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10 Things You Didn't Know About Bolivia

10 Things You Didn't Know About Bolivia

Posted by Natasha Edwards 30th October 2015
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Here are ten facts to demystify one of South America’s best kept secrets, breath-taking Bolivia…

  1. The country was first named ‘Republic of Bolívar’ after independence leader Simon Bolívar. Its official name was changed in 2009 to ‘Plurinational State of Bolivia’ to reflect the country’s multi-ethnicity.
     
  2. Etiquette: Slumping is considered very rude in Bolivia. Likewise is turning up on time; as a guest it is good practice to be 15-30 minutes late. Further, shaking your hand side to side, palm side down, is the “so-so” gesture to mean “no” whilst lama foetuses are considered good luck!
     
  3. Bolivia has lost almost half its land to neighbours, particularly after The War of the Pacific (1879-1883), leaving it landlocked.


(Photo: Burgess/The New York Times)
 
  • The three colours on the flag’s stripes represent the nation’s mineral reserves (yellow), bravery (red) and fertile land (green).


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  • Clothing: the iconic bowler hats worn by Quechua and Aymara women were introduced by British railway workers in the 1920s. The pleated skirts, or pollera, were once a symbol of repression as the Spanish forced women to wear them. Today they have been reclaimed as a representation of indigenous pride and status.


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  • Bolivia can claim the world’s highest Jesus monument, the Cristo de la Concordia, so long as you discount the crown on the one in Poland!


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  • It can also claim the world’s largest navigable lake, highest de facto world capital and largest population of indigenous people in Latin America (55% of the population across over 30 cultural groups).
     
  • Overlooking La Paz, Chacaltaya, the world’s highest ski resort at over 5400 metres high, has oxygen on hand for skiers who feel faint.
     
  • La Diablada or Danza de los Diablos - the Dance of the Devils – is a theatrical dance ritual which originated in the Altiplano of the Andes mountains. It is a fusion of religious ceremonies from the Andean cultures as well as influences introduced by the Spainish. The dance is characterized by the mask and devil suit and the dance ends when the devil has been defeated.


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  • Bolivia’s holds 50 to 70% of the world’s lithium reserves, estimated at 5.4 million tonnes, which is currently being extracted. It lies in a pool of brine beneath the salt crust at Salar de Uyuni, the world’s largest salt flats.
    • Natasha Edwards

    Natasha Edwards

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