Bolivia

South America’s Highest Capital and Most Indigenous-Identified Country

Bolivia is one of the most culturally distinctive countries in the Americas — approximately 62% of its population identifies as indigenous, the highest share in the Americas (followed by Guatemala). The country has 37 officially recognised languages (Spanish plus 36 indigenous tongues), making it one of the world’s most linguistically diverse states. Its 2009 constitution under indigenous president Evo Morales renamed the country the “Plurinational State of Bolivia” to reflect this diversity.

Bolivia is also one of the world’s most geographically dramatic countries — La Paz, the seat of government, sits at 3,640 metres altitude (the highest capital city on earth by elevation, ranging up to 4,100 m at El Alto). The country lost its coastline in the War of the Pacific (1879-1884) to Chile — a grievance that remains a live political issue 140 years later. The Salar de Uyuni salt flats in the south are the world’s largest (10,582 km²) and sit on an estimated 50-70% of the world’s lithium reserves.

Evo Morales (2006-2019) was Bolivia’s first indigenous president and nationalised major industries. His 2019 re-election and subsequent resignation in contested circumstances led to a period of political instability that has continued through the Luis Arce presidency (2020-) and widening conflicts within Morales’s MAS party.

A Brief History

Pre-Columbian Bolivia hosted the Tiwanaku civilisation (c. 500-1000 AD) and later was absorbed into the Inca Empire. Spanish conquest in the 1530s made Bolivia — then “Upper Peru” — the silver-producing heart of the Spanish colonial empire. The Potosí silver mines produced vast wealth that transformed global economics; at its peak Potosí was briefly one of the largest cities in the world.

Independence in 1825 was named after Simón Bolívar. Subsequent territorial losses to Chile (Pacific coast), Brazil (Acre, rubber country), and Paraguay (Chaco) dramatically shrank the country.

Evo Morales’s presidency (2006-2019) was historic — the first indigenous president, major social programmes, and constitutional reform. His controversial 2019 election and subsequent resignation triggered a political crisis.

Geography and Climate

Bolivia covers 1,098,581 km² and has extraordinary geographic variety: Andean highlands (Altiplano), tropical lowlands (Llanos), Amazonian rainforest, Yungas cloud forest, and the Salar de Uyuni and other salt flats.

Culture, Language and Religion

Spanish, Quechua, Aymara, Guaraní, and 33 other indigenous languages are co-official. Approximately 77% Catholic with strong indigenous religious syncretism.

The Economy

Bolivia has a lower-middle-income economy (~$47 billion GDP in 2024). Key sectors: natural gas exports (primarily to Brazil and Argentina), mining (lithium, silver, tin, zinc), agriculture (soybeans, quinoa — Bolivia is the world’s largest quinoa exporter), textiles.

Cuisine

Bolivian cuisine features Andean staples and regional variations:

• Salteñas — distinctively Bolivian empanadas with soupy filling
• Sajta de pollo — chicken in yellow chili sauce
• Pique macho — beef, sausage, potato, egg, onion, chili platter
• Silpancho — breaded steak with rice and potato
• Coca tea (mate de coca) — ubiquitous for altitude sickness

Nature and UNESCO Sites

Bolivia has 7 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including the City of Potosí, Jesuit Missions of the Chiquitos, Historic City of Sucre, Tiwanaku, Noel Kempff Mercado National Park, Samaipata Fort, and Qhapaq Ñan Andean Road System (shared).

Travel Guide

Entry & Best Seasons

Most Western nationalities need a visa (some visa-on-arrival). April-October is dry season.

Budget

Inexpensive — daily $40-$80.

Surprising Facts

1. La Paz at 3,640 metres is the highest seat of government in the world; its airport El Alto at 4,061 metres is one of the world’s highest commercial airports.⁶
2. Salar de Uyuni contains an estimated 50-70% of the world’s lithium reserves — critical for electric vehicle batteries.⁴
3. Bolivia has two official capitals — constitutional Sucre and seat-of-government La Paz — a legacy of 19th-century political disputes.⁶
4. The Death Road (Yungas Road) from La Paz to Coroico was once one of the world’s deadliest roads; a new highway has largely bypassed it since 2007, but the old road remains popular for downhill cycling tours.³
5. Bolivia has lost four significant territorial disputes in its history — with Chile, Brazil, Paraguay, and Peru — shrinking from its 1825 size by roughly half.⁶
6. Coca leaves — the raw material for cocaine but also a traditional Andean chew for altitude sickness — are legally cultivated and chewed in Bolivia, a cultural practice that led to years of US-Bolivia tensions.⁶

Sources and References

See the list of cited sources in the page frontmatter.