at affordable prices.

There are places in cities where tourists can relax outside the hotel premises. There are nightclubs, cafes, theaters, parks, etc. Fashionistas can spend their time shopping.

Healthcare is poorly developed, but the government is trying to improve this situation.

They speak predominantly Spanish in this country, but the less common languages ​​of Aymara, Quechua and even Guaraná can also be found quite often. Ethnic diversity even allows you to get acquainted with some Indian tribes. As for religion, it is mainly inhabited by protestants and Catholics.

3.Practical part

Tourism in Bolivia is emerging as the number one non-traditional source of income. Over the past decade, revenue from the country's tourism industry has grown by more than 50%, thus allowing the “smoke-free industry” to take first place among non-traditional sources of income in the country's economy, second only to only to the oil and mining sector.

Bolivia is one of the poorest countries in the world. Landlocked and without countless mineral reserves, it has been a victim of incessant political conflicts and military coups for quite a long time. But the cultural heritage of the Inca era and the majestic landscapes make this country the most unusual and most exciting place on the continent. The "Tibet of America", as Bolivia is sometimes called, truly deserves its name - it is the highest and most isolated of Latin American countries, also widely known for its ancient traditions and numerous monuments to the lost civilizations of the pre-Columbian era.

The country has enormous potential for the development of environmental, extreme, hiking and other types of tourism.

Bolivia has not yet been particularly touched by modern civilization, which greatly attracts tourists.

Bolivians are one of the poorest nations in the world, because, in fact, this country does not have developed economic relations. But you definitely need to visit it to see a huge number of attractions and good-natured people.

Conclusion

The purpose of this work is to study the tourism resources of Bolivia and find out which of them influence the development of tourism in the country.

During the analysis of data from the theoretical, analytical and practical parts, the following was revealed:

1. Bolivia has enormous natural and recreational resources and cultural and historical heritage, which contribute to the development of tourism.
2. The country has all the conditions for the development of various types of tourism - extreme, educational, hiking, environmental, etc.
3. Bolivia cooperates with international hotel companies.
4. A country inhabited by various ancient cultures with mysterious histories.
5. Bolivia is an under-researched country with great opportunities.

Bibliography

1. Borovkov, A. N., Bobrovnikov, A. V., Gavrilova, E. Kh. Bolivia: trends in economic and socio-political development, 2003.

2. Goncharova, Tatyana Viktorovna. Indian America: cities and people, 2003

3. Bolivia - the time of the left-wing Indianist experiment. ILA RAS, 2009.

4. Modern Bolivia, ILA RAS, 2005. 2.

5. Sashin G.Z. - Bolivia. Essay on recent history, 2003

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7. Shchelchkov, Andrey Arkadevich. The regime of "state socialism" in Bolivia, 2000

10. Magazine “Around the World”, Telegraph, High Gate of Bolivia, 2008

11. Bolivar, Simon, Around the World Encyclopedia, 2009.

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Annex 1

Economic and geographical position of Bolivia

Appendix 2

Administrative division

Appendix 3

Flag of Bolivia

Coat of arms of Bolivia

Appendix 4

National currency.

Appendix 5

Dry salt lake of Uyuni

Appendix 6

Peculiar outfits of the population of Bolivia

Economic and geographical position of Bolivia

Currently, the former Republic of Bolivia has another official name - the Plurinational State of Bolivia.

The country was named after the first president of the republic after independence was recognized.

Note 1

Bolivia is located almost in the center of the continent, so it is often called the heart of South America.

Bolivia's northern and eastern borders are with Brazil, in the west it borders with Peru and Chile, and its southern and southeastern borders with Argentina and Paraguay respectively.

In 2010, Peru transferred a small coastal landmass in Ilo province to Bolivia for the construction of a port, meaning that within 99 years Bolivia will have access to the Pacific Ocean.

Transport in modern Bolivia is highly dependent on mountainous terrain.

Mining centers are connected to the Pacific ports of Chile and Peru by rail. There are railway connections with Brazil and Argentina.

Most of the roads do not have a hard surface. The rivers are hardly used for shipping, and only a small amount of goods is delivered to the Argentine river port of Rosario.

During the rainy season, the road network in flat areas is washed out and becomes impassable.

During the rainy season, communication with urban centers is carried out by air. El Alto International Airport operates in the country's largest city. The airport is located at an altitude of 4061 m above sea level and is the highest airport in the world. True, Banda Airport in Tibet is located even higher.

As an underdeveloped state, Bolivia mainly imports the products it lacks, the bulk of which are machinery and equipment for industry and transport. These are the main items of its import.

In addition to industrial goods, the country imports raw materials, consumer goods, and food products. The main trading partners for imports are Argentina, Brazil, USA, Japan, UK, Germany.

Exports are mainly products of the mining industry - tin, zinc, tungsten, silver. Exports of natural gas and other minerals account for 80%.

Agricultural products are exported

• coffee,
• sugar,
• Brazilian nut.

Note 2

The illegal cocaine trade plays a significant role in Bolivia's economy. For many years, cocaine was legally exported for medicinal purposes, but in small quantities. For modern Bolivia, coca bush leaves are more profitable than other crops. Since the export of the drug provides huge profits, the country cannot refuse it today.

Thus, the economic and physical geographical position of Bolivia has two sides - on the one hand, there are all the prerequisites to consider it favorable, because the country’s own subsoil is rich in minerals, borders on countries that are quite developed in its region - this is, first of all, Brazil, has transport connections with its neighbors and can access the Pacific Ocean through the ports of Chile and Peru. Relatively close to the USA. On the other hand, it is remote from other countries located on other continents, the lack of its own access to the ocean, political and economic instability within the country itself, and the poverty of the population make this situation unfavorable.

Natural conditions of Bolivia

The territory of Bolivia can be divided by relief into two parts - western and eastern.

In the west, 1/3 of the territory is occupied by the eastern part of the Central Andes. The greatest width of which within Bolivia is about 650 km, with towering peaks of volcanoes, including active ones.

Figure 2. Mountain landscape of Bolivia. Author24 - online exchange of student work

There are three mountain regions in this area - the Cordillera Real, the Cordillera Occidental, the Altiplano, which lies between the ridges and is a plateau lying at an altitude of 3620-4270 m. Its western part, which has a bowl-shaped surface, is connected to a plateau in the east, which stretches to western extremity of the Cordillera Real ridge.

The slopes of the ridge are steep and drop sharply towards the eastern plains. There are a lot of isolated valleys, depressions, canyons, up to 1.5 km deep. This territory is covered with forest and is called Yungas. There are practically no roads here, and the population has no connection with the outside world.

In the Western Cordillera there is the highest point of the country - the Sajama volcano (6542 m), which is classified as dormant.

To the east of the Andes there are vast desert lowlands, their northern part is drained by tributaries of the Amazon. These desert eastern plains are called Oriente and occupy 70% of Bolivia's area.

The climate of the country is quite diverse. Temperature and precipitation depend on the altitude of the territory, so in the west it is cooler and less precipitation, and in the east it is more humid and warm.

A harsh and dry climate is characteristic of the Andean highlands of the Altiplano. Precipitation here is about 710 mm near Lake Titicaca, in La Paz the amount drops to 580 mm, and in the desert southern part it is less than 125 mm.

Average daytime temperatures are +10…+16 degrees, at night the temperature drops from -1 to +4 degrees. Strong, frequent winds cause temperatures down to -20 degrees. Several climatic altitudinal zones are distinguished in the Yungas region.

Up to an altitude of 900 m, the air temperature remains at +24 degrees, and the slopes are covered with forest. The average temperature drops at an altitude of 2400 m to +19 degrees, at an altitude of 3000 m the temperature rises to +10 degrees and the mountain forest is replaced by xerophilic open forest, called “sekha”.

In the northern part of the Cordillera Real, precipitation will range from 4880 in the open part of the slopes to 1270 mm in the basins. The lower slopes of this area are drier and receive 890 mm of precipitation.

The climate of the plains is transitional - in the northeast it is hot and humid, and in the southeast it is hot but drier. Precipitation falls from November to April from 750 to 1300 mm.

The territory of Bolivia is located close to the equator, so the seasons are poorly defined. Summer and winter temperatures have a difference of 10 degrees; there is a dry season (April-September) and a rainy season (October-March).

Natural resources of Bolivia

Large mineral reserves are concentrated in the depths of the country.

The main type of ore raw material is tin. Tin plays a leading role in the Bolivian economy. Its extraction is carried out by a state corporation. The extraction of this raw material is entirely dependent on global demand.

In addition to tin, there is natural gas, oil, lead, zinc, tungsten, antimony, copper, silver, and small reserves of gold.

The country has rich deposits of lithium, iron, and phosphates. Hydrocarbon production began in 1922 by the American company Standard Oil of New Jersey. The Bolivian government in 1937 nationalized the property of this company and established the state oil company Yacimientos Petroliferos Fiscalesbolivianos.

Bolivia does not have sufficient financial resources for exploration work, so it is again forced to import oil.

After another appeal from the government to foreign companies about oil exploration, new oil fields were discovered in 1976.

The volume of natural gas reserves was estimated at 113 billion cubic meters. m. The bulk of it is exported.

The soils in the Altiplano region are dry and infertile - mostly clay, sandy and rocky. There are many salt marshes in the south, and rich silty soils in the north of the country.

Water resources are concentrated within the country; there are no rivers flowing into the Pacific Ocean in western Bolivia. They usually form lakes and swamps, some disappear into sandy deserts.

The largest lake is Titicaca. The rivers that originate on the eastern slope of the Cordillera play an important role; connecting with large rivers, they carry their waters to the Atlantic Ocean.

Bordered by Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, Chile and Peru, Bolivia is landlocked. Territory 1090 thousand km 2. Population (estimated for 1958) - 3311 thousand. The official capital is Sucre, the actual capital is La Paz.

According to the 1945 constitution, which has undergone some changes, Bolivia is a republic. The legislative body is a bicameral congress (Chamber of Deputies and Senate). Suffrage is granted to men over 21 years of age. The President in Bolivia is given great powers, especially in foreign relations. In cases of disagreement with Congress, the President has the right to return the adopted law to Congress for consideration. The President is also the Chairman of the Council of Ministers.

The Bolivian constitution guarantees private property; in exceptional cases, it may be confiscated for a “fair” remuneration. Foreigners enjoy the same property rights as Bolivians.

Natural conditions

Unlike Peru and Ecuador, Bolivia's territory is divided into two geographical zones: Sierra and Oriente. The Sierra (western part) is occupied by the Andes. The Andes in Bolivia have the greatest width for South America - up to 800 km.

The Bolivian Sierra is very diverse in relief; it abounds in canyons, cliffs, valleys, gorges, and volcanoes. Most of the Sierra is occupied by mountain ranges and plateaus.

The Oriente is a plain that gradually slopes towards the east.

A geographical feature of Bolivia should be considered the presence of large mountain lakes Titicaca and Poopb, with a small part of the former extending into Peru.

The diversity of the Bolivian topography results in sharp differences in climate and vegetation. The climate varies from cold in the plateau and Cordillera to humid tropical in the Orientean plain.

In the lowest areas of the plateau, protected from the wind, barley, vegetables, beans, potatoes, and quinoa (a variety of millet) ripen. On the eastern slopes of the Andes, low-growing evergreen forests begin. Among the trees of these forests, the cinchona tree is very valuable. However, it does not grow south of 18°S. w. Below begin tropical forests with many species of palm trees and valuable coca bush, the foliage of which is used to produce cocaine. Coffee, cocoa, sugar cane, citrus fruits, and bananas are also grown here. The Orient is dominated by savannah vegetation with sparse forests and shrubs. The rivers of Bolivia in the west drain into lakes Titicaca and Lake Poopb, and in the east into the Amazon and La Plata basins.

Brief historical information

The territory of modern Bolivia was conquered by the Incas and included in their state at the beginning of the 14th century.

After the conquest of the Incan state by the Spaniards, the territory of Upper Peru (as Bolivia was then called) became part of the Viceroyalty of Peru, forming the audience of Charcas. Later

Upper Peru became part of the Viceroyalty of La Plata, formed in 1776.

At one time, after the discovery of silver deposits on Mount Potosí, Upper Peru became a highly developed economic center. The silver deposits were officially considered to belong to the crown. The owners of the mines had to pay the Spanish king a fifth of the extracted metal. Developments were often carried out by the crown itself. The labor force for the mines was recruited from among the Indians on the basis of mita (labor conscription) laws. Mitaios (i.e., people leaving for mita) were also used in the construction and repair of roads, in agricultural work, and often as draft power. Exactly the same rituals were performed for the person who had gone to the meeting as for the deceased. Unbearable working conditions in the mines led to the death of a huge number of Indians during Spanish colonial rule.

The Indians responded to inhumanly harsh exploitation with uprisings. One of these major uprisings took place in 1780 under the leadership of the brothers Domaso and Thomas Katari. The uprising of the Catari brothers soon merged with the powerful revolutionary movement of the Indians, led by Tupac Amaru II. The Spaniards suppressed all these uprisings with brutal cruelty.

In 1809, at the same time as other Spanish colonies in America, an independence movement began in Upper Peru. However, like Peru and Ecuador, Upper Peru was unable to achieve independence from Spain on its own. This reason lies in the nature of the movement. While in Argentina, Uruguay, Mexico and other Latin American countries large sections of the population took part in the war of independence, in Peru, Ecuador and Upper Peru the overwhelming majority of the independence movement was purely Creole, i.e. it involved landowners , mine owners, and small groups of mestizos. The bulk of the population - Indians, as a rule, remained aloof from the movement.

Upper Peru, like Peru itself, achieved independence as a result of assistance from the troops of San Martin and Bolivar. In honor of the latter, on the day of declaration of independence - August 6, 1825 - the new state took the name Bolivia.

In 1826, Bolivia entered into a federal treaty with Peru. Federation and then (from 1836) confederation lasted until 1839 inclusive.

Current political and economic situation

The declaration of independence found Bolivia in the position of a backward agricultural country. The famous silver deposits were depleted, and the mines fell into disrepair. Agriculture was almost entirely subsistence, feudal in nature. A tiny fraction of the country's territory was cultivated. The main crops grown in Bolivia were corn, wheat, potatoes, barley, and later rice. Domestic animals included sheep, cattle, horses, mules, donkeys, llamas and alpacas, goats, and pigs.

Agricultural productivity was extremely low. The best lands were seized by the landowners, and the process of dispossession of the Indians did not stop. The overwhelming majority of Indians became tenants of miserable plots of land, gradually falling into the ranks of the Yanakuns, debt slaves. This situation in agriculture and agrarian relations remained without significant changes until 1952.

At the end of the 19th century. The eyes of foreign capital were attracted by rich tin deposits. The construction of railways made it possible to export this valuable metal from Bolivia. Since the beginning of the 20th century. The mining industry pushed the already backward agriculture into the background. Following tin, copper, bismuth, antimony, tungsten, and oil began to be mined in the country.

The development of the country's natural resources took place in an atmosphere of sharp contradictions among foreign monopolistic companies, mainly British and American. Bolivia has become a raw materials appendage of the United States and the imperialist countries of Western Europe. The country's dependence on foreign capital was clearly demonstrated in the war with Paraguay (1932-1935), in which Bolivia actually fought for the interests of the American company Standard Oil. The largest tin mining companies, Hochschild, Aramayo, Patiño, turned out to be closely associated with foreign financial industrial circles and were considered Bolivian only nominally.

The first violin in the Bolivian economy was played by North American capital, which already before the Second World War surpassed English capital in terms of investment.

The history of Bolivia is replete with repeated protests by Indians (peasants and miners). In 1952, a major popular uprising arose, bringing the Revolutionary Nationalist Movement party to power.

The coming to power of this party and the awakening of the broad masses led to significant changes in Bolivian reality (see section “National Revolutionary Movements”).

Population

Until recent years, population statistics in Bolivia were poor. After the 1940 census, an estimate for 1948 (3.8 million people) was compiled by relative increase. A census taken in 1950 unexpectedly gave a total population figure of only 3,019,031. One might think that this figure, like the 1958 figure (3,311 thousand people), is underestimated, since the population of the highlands, fearing the imposition of duties, avoids the census.

The average population density is about 3 people per 1 km2. The highest density is in the Sierra region, in the western part of the country. Bolivia is one of the highest mountainous countries in the world. Here, more than three quarters of the population lives at 3700-3900 m, and in some places even 4000 m above sea level.

At least 14% of Bolivia's territory is uninhabited, covered with high cliffs, permanent snow or salt marshes. Vast spaces of the eastern lowland, the departments of Santa Cruz and especially Beni, remained undeveloped until recent years and were isolated from the rest of the country. They are very sparsely populated (only 5% of the population) by primitive tribes. Currently, major measures are being taken in Bolivia to develop these areas: highways are being built, conditions are being prepared for the resettlement of mountaineers living in extremely difficult conditions in the highlands to the valleys.

By occupation, the population is distributed approximately as follows (in thousand people):

in agriculture........................ about 672.2

in the mining industry........ . . . . » 43.0

in the manufacturing industry.... » 100.5

hired workers and employees on the railway » 100.0

Domestic servants................................ » 40.0

workers in small craft workshops (artisans) » 200.0

Ethnic composition

The ethnic composition of Bolivia's population is defined differently by different sources, but they all agree that the absolute majority are Indians.

The Bolivian Statistics Authority gives the following figures:

Indians...................................52.9%

Indomestis (called Cholo in Bolivia) 32%

white........................................ 14.8%

rest........................ 0.3%

Sources emphasize the relative nature of these figures and indicate that inclusion in the Indian and mestizo ethnic groups depends more on social status than on race 1 .

The Indians of Bolivia mostly belong to the Quechua people; This is also where the bulk of the Aymara people live. The remaining tribes (about 63), in the eastern part of the country, belong to several (about 15) Indian language groups.

According to the Bolivian researcher Astenio Averango Molinedo, in 1950, linguistically, the population presented the following picture:

Spanish speakers................................... 35.95%

» in Quechua................................................................. .................... 36.52%

» in the Aymara language.................................................... ............... 24.57%

» in other Indian languages ​​of small groups Oriente 2.5%

» in other European languages ​​except Spanish 0.46% 2

In addition to the Quechua and Aymara, remnants of almost extinct tribes have survived from the time of the Inca state. These are, for example, Chipaya from the Pukina language family in the province of Carantas; in 1930 there were only 350 of them left.

Bolivians of European and mixed ancestry closely resemble white Peruvians and Ecuadorians. However, they have features that sharply distinguish white Bolivians from both. First of all, white Bolivians overwhelmingly speak two and sometimes three languages. Along with Spanish, a Bolivian Creole almost always speaks Quechua or Aymara, or even both. But in the Spanish language itself there is such an abundance of Indian words and phrases that you can immediately distinguish a Bolivian from a representative of another Latin American country. Indian influence is also very strong in the architecture of Bolivia. It is clearly noticeable, for example, in the design of the facade of the Cathedral of St. Lorenzo in Potosí, one of the most striking, rich and original monuments of Spanish America. His style is closely related to the style of the monuments of the Peruvian city of Arequipa. There are sirens playing Indian Pan flutes, archangels in ponchos, and images of the sun, moon and planets transferred from the Inca pantheon. The frieze repeats the geometric designs found in the Tiahuanacu monuments, as well as realistic depictions of local plants.

Many dances of Bolivian Creoles and mestizos originate from Indian festive and ritual dances. A typically Creole Bolivian dance, the Diablada has its ancestor in an Indian ritual dance dedicated to Supah, the patron spirit of miners.

The Indian influence in Bolivia is also much greater than in Peru or Ecuador; it affected not only food, music, and clothing. If a Peruvian aristocrat is foaming at the mouth and is ready to trace his family back to purebred Spaniards, then a Bolivian is not averse to talking about the “glorious ancestors of the Incas” or “the builders of Tiahuanacu.”

The events of recent years in Bolivia have further strengthened the influence of the Indian element on various aspects of the life and activities of Bolivian creoles and mestizos.

The backward forest Indians of Bolivia were surveyed more fully in 1950 than before. Their numbers have been established, although rather approximately. The total number in the departments of Beni, Santa Cruz, Pando, Tarija, Chuquisaca and Cochabamba is 87 thousand. 52 tribes have been recorded with special names. Among them, the largest are the following: Siriono from the Guarani family (about 9 thousand) are settled along the Rio Grande, Rio Blanco and Rio Guapora rivers, in the departments of Beni and Santa Cruz; the Mojos, or Mojos (about 4 thousand), live compactly in the department of Beni, in the province named after them; the Curuguas (about 5 thousand) also live compactly in the Beni department; the same applies to the Yanciguas living in the department of Santa Cruz (numbering more than 5 thousand). The Chiriguanas are settled in three groups in the departments of Santa Cruz. Tarija and Chuquisaca (their total number is about 5 thousand). Despite the significant events that have taken place in Bolivia in recent years, the way of life of the Bolivian forest Indians has hardly changed.

The Republic of Bolivia (Republica de Bolivia) is a landlocked country in South America with an area of ​​424,164 square miles (1,098,581 square kilometers). The country has become landlocked since losing its Pacific coast to Chile in a war from 1879 to 1884. Stretching no more than 950 miles (1,503 kilometers) from north to south and 800 miles from east to west, Bolivia is bordered on the north and east by Brazil, on the southeast by Paraguay, on the south by Argentina and on the southwest from Chile and Peru. Lake Ticicaca, the second largest lake in South America and the first in the world for commercial navigation, is shared with Peru. However, the official capital is the city of Sucre, where the Supreme Court is located, but the actual capital is La Paz, where the executive and legislative branches of the state function authorities.

Although only one third of Bolivia is located in the Andes mountains, it is largely considered a highland country because it is the most developed and has the highest population density. Part of its territory is in or near the Andes. The country itself has a rich history: it was once part of the ancient Inca Empire and later became part of the Spanish Viceroyalty of Peru, providing the homeland with huge amounts of silver. The official languages ​​are Spanish and the Aymara and Quechua Indians. The vast majority of the population is Roman Catholic.

Bolivia, although rich in mineral resources, remains an underdeveloped country whose economic life is based mainly on agriculture and the production of raw materials, natural gas, and tin.

Relief of Bolivia

Bolivia's western mountainous region, one of the most populous regions in the world, forms the heart of the country. The Andes reach their greatest width and complexity here.

To the west along Chile's borders is the Cordillera Occidental, which contains a large number of active volcanoes and is crowned by the Republic's greatest peak, Mount Sayama, more than 24,400 feet (6,523 kilometers) above sea level. To the east is the Cordillera Oriental, whose magnificent northern part near La Paz is called the Cordillera Real (royal chain). Between the ridges lies the flat, bare terrain of the Altiplano (High Mountain Plao). The plateau is a relatively flat depression about 500 miles long and 80 miles wide, lying at an altitude of ~12,250 feet. The surface of this huge plateau, composed mainly of mountain deposits eroded by water and wind, slopes gently towards the South; its smoothness is softened by the occasional hills and mountain ranges. The boundaries of the Altiplano are characterized by large scarps and spurs.

Water system of Bolivia

The waters of Bolivia are divided into 3 parts - the Amazon basin in the northeast, the Rio da la Plateau basin in the extreme southeast and the Lake Titicaca basin in the Altiplano. The vast swampy plains along the Beni and Mamore rivers, which belong to the Amazon basin, include lakes and lagoons, some of them quite large, such as Lake Rogoaguado. In the vicinity of the Paraguay River (which runs parallel to the eastern border of Bolivia and is part of the La Plata basin) there are several small lakes, of which the largest are Caquerez and Mandiore.

To the north are the large Harayes swamps. This area, like the northeast, is prone to flooding during the summer. The third water system is located in the Altiplano - this is the largest inland water region in South America. One of the highest mountain lakes is located here - Lake Tikicaca. The Desaguadero River flows from it; Lake Poopo, into which this river flows.

There are also shallow salt lakes in the Altiplano. Bolivia's water system is landlocked and therefore all excess liquid rapidly evaporates and is absorbed by dry soils. Lake Titicaca occupies ~8500 square kilometers. This is the largest alpine lake in South America. It is located at an altitude of ~12,500 feet (3,810 km) and is 120 miles long and no more than 50 miles wide. Its maximum depth is over 900 feet (~300 meters). There are many islands on the surface of the lake. The lake is freshwater. Lake Poopo, unlike Titicaca, is salty and shallow.

Soils of Bolivia

The soils of the Altiplano are mostly clayey, sandy and rocky - dry and infertile. The slopes are destroyed by strong winds and rainfall. In the south there are many salt marshes. But in the north there are rich silty soils where the waters of Titicaca have receded over centuries.

It is believed that Tiaguanaco, an important ancient Inca city, which is now ten miles from the southern shore of Lake Titicaca, was once on the shore itself and was a port. Due to this, the area around this city has rich silty soils.

Climate of Bolivia

Despite the fact that Bolivia is entirely located in the tropics, its climate has all gradations of temperatures from the heat of the equatorial lowlands to the arctic cold. In the Andes, contrasts in temperature and precipitation depend more on altitude than on distance from the Equator.

The temperature difference between summer and winter is small. Precipitation is scanty, mainly in the form of summer showers in December and January. The average temperature is between 7 and 11 degrees Celsius. But winter temperatures are lower. Nights are cold throughout the year.

In the north, Lake Titicaca significantly moderates the climate. It is often cloudless and the air is surprisingly clean, providing enchanting views of the Altiplano. And in the Yungas valleys it is damp and cloudy throughout the year. Bolivia's average annual temperature ranges from 17 to 20 degrees Celsius. And Bolivia receives more than 1,350 millimeters of precipitation per year, most of which occurs in December, January and February.

Flora of Bolivia

Vast areas of the southern Altiplano are occupied by salt marshes and deserts. But to the north grows tough tufted grass, which llamas feed on. The altiplano is devoid of trees, but eucalyptus trees are successfully grown in the valleys around Lake Titicaca. The Yungas are dressed in a luxurious jungle environment that includes a huge variety of tropical plants. Among them: the cinchona tree, from which quinine is extracted, and the coca bush, a source of cocaine. In the rainforests of the Amazon (Selva) the rubber tree Brazil nut and mahogany grow.

Fauna of Bolivia

In the Bolivian highlands, various breeds of camels stand out among the animals - llama, alpaca, guanaco; their homeland is the Andes. The Andes are home to the largest bird predators - condors, which nest at an altitude of ~3-4 kilometers. Many small birds and waterfowl - coots, cormorants, ducks, geese, gulls live near Lake Titicaca. And large flocks of flamingos live near Lake Poopo. In the Amazon basin there is an abundance of fish and a large number of frogs, toads, lizards, and billions of different insects. There are also rare animals such as armadillos, anteaters, wild pigs, pumas, many varieties of rodents and the rea - a flightless bird similar to an ostrich, although much smaller in size. Among the rich fauna of the northern forests are jaguar, sloth, tapir, and monkeys. Bolivia is also home to a large number of reptiles. Among them is the caiman, a type of crocodile.

Population of Bolivia

Bolivia is the only country in Latin America where the majority of the population - 55% - are Quechua and Aymara Indians; Mestizos (30%) and Creoles (descendants of the Spaniards) also live. The official languages ​​are Spanish, Quechua and Aymara. St. 88% of believers are Catholics; St. 10% are Protestants. Urban population 61%. Population density 7.8 people/km2. Bolivia has 3 main populated areas - the Altiplano, the Alles and the Santa Cruz region in Oriente. The Altplano, which occupies a tenth of Bolivia, is high and cool.

The Incas found the air here healthier and more invigorating than in the hot, damp valleys. The Northern Altiplano remains the most densely populated region of Bolivia. Here you will find the cities of La Paz and Oruro. The city of La Paz is the largest and most important city in Bolivia. Little colonial architecture survives there.

La Paz grew and developed rapidly in the late 19th and early 20th centuries as a railway center and de facto capital of the country. The city's industrial areas are located high on the sides of the valley, shopping areas below them, and middle-class residences on the lower level. Other Altiplano cities - Oruro, Uyuni, Tupiza - are also railway centers and are associated with the mining industry. Potosi in the east of the Altiplano should be given special attention. In 1545, on the slopes of Mount Potosi (Cerro Rico), the Spaniards found the richest reserves of silver.

In the mid-seventeenth century, Potosi had 160,000 inhabitants - then it was the largest city in the Americas. Even now, Potosi, at an altitude of over 13,000 feet, is the tallest city of its size in the world. It is one of the few cities in Bolivia that has retained its architectural identity after many years. The most important cities in the Valles were founded in the 16th century and include Cochabamba, Sucre, and Tarija. All three towns are surrounded by farms, orchards and pastures.

Cochabamba is the largest, busiest, and most accessible of the cities; Tarija is the most isolated - its mountain roads are inaccessible and the city has never been connected to the Bolivian railway system. Unlike the Altiplano, the climate here is moderate, and the lower areas are more acceptable. The East is the largest and least populated area. Santa Cruz is the only large city. It is close to the foot of the Andes, but mainly located on the plains.

Since the mid-1950s, it has been the fastest growing agricultural center in the country and a center for natural gas and oil production. By the 1970s, Santa Cruz had overtaken Cochabamba to become Bolivia's second largest city - a unique example of a long-isolated city in the East catching up with a major Andean center. Trinidad is the main city in the center of the remote, extensive, pastoral Beni region, while further north in this Eastern region only a few small towns still remain along the banks of the rivers, among the rain forests.

The population of Bolivia consists of three groups - Indians, mestizos (descendants of Indians mixed with Spaniards), and descendants of the Spaniards. After four centuries of mixing, it is virtually impossible to measure the percentage of each group, although Indians still make up approximately 55 percent of the total population. The largest group of them is the Quechua. The Indians mainly comprise two distinct groups - those living in northern Aliplanio who speak the guttural Aymara language, and those who speak Quechua - the language of the Incas. Quechua - more widespread in the Andes, especially in the Valles. Remnants of the Plains and Forest Indians remain in the East.

Most Indians are farmers, miners, factory workers and construction workers. Aymara and Quechua are added to Spanish as the official languages ​​of Bolivia, but a growing number of Indians, particularly in cities, trading centers and new settlements, speak fluent Spanish. Mestizo people are well represented in offices, crafts, and small businesses in the cities. The traditional minority - the descendants of the Spaniards - have long formed the local aristocracy in small towns and rural areas. Their influence remains, although it has diminished since the National Revolution of 1952.

Few foreigners emigrated to Bolivia. However, a small number of Germans arrived in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and achieved notable success as commercial agents and entrepreneurs, storekeepers, and accountants. Japanese farmers were among the most successful colonists in the Santa Cruz area. Arriving in the late 1950s and 1960s as a relatively small but skilled group of pioneers, they made important contributions to the economy.

The Roman Catholic religion is practiced among 95 percent of the total population. At the head of the church hierarchy in Bolivia is the cardinal living Sucre. Churches and cathedrals, most of which were built in colonial times, constitute a national architectural treasure. They are built mainly in the extravagant, ornamental Baroque style, although there are some representatives of the Renaissance style (for example, La Paz Cathedral) or later styles. Since the 1940s years, the Roman Catholic Church received an almost exclusive role in matters of social assistance and education.

In the Indian communities of the Altiplano, some forms of pantheistic pre-Columbian religion are still alive. It includes the Sun God, the legendary creation of the first Inca emperor Maneo Capac and his wife's sister Mama Oclio on the Island of the Sun in Lake Titicaca. Over the centuries, the Roman Catholic religion adopted some aspects of the Indian religion, assimilating them into the religious life of these communities. There are also various Protestant denominations and also a small Jewish community. Freedom of religion is guaranteed by the Constitution.