Bolivia

Bolivia

Bolivia is located in the west-central part of South America and is the fifth largest country

of the continent having an area about twice the size of Spain. Bolivia is landlocked

bordering five countries; Brazil on the northeast, Paraguay to the southeast, Argentina on

the south, and Chile and Peru on the west. The main physical feature of Bolivia is the

Andes Mountains, which define the country's three geographic zones. First is the

Altiplano, or plateau region, which lies between the Cordillera Occidental (west) and the

Cordillera Real (northeast). On the northern end of the Altiplano lies the Lake Titicaca,

the highest navigable body of water in the world. Secondly are the Yungas which form a

transition zone between the peaks of the Andes and the Amazonian forest. Lastly are the

Lowlands which make up over two-thirds of the national territory; north and east of the

Andes. Most of Bolivia's important rivers are found in the northern lowlands all which

eventually flow into the Amazon. (Box 234, 277, 314)

The area of modern Bolivia was controlled by Spanish conquest in 1525. The

territory of Bolivia, a part of the ancient empire of the Incas, was conquered in 1538 by

the Spanish conquistador Hernando Pizarro. As Spanish royal authority weakened during

the Napoleonic wars, judgment against colonial rule grew. Between 1808 and 1810, the

Wars of Independence took place in Upper Peru which constituted efforts to achieve

independence. The revolt on May 25, 1809 was one of the first in Latin America. On July

16, 1809, Upper Peru proclaimed itself an independent state. The Battle of Ayacucho in

1824 was the final battle that effectively ended Spanish rule in Upper Peru. On August 6,

1825, ...

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... southwest which also includes 36 islands. Cochabamba, founded in

1574, is Bolivia's largest market town. It has historical and archaeological attractions,

including the 400-year-old cathedral, the Convento de Santa Teresa and the Museo

Arqueológico. (Fodor's 105,120,125)

Bibliography:

Works Cited

Blair, David Nelson. The Land and People of Bolivia. New York: J.B. Lippincott, 1990.

Box, Ben, ed. South American Handbook (1995). Illinois: Passport Books, 1994.

"Customs and Culture." Andean Rural Health Care. http://www.main.nc.us/ARHC/

customs.htm. Online. 29 January 1999.

Federal Research Division Library of Congress. Bolivia: a country study. Washington

D.C.: GPO, 1991.

Fionn Davenport, Anto Howard, and Chelsea S. Mauldin, eds. Fodor's: South America,

3rd ed. New York: Fodor's Travel Publications, Inc., 1997.