Bolivia is the fifth largest country in the South America continent. A landlocked country, it is surrounded by Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, Chile, and Peru. The world’s largest salt flat — Salar de Uyuni — is located in the south-western part of the country.
Bolivia has a mixture of landforms. To the west of the country lies the steep Andes Mountains. From chilly nights to early morning spring weather, hot summer days to autumn-like late afternoons, Andes experiences myriad weather in one day. Altiplano, a high plateau, lies between the Andes Mountains. It’s eastern side has Yungas, a narrow band of forest. The place is hot and humid except for wet days during monsoons. There are temperate valleys that fall in the south-central as well as central part of the country. This region has a pleasant climate compared to the rest of the country. The tropical lowlands or Oriente dominate the eastern part of Bolivia. The upper Amazon basin and Parana basin are part of this region. Though the climate is hot and sultry, the area has wet spells each day during monsoons. There is another land form in Bolivia called Chaco Shrub, which is also known as the desert of Bolivia. The conditions are hot, dusty and dry.
Bolivia has a mixture of landforms. To the west of the country lies the steep Andes Mountains. From chilly nights to early morning spring weather, hot summer days to autumn-like late afternoons, Andes experiences myriad weather in one day. Altiplano, a high plateau, lies between the Andes Mountains, while its eastern side has Yungas, a narrow band of forest. The place is hot and humid except for wet days during monsoons.
There are temperate valleys that fall in the south-central as well as central part of the country. This region is blessed with a pleasant climate as compared to the rest of the country. The moderate climate in this area along with the presence of hills attracted the Spaniards during the colonial period. The tropical lowlands or Oriente dominate the eastern part of Bolivia. The upper Amazon basin and Parana basin are part of this region. Though the climate is hot and sultry, the area has wet spells each day during monsoons.
There is another land form in Bolivia called Chaco Shrub, which is also known as the desert of Bolivia. The population is very less and the conditions are hot, dusty and dry.
Cultural influences
Being mountainous, potatoes, corn, and quinoa are a significant part of the people’s diet in Western Bolivia. Whereas the eastern part is tropical in nature, hence vegetables, fruits and beef find a place in many recipes. The cuisine of southern Bolivia draws influences from Argentina whereas the north and east are influenced by Brazilian cuisine.
One popular local dish is Saltenas. It is a pastry filling of meat and vegetables mixed with sweet and spicy sauce.
Sweet and salty: Saltenas is a popular local dish.
The Inca civilization was predominant in the region. Some of the native population along with the Quechua and Aymara people are descendants of the Incas. In the 16th century, the Spaniards conquered the region. Hence, Spanish is widely spoken and Spaniards form a majority of the population. Germans, North Americans, and Italians also make up a part of the population.
The people overthrew the Spaniards in 1825. The traditions that the Spaniards put an end to during their rule started gaining popularity again in the 20th century. Also, local languages were adopted as official languages.
Interestingly, Bolivian architecture varies geographically. For instance, stone buildings can be seen in the Andean region whereas wood is widely used for construction in the Amazon region.
