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Bolivia

✨ The roof of the Andes

Bolivia is a landlocked country in central South America, bordered by Peru and Chile to the west and southwest, Argentina and Paraguay to the south, and Brazil to the north and east. Its constitutional capital is Sucre, while La Paz is the seat of the national government. Bolivia covers about 1.1 million square kilometres, with strong contrasts in altitude and climate.

In the west, the Andes rise around the high plateau known as the Altiplano. Farther east, the land descends through valleys toward broad tropical and subtropical lowlands. Its landscapes include mountains, high plains, forests, wetlands, rivers, and large salt flats. Lake Titicaca, shared with Peru, lies in the Andes and is one of the world's highest navigable lakes.

Bolivia's natural environments vary greatly with altitude and latitude. The Altiplano is generally cool and relatively dry, while the eastern lowlands are warmer and include extensive forests belonging to the Amazon Basin. The Salar de Uyuni, in the southwest, is the world's largest salt flat and is extremely broad and flat.

Bolivia also contains important mountain ecosystems and glaciers, although many glaciers have been shrinking in recent decades as the climate warms. The country's natural resources include natural gas and minerals such as zinc, silver, tin, and lithium. Agriculture is practiced in highland valleys and lowlands, with crops suited to local conditions. Spanish is widely spoken, alongside numerous Indigenous languages, reflecting the country's diverse cultural and historical heritage.

💡 Did you know?

Did you know that Bolivia is home to the Salar de Uyuni? It is an immense salt flat of over 10,000 square kilometers! When it rains just a little, the ground becomes so flat and smooth that it transforms into a perfect giant mirror reflecting the sky. It is one of the favorite places for photographers because it feels like walking on clouds and it is impossible to tell where the earth ends and the sky begins.

The city of La Paz is so high and steep that instead of just using buses, people take the cable car to go to work or school! It is the largest cable transportation network in the world. Imagine making your daily commutes in the air, above traffic jams, with an incredible view of snowy mountains and colorful houses clinging to cliffs.

In the Bolivian jungle, you can encounter a magical animal: the Amazon pink river dolphin! Unlike sea dolphins, it lives in freshwater rivers. Its pink color comes from its thin skin, and it has the peculiarity of being able to turn its head 90 degrees because its neck is not rigid, which helps it weave between the trunks of submerged trees in the flooded forest.