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BoliviaBolivia<!-- begin quick bar --> <div style="float: right; margin: 0 0 1em 1em"> <table cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" style="border: 1px solid #9866FF; background-color: #f3f3ff" width="200"> <tr><td colspan="2" style="text-align: center; border-bottom: 1px solid #C9AFFF; background-color: #ddddff">Flag</td></tr> <tr><td colspan="2" style="text-align: center; padding: 2px">Image:bl-flag.png</td></tr> <tr><td colspan="2" style="text-align: center; border-bottom: 1px solid #C9AFFF; border-top: 1px solid #C9AFFF; background-color: #ddddff">Quick Facts</td></tr> <tr><td valign="top" style="padding-left: 2px">'''Capital'''</td><td>La Paz (seat of government); Sucre (legal capital and seat of judiciary)</td></tr> <tr><td valign="top" style="padding-left: 2px">'''Government'''</td><td>republic<br/></td></tr> <tr><td valign="top" style="padding-left: 2px">'''Currency'''</td><td>boliviano (BOB)</td></tr> <tr><td valign="top" style="padding-left: 2px">'''Area'''</td><td>''total:'' 1,098,580 sq km <br>''water:'' 14,190 sq km <br>''land:'' 1,084,390 sq km</td></tr> <tr><td valign="top" style="padding-left: 2px">'''Population'''</td><td>8,445,134 (July 2002 est.)</td></tr> <tr><td valign="top" style="padding-left: 2px">'''Language'''</td><td>Spanish (official), Quechua (official), Aymara (official)</td></tr> <tr><td valign="top" style="padding-left: 2px">'''Religion'''</td><td>Roman Catholic 95%, Protestant (Evangelical Methodist)</td></tr> </table> </div> <!-- end quick bar --> '''Bolivia''' is a landlocked country in Central South America. It is surrounded by Brazil to the northeast, Peru to the northwest, Chile to the southeast, Argentina and Paraguay to the south. It shares control of Lake Titicaca (''Lago Titicaca''), the world's highest navigable lake (elevation 3,805 m), with Peru. Sometimes referred to as the Tibet of the Americas, Bolivia is one of the most remote countries in the western hemisphere. It is also the most native, with 60% of its population being of pure Native American ancestry. Image:bl-map.png|frame|Map of Bolivia ==Regions== *The Altiplano (Bolivia)|Altiplano *The Andes (Bolivia)|Andes *The Chaco (Bolivia)|Chaco *The Highland Valleys (Bolivia)|Highland Valleys *The Tropical Lowlands (Bolivia)|Tropical Lowlands *The Yungas and Chapare ; '''Administrative divisions''' : 9 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento); Chuquisaca, Cochabamba (department)|Cochabamba , Beni, La Paz (department)|La Paz, Oruro, Pando, Potosi, Santa Cruz (department, Bolivia)|Santa Cruz, Tarija ==Cities== *La Paz (Bolivia)|La Paz - Capital (seat of government); *Sucre - (legal capital and seat of judiciary) *Santa Cruz (city, Bolivia)|Santa Cruz - the second-largest, and most affluent, city. *Cochabamba - the country's third-largest city, with a pleasant climate and the best food. *Potosí - once one of the wealthiest cities in the world due to its silver mines. *Oruro - famous for its carnival ; '''Ports and harbors''' : Puerto Aguirre (on the Paraguay/Parana waterway, at the Bolivia/Brazil border); also, Bolivia has free port privileges in maritime ports in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Paraguay ==Other destinations== * Tiwanaku - ancient ruins, a UNESCO world heritage site *Uyuni - starting point for trips to the spectacular '''Salar de Uyuni''' (the largest slat flats in the world) and the '''Laguna Colorado''' and '''Laguna Verde''' * Copacabana - a small resort town on Lake Titicaca * Coroico - set in a jungle valley, and accessible via the '''World's Most Dangerous Road''' * Rurrenabaque - a popular base for jungle and ''pampa'' trips. ==Understand== ===History=== Bolivia, named after independence fighter Simon Bolivar, broke away from Spanish rule in 1825; much of its subsequent history has consisted of a series of nearly 200 coups and counter-coups. Comparatively democratic civilian rule was established in the 1980s, but leaders have faced difficult problems of deep-seated poverty, social unrest, and drug production. Current goals include attracting foreign investment, strengthening the educational system, continuing the privatization program, and waging an anti-corruption campaign. ===Climate=== Bolivia's climate varies with altitude from humid and tropical to cold and semiarid. In most parts of the country winters are dry and summers are somewhat wet. Despite its tropical latitude, the altitude of cities like La Paz keeps things cool, and warm clothing is advised year-round. ==Get in== ===By plane=== The national carrier '''Lloyd Aereo Boliviano''' [http://www.labairlines.com/index_eng.asp] has regular flights to La Paz (Bolivia)|La Paz and Santa Cruz (city, Bolivia)|Santa Cruz from major South American cities. There are also has direct flights to Santa Cruz from Miami, Washington D.C., and Madrid. '''AeroSur''' [http://www.aerosur.com/us/index.asp] also has connections from Buenos Aires and Sao Paulo (city)|São Paulo. ===By train=== ===By car=== ===By bus=== There are many options for traveling from Argentina to Bolivia by bus. Check out the Bolivian Embassy's website in Argentina ( http://www.embajadadebolivia.com.ar/turismo/acceso.htm ) for specific options. ===By boat=== ==Get around== Transportation strikes (''bloqueos'') are a common occurrence in Bolivia, so try to keep tuned to local news. Strikes often affect local taxis as well as long-distance buses; airlines are generally unaffected. ===By plane=== Flying within in Bolivia is quick and fairly economical. Lloyd and AeroSur connect most major cities. ===By bus=== Bus transportation in Bolivia is a nice cheap way to get to see the beautiful scenery while traveling to your destination. Occasionally, mind that the road from La Paz to Cochabamba is blocked due to protests, often for several days. So, if you are planning to use the bus, you should also be willing to spend a few days sleeping on the bus. Also be wary of the "World's Most Dangerous Road" that goes from La Paz to the Amazons. Bus travel is usually pretty cheap. Estimate that it will cost you about 1 USD for every hour of travel (its easier to find travel times online that actual price quotes). ===By taxi=== For longer trips between towns and cities that aren't served by bus, shared taxis are common. ==Talk== Bolivia has three official languages : Spanish phrasebook|Spanish (often called ''Castellano''), Quechua phrasebook|Quechua, and Aymara. In rural areas, many people do not speak Spanish. Nevertheless, you should be able to get by when some basic Castellano. Bolivia is one of the best places in which to learn/practice your Spanish because of their very clean, deliberate accent. There are many options for studying Spanish in Bolivia, and they are usually very good (often, the program includes very good homestay programs). ==Buy== The national currency is the '''boliviano'''. As of January 2005, the exchange rate is generally Bs8/$USD. Bills come in denominations of 100, 50, 20, and 10; coins are in 5, 2, and 1 bolivianos, and 50, 20, and 10 ''centavos'' (1/100 of a boliviano). Bills larger than Bs20 can be hard to break, but a quick phone call or internet session at a Punto Entel (see Bolivia#Contact|Contact, below) will usually get you change. Currency can be exchanged for US dollars and most South American currencies at ''casa de cambio'' agencies or street vendors. U.S. dollars are widely accepted in hotels, tourist shops, and for large purchases. ==Eat== The cuisine of Bolivia might be called the original "meat and potatoes" -- the latter (locally called ''papas'' from the Quechua) were first cultivated by the Inca before spreading throughout the world. The most common meat is beef, though chicken and llama are also easily found. Pork is relatively rare. Deep frying (''chicharron'') is a common method of cooking all sorts of meat, and fried chicken is a very popular quick dish; at times the smell permeates the streets of Bolivian cities. Guinea pigs (''cuy'') and rabbits (''conejo'') are eaten in rural areas, though you can sometimes find them in urban restaurants as well. A common condiment served with Bolivian meals is ''llehua'', a spicy sauce similar to Mexican ''salsa''. Some notable Bolivian dishes: * '''charque kan''' - llama jerky * '''pique macho''' - grilled chunks of meat with tomatoes and onion, on potatoes * '''silpancho''' - beef pounded to a thin, plate-sized patty, served on a bed of rice and potatoes, with a fried egg on top Street food and snacks: * '''anticucho''' - beef hearts grilled on a skewer, served with potatoes and a spicy corn sauce * '''salchipapa''' - thinly sliced sausage fried with potatoes * '''choripan''' - chorizo (spicy sausage) sandwich, served with grilled onions and lots of sauce Breakfast (''desayuno'') typically consists of any of several of meat-filled buns: * '''salteña''' - a baked bun filled with meat and potatoes in a slightly sweet sauce. Be careful when you take a bite, as the sauce will drip all over! *'''tucumana''' - like a salteña but fried * '''empanada''' - similar to a saltena, often filled with cheese as well as meat *'''cuñape''' - a small roll filled with cheese, similar to Brazilian ''pão de queijo''. The bread is made from cassava flour. ==Drink== ===Alcohol=== Bolivia's traditional alcoholic drink is ''chicha'', a whitish, sour brew made from fermented corn and drunk from a hemispherical bowl fashioned from a hollowed gourd (round-bottomed so you can't put it down). It's customary to spill a bit of chicha on the ground before and after drinking it as an offering to ''Pachamama'', the Inca earth god. ''Singani'' is a grape liquor that's mixed with Sprite or ginger ale with lime garnish to make a cocktail called ''chuflay''. There are a number of local beers, the largest being ''Paceña'' and its high-end brand ''Huari''. ''El Inca'' is a very sweet low-alcohol beer. ==Chew== '''Coca''' has been part of Andean culture for centuries, and chewing is still very common (and perfectly legal) in Bolivia. You should be able to buy a big bag of dried leaves at the local market. Coca is a stimulant, and it also suppresses hunger. Chewing a wad of leaves for a few minutes should bring slight numbness to your lips and throat. Remember the slogan (printed on souvenir T-shirts): ''La hoja de coca no es droga'' ("The coca leaf is not a drug"). But cocaine most definitely is an illegal drug. ==Sleep== ==Learn== ==Work== ==Stay safe== There have been numerous reports of women tourists being drugged and raped during jungle excursions from Rurrenabaque. All tourists should be careful when selecting a travel guide and never accept medication from unverifiable sources. ==Stay healthy== Many parts of Bolivia including La Paz and the Lake Titicaca region are high altitude, so adequate precautions against altitude sickness should be taken. In addition, the sun's ultraviolet rays are much stronger -- up to 20 times -- than at sea level. A sun hat, sunglasses, and skin protection (sunblock or long sleeves) are advised. ==Respect== Do not use the world "indigena" or "indio" in Bolivia to describe indigenous people. It is considered offensive. The term they use is "campesino" which translates to farmer. "Cholo" is a campesino who moved to the city, and though originally derogatory, has become more of a symbol of indigenous power. Nevertheless, some locals still use the word cholo as a derogative term. ==Contact== Bolivia's national phone company '''Entel''' has outlets on practically every block in major cities. Most '''Punto Entel''' shops also have internet-connected PCs, typically Bs5/hr. While traditional payphones still exist, you can also make local calls for Bs1 from cellular phones at kiosks or "walking phone booths" - look for a guy in a green vest with a cellphone on a chain. ==External links== [http://www.boliviaweb.com/hotels/ Bolivia Web Hotel Guide] fr:Bolivie ro:Bolivia WikiPedia:Bolivia Dmoz:South America/Bolivia First page | Prev | Next | Last page |
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