Bolivia
Bolivia has the largest salt flat in the world, so flat and so smooth that after rain it turns into a mirror the size of a small country.
- CapitalsSucre and La PazSucre is constitutional, La Paz is the seat of government
- PopulationAbout 12.4 millionLandlocked since losing its coast in 1884
- Salar de Uyuni10,582 km2The largest salt flat on Earth
- La Paz altitudeAbout 3,640 mThe highest seat of government in the world
Bolivia has two capitals, which confuses almost everybody. Sucre is the official constitutional capital and holds the supreme court, while the government and the president actually work in La Paz.
The Salar de Uyuni is a dried-up prehistoric lake covered in a crust of salt up to 10 m thick. It is so level that satellites use it to calibrate their instruments, and when a thin film of rain sits on top it reflects the sky perfectly in every direction.
National symbols
- National animal Llama
- National flower Kantuta, in the red, yellow and green of the flag
- National anthem Himno Nacional de Bolivia
- National day Independence Day, 6 August
Map of Bolivia
Geography
Bolivia covers 1,098,581 km2 and borders Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, Chile and Peru. It is one of only two landlocked countries in South America, along with Paraguay.
The western third is the Altiplano, a high plain around 3,700 m up, squeezed between two branches of the Andes. Lake Titicaca sits on its northern edge. East of the mountains the land drops away into tropical lowlands and Amazon rainforest, which covers over half the country.
Climate
Altitude decides everything. The Altiplano is cold and dry with thin air, freezing at night even in summer, while the eastern lowlands are hot and humid all year.
There is a wet season from November to March and a dry season from April to October. Cold winds called surazos can sweep up from Argentina and drop lowland temperatures sharply for a few days.
Famous landmarks
There are many incredible landmarks, monuments and buildings in Bolivia including the Isla del Sol (Inca Palace), Tiwanaku (Inca site: pyramid and temple), Jesuit Missions of Chiquitos, Yungas Road (the world's most dangerous road), Estadio Patria Sports Stadium, National Library, Archbishop's Palace, Metropolitan Cathedral, The House of Freedom, government buildings, churches and chapels.
Bolivia is famous for being one of the most bio-diverse countries in South America. The country comprises of many rich ecosystems which are home to thousands of plant and animals species including mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles and fish.
Culture
Spanish is official alongside 36 Indigenous languages, the most of any country in the Americas. Quechua and Aymara are the most widely spoken.
Around two thirds of Bolivians identify as Indigenous, the highest proportion in South America. The Oruro Carnival, with thousands of dancers in devil masks performing the diablada, is recognised by UNESCO. About 77 per cent of Bolivians are Christian.
Economy
Bolivia has always sold what it can dig up. The silver mountain at Potosi funded the Spanish empire for two centuries, and today natural gas, zinc, tin, silver and gold are the main exports.
Lithium from the salt flats could become the biggest prize of all, though extracting it without ruining the landscape is difficult. Soybeans, quinoa and Brazil nuts come from the eastern lowlands.
The flag
Three horizontal bands: red for the blood of national heroes, yellow for the country's mineral wealth, and green for its fertile land.
The coat of arms in the middle shows Potosi mountain, a llama, a wheat sheaf and a palm tree, framed by muskets, flags and an Andean condor. Bolivia also flies a second official flag, the chequered rainbow Wiphala, representing the Indigenous peoples of the Andes.
