Around the World: Bolivia

Around the World: Bolivia

Sean Murphy, WHS Reporter

This is article one of the “Around the World” series. Any of the data and facts listed come from websites, news articles, and first-hand references. All sources will be listed at the end of the article for further reading.

 

An Overview of Bolivia

In Bolivia, there are many things to do and many tourist attractions to visit, in this article I will be giving a brief overview of the country itself and some things to do in Bolivia in case you were interested in learning about or visiting Bolivia.

Bolivia is a country in Western-Central South America, its capital is the city Sucre, but it’s a seat of government and financial center are in the city of La Paz. The population is estimated to be around 11 million and has a lot of ethnic diversity, which allows 36 indigenous languages to be spoken but the main language is of course Spanish. In Bolivia there are many interesting things to go and see, such as the Salar de Uyuni, which is a massive salt flat, it is a breeding place for flamingoes, and when the light hits it at a certain angle it makes a perfect reflection of the sky.

In the middle of the salt flat, there are multiple islands, such as Isla del Pescado (Island of Fish) and it was named that way due to it looking like a fish from a distance, and Isla Incahuasi (Inca house). There is also an island in the middle of Lake Titicaca named Isla del Sol (Island of the Sun), dating back to the Inca civilization it is known for sites such as Pilko Kaina, where there are Inca ruins.

 

If visiting Bolivia there are things that you should and shouldn’t do to ensure that you have the best experience possible and that you also don’t upset the local peoples. More can be found here.

 

  • Don’t take pictures of the locals. Outside of the big cities, locals believe that being photographed steals their soul, and that’s bound to cause some trouble
  • The locals are very friendly and courteous, and they always enter a public bus greeting everyone, so if you enter a public bus you should show the same courtesy and learn the proper greetings.
  • Always be careful of possible crimes, as anywhere else there is a possibility of being robbed

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