Bolivia
Climate
The climate in Bolivia and weather in Bolivia vary as greatly as the country's many regions, although when speaking of weather, Bolivians typically refer only to two seasons (the rainy season and dry season). Throughout Bolivia, temperatures depend primarily on elevation. Consisting of temperate valleys, semi-arid highlands, humid jungles and balmy lakeside villages, Bolivia’s weather differs greatly depending on the altitude and topography of the region. Because most of the country is situated at a high elevation, temperatures vary from hot and humid during the day to freezing cold at night. The solar rays in the highlands are fierce and in the lower regions, the rain can be relentless. While Bolivia is a beautiful place to travel at any time of year, there are pros and cons to traveling in the different seasons. Knowing in advance the sights you want to see, the tours you’d like to experience, and the mode of transport you intend to travel, will help determine the ideal time to visit Bolivia. The winter months have lower temperatures But higher amount of rainfall, which is May through October. And the summer months (which is our Winter months) have higher temperatures but a great amount of rain. November - April.
Economic Stability
Bolivia has been through economic turmoil since it has acquired its independence from spain. But has shown improvement ever since the world wide recession. Bolivia is home to eleven million people and of those eleven million people there are 39% living in poverty as of 2013 but as seen in 2008 there was a 57% poverty rate. Bolivia has had the highest growth rate out of all the south american countries. Bolivia is also beginning to have more of a spread out economy instead of basing solely on agriculture.Top 3 Trade Partners: Brazil, Argentina, and United States. Top 3 Exported Goods: Oil & Mineral Fuels, Oil & Mineral Fuels, and Ores
Government Stability
The Government within Bolivia is based off of three branches just like ours. There is the Judicial, Executive, and the Judicial branch. Where the president has almost the same responsibilities as our president. Bolivia struggled to find a suitable president for their country until Evo Morales arrived in 2006. Before this Bolivia was plagued with corruption and over 200 government overthrows and several rewrites of the constitution. Throughout this history, the people of Bolivia faced many complex development problems, mostly stemming from the country's deep-seated poverty and unreliable government. The poverty and corruption of Bolivia's past continue to plague the country today. With a per capita income of $2,800—as compared to an average of $8,200 for other Latin American countries—Bolivia stands as the poorest nation on the continent. Furthermore, real GDP per capita in Bolivia is less today than it was 27 years ago, while 64 percent of the country lives below the poverty line. These conditions leave numerous Bolivian citizens unable to plan for the future, afford adequate health care, receive an education, or address fundamental social issues such as inequality.
Tourist Attractions
To gain better tourist experience I would recommend going to visit Laguna verde which is a laguna surrounded by a volcano that is shaped in a almost perfect cone shape. The chemical within the water allow the water to change from all different shades of green, hence the name laguna verde. To gain a cultural influence within Bolivia as well I would also recommend visiting the Tiwanaku ruins and remains that were found in 1549 by spanish explorers. You can also visit the coca museum within the capital city La Paz.
History
The people of Bolivia were civilized for hundreds of years before the Spaniards conquered the area. The city of Tiahuanaco was founded in what is now Bolivia about 400 BC. At its peak it had a population of about 40-50,000 and its people created great works of architecture. They also worked in pottery, silver, copper and obsidian.From about 700 AD onward Tiahuanaco ruled a great empire in Bolivia and southern Peru. However about 1,000 AD the empire broke up and was replaced by small states. In the 15th century the Incas conquered Bolivia. However in 1533 the Incas were in turn conquered by the Spaniards. The spaniards ruled Bolivia up until 1809 where Bolivia gained its independence. Between then and 2005 Bolivia experienced all sorts of economic and governmental hardship. In 2005 left-wing Evo Morales was elected president with plans to nationalize industry. Morales was re-elected president of Bolivia in 2009. Today Bolivia remains a poor country but it is rich in resources. Perhaps its greatest resource is tourism and it has beautiful scenery and wildlife. Despite the recession of 2009 the economy of Bolivia is growing rapidly. Bolivia is becoming more prosperous. In future poverty in Bolivia will be reduced. Today the population of Bolivia is 11 million.
Culture
Bolivia is a country in South America, bordered by Brazil to the north and east, Paraguay and Argentina to the south, Chile to the west, and Peru to the west. It has a Native American population which has mixed Spanish cultural elements with their ancestors' traditions. The Spanish-speaking population mainly follows Western customs.Football is the most popular sport in Bolivia. The governing body of football in Bolivia is the Federación Boliviana de Fútbol (FBF), which controls the national teams. The FBF organises the men's, women's, and futsal national teams. The Bolivia national football team is currently ranked 69th in the world, with their best FIFA ranking being 18th in the world. The national team has competed at the FIFA World Cup Three times, the Copa América 23 times, and the Confederations Cup once. Clothing of Andean women of indigenous descent includes the pollera (pleated-skirt), the 19th century European bowler hat, and the silky shawl known as a manta. The pollera was originally a Spanish peasant skirt that the colonial authorities forced indigenous women to wear. Now it is also a symbol of pride in being indigenous, and is considered a status symbol. However, traditional dress is decreasing amongst the younger generation. As more young women move to cities, go to university, and work professional jobs, the polleras are being replaced by jeans and other Western style clothing.
Geographical Make Up
The geography of Bolivia is unique among the nations of South America. Bolivia is one of two landlocked countries on the continent (the other being Paraguay), and Bolivia is more urban (67%) than rural (23%). The main features of Bolivia's geography include the Altiplano, a highland plateau of the Andes, and the highest navigable lake on Earth(which is shared with Peru). Bolivia is made up of Rivers, valleys, mountains, volcanoes, and plateaus of all elevations.
Unusual Facts
Bolivia has many unusual and interesting facts and places that can be visited. One of the interesting places that you can visit when in Bolivia is the Yungas Road also known as the “Road of Death”. The Yungas Road is given this nickname because it has a death rate of about 300 people every year and the road has become a popular tourist spot for bikers. Another unusual fact about Bolivia is that they have the largest salt deposit in the entire world. It is called the Salar de Uyuni and it has a length of about 160 km and width of about 135 km. Another amazing fact about bolivia is that 40% of all plant and animal life can be found inside of Bolivia.
U.S V.S Bolivia
United States Bolivia
15.1% poverty rate 39% poverty rate
5.5% unemployment rate 7.7 % unemployment rate
78 years life span 67 year life span
54,000 GDP per capita 2,860 GDP per capita
14th in education unranked
Interview
Interviewer: ¿De dónde eres?
Local: Soy de Trinidad.
Interviewer: ¿Cómo te llamas y cuanto años tienes?
Local: Me llamo Lawrence y yo tengo veintitrés.
Interviewer: ¿Qué te gusta hacer?
Local: Me gusta jugar Fútbol de Salón.
Interviewer: Mucho Gusto.
Local: Bienvenido a Bolivia.
Questions
If you were a tourist about to travel to Bolivia and you did not like the rain what season or months would you attend?
Who has been the president within Bolivia since 2006?
Answers
Evo Morales
November - April
Citations