Latin America guide


Bolivia: A Geographic Portrait

South America's primary mountain range, thestill lost their land as did their Peruvian
Andes, attains one of its widest points inand Ecuadorian counterparts. However, what
Bolivia. Here the Andes are divided into twomade the richer Europeans in Bolivia wealthy
subranges, Cordillera Oriental and Cordillerawas not land but minerals.The city of Potosi
Occidental. Peaks in these areas are inin the Cordillera Oriental became well--known
excess of 20,000 feet. Between thesefor the huge silver deposits in its
subranges lies the Altiplano which containssurroundings. Zinc, copper, and other ores
the highest navigable lake on earth. Lakewere found there. Bolivia's tin deposits
Titicaca, which also lies in Peru, is 12,507provided a large portion of the country's
feet above sea level.Also in the Altiplano isexport income throughout most of the
one of Bolivia's capitals, La Paz. At 11,700twentieth century. But in the 1980's, tin
feet it is one of the highest cities in thereserves declined and that along with weak
world. This region is home to one of theworld prices reached the point where
centers of Inca civilization and pre--IncaBolivia's antiquated mining methods forced
cultures.Lake Titicaca is what helps make thethe industry to all but shut down.Oil and gas
Altiplano livable. This body of water isare now accounting for an increasing portion
large enough to temper the coldness in itsof foreign revenues. Bolivia exports much of
vicinity. Grains have been raised forit gas to Argentina and Brazil. In return,
centuries on the surrounding arable land upBrazil is commtted to assisting the
to the amazing elevation of 12,800 feet. Thedevelopment of the corridor between Santa
area supports a major group of subsistenceCruz and Corumba, Brazil, in the southeastern
farmers to this day.Bolivia has had alowlands. It is here that commercial
troubled history. Aside from numerousagriculture--especially soybeans--is on the
internal struggles, the country first lostrise.Comparatively democratic civilian rule
its access to the Pacific Ocean in a conflictwas established in 1982, but leaders have
with Chile. It then lost its northernfaced difficult problems of deep-seated
territory of Acre to Brazil in a disputepoverty, social unrest, and drug production.
involving the rubber industry in the AmazonCurrent goals include attracting foreign
Basin. On top of all that, Bolivia was forcedinvestment, strengthening the educational
to give up 55,000 square miles ofsystem, resolving disputes with coca growers
southeastern Gran Chaco territory toover Bolivia's counterdrug efforts, and
Paraguay. Bolivia has reactivated its claimwaging an anticorruption campaign. The
to restore the Atacama corridor, ceded tocountry does have its problems, but it also
Chile in 1884, to secure sovereign maritimehas its optimism.J. Chartwell has developed
access for Bolivian natural gas.ModernMaps GPS Info.com, which provides practical
Bolivia is the product of Europeaninformation on GPS and maps that everyone can
domination, however that influence has notuse. The website includes product reviews and
affected some of the Amerindian populationa maps/GPS glossary.
clusters. But these indigenous Bolivians



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