The majority of the believing population are adherents of the Catholic Church. There are also Protestants and Jews.
Transport in Bolivia
Bolivia is best reached by plane, and you can also fly to one of the countries of South America and get to Bolivia by bus.
In Bolivia, the Pan American Highway runs from south to northwest. In general, the road network is not very well developed; during the rainy season, most of them are washed out. Intercity communication in the country is represented by regular buses, which in most cases depart at night.
The railway communication includes only two railway lines – in the west and in the east. Local trains rarely have sleeping cars and are quite slow. If you are going to travel long distances, it is better to use the services of local airlines. River transport is well developed in the east of the country.
Inside the cities, it is best to travel by taxi. It is worth negotiating the price with taxi drivers in advance.
In order to rent a car, you must have an international driver’s license, a credit card and be over 25 years old.
Plant and Animal World in Bolivia
The slopes of the Andes are covered with dense forests. Deciduous trees grow in the upper parts of the slopes, among which alder predominates, in the lower parts – cinchona, tree ferns, bamboos and creepers. In the northeastern part of the Andes, tropical rainforests grow with a predominance of palm trees. It is here that the coca bush is actively cultivated.
In the south of the Andes, light forests and dry deciduous forests appear. Quebracho forests are found in the vicinity of Lake Titicaca. The Orient is dominated by tall grass savannahs. In the north-east of the plains, the humid equatorial forest begins, which is part of the Amazonian selva. The southern part of the Oriente is occupied by savannahs with xerophytic shrubs, xerohalophytic and swampy tropical forests and woodlands, and in the extreme south – dry tropical forests and woodlands.
The fauna of Bolivia is very diverse. On the Altiplano plateau, there are llama, alpaca, vicuña, guanaco, red fox, chinchilla, viscacha, armadillos and rodents. In the northeastern part of the Andes (Yungas) live jaguar, capybara, peccary and tapir. In the eastern savannas you can see the ostrich Nanda, deer, armadillo, anteater and bakers. Monkeys, sloths, peccaries, tapirs, ocelot, maned wolf, bush dog, fox, anteater, badger, porcupine, armadillo, capybara and bats live in the northern Oriente in tropical rainforests. Large caimans and snakes live in the rivers of the northern part of the Oriente. There are also a large number of tropical birds and a lot of insects.
Lake Titicaca and the rivers of Bolivia are home to many fish, including perch, trout and piranha.
Minerals in Bolivia
Bolivia produces tin, lead, zinc, silver, gold, antimony, tungsten, lithium, iron ore, phosphates, oil and gas.
Banks in Bolivia
Banks are open on weekdays from 8:30 to 18:00 with a lunch break from 12:00 to 14:30 and on Saturday from 8:30 to 12:00.
Money in Bolivia
The official currency of the country is the Bolivian boliviano. 1 boliviano is equal to 100 centavos. In circulation there are denominations of 200, 100, 50, 20, 10 and 5 bolivianos and coins of 5, 2 and 1 bolivianos and 50, 20 and 10 centavos.
Foreign currency can be exchanged at banks, exchange offices, hotels and large shopping centers. Most stores accept US dollars. Major retail outlets, hotels and restaurants accept credit cards. Sales receipts are best purchased in US dollars. They can be exchanged at banks and large shopping centers.
Rate: 10 Bolivian Bolivianos (BOB) = 1.31 USD
Political State in Bolivia
According to politicsezine, Bolivia is a unitary republic. Executive power is concentrated in the hands of the President and the Ministers of State, headed by the Vice President. The President is elected by popular vote for a term of 5 years. Legislative power is vested in the bicameral National Congress, which consists of the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate.
Population in Bolivia
Two-thirds of the country’s population are Quechua, Aymara and Guarani Indians, about 30% are mestizos (descendants of mixed marriages of Spaniards and Indians), the rest of the population are descendants of Spanish settlers and Africans.
Language:
The official language of Bolivia is Spanish, but most of the local Indians speak Aymara, Quechua and Guarani.
Cuisine in Bolivia
Bolivian cuisine consists of traditional Indian dishes with a noticeable Spanish influence.
The most popular national dishes are based on meat – “seltena” (pancakes with meat), “lomo-mentado” (steak with egg, rice and fried banana), “picante de pollo” (fried chicken with potatoes and salad), “pollos spiedo” (chicken fried over an open fire), “charque” (dried and fried alpaca meat), potato chips “chuko”, “masako” (mashed bananas or yucca with alpaca meat), barbecue “pakumutus”, ” lechin al horno” (fried pork belly with sweet potatoes and fried bananas). Rice or corn are most often served as a side dish for meat dishes. Also, spicy sauces “llahua” and “lokotos” are necessarily served at the table.
The most popular drink among the local population is mate tea. They also drink coffee, fruit-based drinks and mineral water. Of the alcoholic beverages in Bolivia, beer is offered (the best varieties are Pasena, Huari and strong corn beer Chicha Cochambambina), local moonshine Chicha, white brandy Singani and wines Concepción, Kolberg and Aranjuez.
