Bolivia

Laguna Verde, Bolivia
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Laguna_Verde1,_Bolivia.jpg
Author: Entropy1963

Places in Bolivia on this website

Bolivia is a landlocked country in South America. It was named after the Simón Bolívar, a Venezuelan political leader who led Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, Peru and Venezuela to independence. The country is bordered by Brazil to the north and east, Paraguay and Argentina to the south, and Chile and Peru to the west. Bolivia covers an area of 1,098,581 square kilometers (424,163 sq miles), roughly twice the size of Texas, but has a population of only 10 million people.

A native on a floating island at Lake Titicaca, Bolivia
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Titicaca_9921a.jpg
Author: Yves Picq


The capital of Bolivia, La Paz, is the highest capital in the world. With a population of 835,000, is not the biggest city, rather the third behind Santa Cruz (1,450,000) and El Alto (860,000).

The highest peak in Bolivia is Nevado Sajama, at 6,542m (21,463 ft). Lake Titicaca, the world's highest navigable lake, sits on the border between Bolivia and Peru, at an elevation of 3,805m. On the southwest of Bolivia is Salar de Uyuni, the world's largest salt flat.

The majority of the population of Bolivia are South Americans speaking Quechua and Aymara. After breaking away from Spain in 1825, Bolivia has gone through close to 200 coups and counter coups. Although a nation rich in natural resources - it has the second largest natural gas field in South America after Venezuela - Bolivia is still the poorest country in the continent, with the lowest GDP in South America.

La Paz, Bolivia
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:La_Paz-center.jpg
Author: Paul Richter

Fast Facts about Bolivia

• Official Name: Republic of Bolivia
• Capital: La Paz (812,000)
• Population of Bolivia: 8,857,900
• Languages: Spanish (official), Quechua, Aymara, others
• Currency: Boliviano (BOB)
• Religions: Roman Catholic (95%), Protestant (5%)
• Size: 1,098,580 sq km (424,164 sq miles)
• Region: South America

Planning your visit to Bolivia

You will encounter every climatic zone in Bolivia, from the hot tropics to arctic cold to semi-arid regions.

Summers are wet, and roads muddy and travel difficult. Best ideal time to explore Bolivia is in winter, from May to October, as you are more assured of dry weather and clear skies. The peak period for travelling to Bolivia is from late June to early September. That's when you can view most of Bolivia's major festivals. However, it is also summer vacation time in Europe and North America, so this period may see higher prices than the rest of the year.

Travel Warning
Street demonstrations are fairly common in Bolivia, and have a tendency of becoming violent. By all means, stay away from them. The resulting effect of such demonstrations is road blockades that will disrupt your itinerary. This is fairly frequent for the road between La Paz and Cochabamba, and the blockade that last for days. Check local news updates and avoid volatile areas.

What to wear

Lightweight clothing is good enough for the day time. You will need warmer clothes, if you are in the Altiplano and the Puna regions, including La Paz, Oruro and Potosi.

Getting into Bolivia

By Plane
Entering Bolivia by air is going to be a challenge since the national airline of Bolivia, Lloyd Aereo Boliviano, suspended services in March 2007 due to financial difficulties. Presently you can enter Bolivia taking American Airlines from Miami.

The La Paz International Airport (LPB) is located 14km southwest of La Paz, and coach services to the city is available whenever there are scheduled flights. There's a departure tax of US$25 payable when on your departure flight.

Planning your travel within Bolivia

Transportation strikes are fairly common in Bolivia, and can disrupt your plans, so keep yourself updated to the local news. In Bolivia, be prepared for general delays and unreliabilities of schedules. Cross country bus rides are fairly cheap, but often they only travel at night.

Stormy clouds over Lake Titicaca
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tormenta_titicaca.JPG
Author: Pallares1

Principal Cities of Bolivia

Major Attractions of Bolivia

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About this website

Hello and thanks for reading this page. My name is Timothy and my hobby is in describing places so that I can share the information with the general public. My website has become the go to site for a lot of people including students, teachers, journalists, etc. whenever they seek information on places, particularly those in Malaysia and Singapore. I have been doing this since 5 January 2003, for over twenty years already. You can read about me at Discover Timothy. By now I have compiled information on thousands of places, mostly in Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore, and I continue to add more almost every day. My goal is to describe every street in every town in Malaysia and Singapore.