Gap Year Destinations

Where to go

Bolivia

Unearthed ruins, and table football - Bolivia is a country of contrasts, moving to modernise.

Environment

Bolivia is a landlocked country in the middle of the South American continent. It is very biodiverse, with many different environments – the Andes Mountains rise up in the west, while the east is characterised by the Amazonian rainforest. Part of Lake Titicaca can also be found in Bolivia, on the border with Peru and the country is also home to the world’s largest salt flats. The capital is La Paz.

Climate

Temperatures in Bolivia aren’t really changed much by seasons – they’re altered by the altitude of the area. Generally, summers are hot and wet, and winters are cold and dry, with the wettest areas being in the south. It gets colder the higher up the Andes you get.

Demographics and Language

Just over half of Bolivians are Amerindians, 30% being Quecha-speaking, and 25% Aymara-speaking. The remaining population are Mestizo (30%) – of mixed Amerindian and European heritage – and white (15%). These people usually speak Spanish.

Cuisine

Bolivian cuisine is based around the flavours of corn, or maize, dairy products, pastries and meats. A few sample dishes are humitas – fresh corn with cheese wrapped in corn leaves and steamed and charque de llama – dried llama meat, fried and served with stewed corn, hard boiled eggs and cheese. To drink, Bolivians enjoy chicha – a fermented corn drink which was sacred to the Inca, and various wines that the country produces on their border with Argentina.

Religion

The biggest religion in Bolivia is Catholicism (78% of the population), although there are also growing communities of Protestants (16%). Interestingly, many people combine pre-Christian symbols into their worship. There are hardly any Muslims in Bolivia, and a very small population of Jews. More than 1% of the population, however, practices the Bahá'í Faith.

Economy and money

Bolivia is the poorest country in South America, and is heavily in debt. Several factors have caused this, including problems with international funding after the Cold War, and big price drops in the natural resources Bolivia sells on the world markets. Despite this, the people are active in protesting economic injustice, and the economy is growing slowly. The currency is the Boliviano.

Culture and politics

Despite reforms, Bolivian politics still suffers from corruption and inefficiency problems. It does, however, take place in the framework of a presidential, representative democratic republic with a multi-party system. The current president is Evo Morales.

Bolivian culture reflects its ethnic diversity, especially with regards to the Amerindian population. Traditional gold and silver jewellery making, pottery and weaving are important cultural activities, as are dances and carnivals, such as the famous Carnaval de Oruro. Regarding sport, Bolivians are football mad, both for the table kind and the pitch variety – both can be seen played in the streets!