Bolivia

The Plurinational State of Bolivia is a landlocked country in central South America. It is bordered by Brazil to the north and east, Paraguay and Argentina to the south, and Chile and Peru to the west.

Prior to European colonization, the Andean region of Bolivia was a part of the Inca Empire – the largest state in Pre-Columbian America. The Spanish Empire conquered the region in the 16th century. During most of the Spanish colonial period, this territory was called Upper Peru and was under the administration of the Viceroyalty of Peru, which included most of Spain’s South American colonies. After declaring independence in 1809, 16 years of war followed before the establishment of the Republic, named for Simón Bolívar, on 6 August 1825. Bolivia has struggled through periods of political instability, dictatorships and economic woes.

Bolivia is a Democratic Republic that is divided into nine departments. Its geography is varied from the peaks of the Andes in the West, to the Eastern Lowlands, situated within the Amazon Basin. It is a developing country, with a Medium Human Development Index score, and a poverty level around 60%. Its main economic activities include agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining, and manufacturing goods such as textiles, clothing, refined metals, and refined petroleum. Bolivia is very wealthy in minerals, especially tin.

The Bolivian population, estimated at 10 million, is multiethnic, including Amerindians, Mestizos, Europeans, Asians and Africans. The main language spoken is Spanish, although the Aymara and Quechua languages are also common and all three, as well as 34 other indigenous languages, are official. The large number of different cultures within Bolivia has contributed greatly to a wide diversity in fields such as art, cuisine, literature, and music.

:: Background of Bolivia ::

Bolivia, named after independence fighter Simon BOLIVAR, broke away from Spanish rule in 1825; much of its subsequent history has consisted of a series of nearly 200 coups and countercoups. Democratic civilian rule was established in 1982, but leaders have faced difficult problems of deep-seated poverty, social unrest, and illegal drug production. In December 2005, Bolivians elected Movement Toward Socialism leader Evo MORALES president – by the widest margin of any leader since the restoration of civilian rule in 1982 – after he ran on a promise to change the country’s traditional political class and empower the nation’s poor, indigenous majority. However, since taking office, his controversial strategies have exacerbated racial and economic tensions between the Amerindian populations of the Andean west and the non-indigenous communities of the eastern lowlands. In December 2009, President MORALES easily won reelection, and his party took control of the legislative branch of the government, which will allow him to continue his process of change.

:: Geography of Bolivia ::

Location: Central South America, southwest of Brazil

Geographic coordinates: 17 00 S, 65 00 W

Area:
total: 1,098,581 sq km
land: 1,083,301 sq km
water: 15,280 sq km

Area – comparative: slightly less than three times the size of Montana
Land boundaries: 6,940 km
Border countries: Argentina 832 km, Brazil 3,423 km, Chile 860 km, Paraguay 750 km, Peru 1,075 km
Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims: none (landlocked)

Climate: varies with altitude; humid and tropical to cold and semiarid
Terrain: rugged Andes Mountains with a highland plateau (Altiplano), hills, lowland plains of the Amazon Basin

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Río Paraguay 0 m
highest point: Nevado Sajama 6,542 m

Natural resources: tin, natural gas, petroleum, zinc, tungsten, antimony, silver, iron, lead, gold, timber, hydropower

Land use:
arable land: 2.78%
permanent crops: 0.19%
other: 97.03% (2005)
Irrigated land: 1320 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources: 622.5 cu km (2005)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 1.44 cu km/yr (13%/7%/81%)
per capita: 157 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards: flooding in the northeast (March-April)
volcanism: Bolivia experiences volcanic activity in Andes Mountains on the border with Chile; historically active volcanoes in this region are Irruputuncu (elev. 5,163 m, 16,939 ft), which last erupted in 1995 and Olca-Paruma

Environment – current issues: the clearing of land for agricultural purposes and the international demand for tropical timber are contributing to deforestation; soil erosion from overgrazing and poor cultivation methods (including slash-and-burn agriculture); desertification; loss of biodiversity; industrial pollution of water supplies used for drinking and irrigation

Environment – international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Marine Life Conservation
Geography – note: landlocked; shares control of Lago Titicaca, world’s highest navigable lake (elevation 3,805 m), with Peru

:: People of Bolivia ::

Population: 10,118,683 (July 2011 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 34.6% (male 1,785,453/female 1,719,173)
15-64 years: 60.7% (male 3,014,419/female 3,129,942)
65 years and over: 4.6% (male 207,792/female 261,904) (2011 est.)

Median age:
total: 22.5 years
male: 21.8 years
female: 23.2 years (2011 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.694% (2011 est.)
Birth rate: 24.71 births/1,000 population (2011 est.)
Death rate: 6.85 deaths/1,000 population (July 2011 est.)
Net migration rate: -0.92 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2011 est.)

Urbanization:
urban population: 67% of total population (2010)
rate of urbanization: 2.2% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2011 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 42.16 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 45.95 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 38.18 deaths/1,000 live births (2011 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 67.57 years
male: 64.84 years
female: 70.42 years (2011 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3 children born/woman (2011 est.)
HIV/AIDS – adult prevalence rate: 0.2% (2009 est.)
HIV/AIDS – people living with HIV/AIDS: 12,000 (2009 est.)
HIV/AIDS – deaths: fewer than 1,000 (2009 est.)

Nationality: noun: Bolivian(s) adjective: Bolivian
Ethnic groups: Quechua 30%, mestizo (mixed white and Amerindian ancestry) 30%, Aymara 25%, white 15%
Religions: Roman Catholic 95%, Protestant (Evangelical Methodist) 5%

Languages: Spanish 60.7% (official), Quechua 21.2% (official), Aymara 14.6% (official), foreign languages 2.4%, other 1.2% (2001 census)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 86.7%
male: 93.1%
female: 80.7% (2001 census)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 14 years
male: 14 years
female: 14 years (2007)
Education expenditures: 6.3% of GDP (2006)

Geography of Bolivia: Important Geographical Information about Bolivia

The geography of Bolivia is unique among the nations of South America. Bolivia is one of two landlocked countries on the continent, and Bolivia is more rural than urban. The main features of Bolivia’s geography include the Altiplano, a highland plateau of the Andes, and Lake Titicaca (Lago Titicaca), the largest lake in South America and the highest commercially navigable lake on Earth (which it shares with Peru).

:: Bolivia’s Geography and Regions ::

The most prominent feature of the Altiplano is the large lake at its northern end, Lake Titicaca. At 3,810 m (12,500 ft) above sea level, it is the highest commercially navigable body of water in the world. With a surface area of 9,064 km2 (3,500 sq mi), it is larger than Puerto Rico and is South America’s largest lake. Lake Titicaca is also deep, about 370 m (1,214 ft) at its deepest, but with an average depth of 215 m (705 ft); its volume of water is large enough to maintain a constant temperature of 10 °C (50 °F). The lake actually moderates the climate for a considerable distance around it, making crops of maize and wheat possible in sheltered areas.

Lake Titicaca drains southward through the slow-moving, reed-filled Desaguadero River to Lake Poopó. In contrast to the freshwater Lake Titicaca, Lake Poopó is salty and shallow, with depths seldom more than four meters.

The Cordillera Occidental is a chain of dormant volcanoes and solfataras, volcanic vents emitting sulfurous gases. Bolivia’s highest peak, the snowcapped Nevado Sajama (6,542 m), is located here. The entire cordillera is of volcanic origin and an extension of the volcanic region found in southern Peru. Most of the northern part of this range has an elevation of about 4,000 meters; the southern part is somewhat lower. Although scanty everywhere, rainfall is greater in the northern half, where the land is covered with scrub vegetation. The southern area receives almost no precipitation, and the landscape consists mostly of barren rocks. All the region of the Cordillera Occidental is sparsely populated, and the south is virtually uninhabited, except for the Body Clack.

The Altiplano, the high plateau between the two cordilleras, comprises four major basins formed by mountainous spurs that jut eastward from the Cordillera Occidental about halfway to the Cordillera Oriental. Along the Altiplano’s eastern side is a continuous flat area, which has served as Bolivia’s principal north-south transportation corridor since colonial times. The entire Altiplano was originally a deep rift between the cordilleras that gradually filled with highly porous sedimentary debris washed down from the peaks. This sedimentary origin explains its gradual slope from north to south; greater rainfall in the north has washed a larger quantity of debris onto the platform floor.

Rainfall in the Altiplano decreases toward the south, and the scrub vegetation grows more sparse, eventually giving way to barren rocks and dry red clay. The land contains several salt flats, the dried remnants of ancient lakes. The largest of these – and the world’s largest salt concentration – is the Uyuni Saltpan, which covers over 9,000 square kilometers. The salt is more than five meters deep in the center of this flat. In the dry season, the lake bed can be traversed by heavy trucks. Near the Argentine border, the floor of the Altiplano rises again, creating hills and volcanoes that span the gap between the eastern and western cordilleras of the Andes.

The much older Cordillera Oriental enters Bolivia on the north side of Lake Titicaca, extends southeastward to approximately 17 south latitude, then broadens and stretches south to the Argentine border. The northernmost part of the Cordillera Oriental, the Cordillera Real, is an impressive snow-capped series of granite mountains. Some of these peaks exceed 6,000 meters, and two -Illimani (6,462 m), which overlooks the city of La Paz, and Illampu (6,424 m)- have large glaciers on their upper slopes. South of 17 south latitude, the range changes character. Called the Cordillera Central here, the land is actually a large block of the Earth’s crust that has been lifted and tilted eastward. The western edge of this block rises in a series of steep cliffs from the Altiplano. The backbone of the cordillera is a high, rolling plain, with elevations from 4,200 to 4,400 meters, interspersed with irregularly spaced high peaks. Too high to be exploited for large-scale commercial grazing, this area takes its name from the predominant vegetation type, the puna.

The northeastern flank of the Cordillera Real is known as the Yungas, from the Aymara word meaning “warm valleys.” The steep, almost inaccessible slopes and peaks of this mainly semitropical valley area northeast of La Paz offer some of the most spectacular scenery in Bolivia. Rainfall is heavy, and lush vegetation clings to the sides of narrow river valleys. The land is among the most fertile in Bolivia, but poor transportation has hindered its agricultural development. The government attempted to build a railroad through the Yungas in 1917 to connect La Paz with the eastern lowlands. The railroad was abandoned, however, after completion of only 150 kilometers.

The eastern slopes of the Cordillera Central descend gradually in a series of complex north-south ranges and hills. Rivers, draining to the east, have cut long narrow valleys; these valleys and the basins between the ranges are favorable areas for crops and settlement. Rich alluvial soils fill the low areas, but erosion has followed the removal of vegetation in some places. The valley floors range from 2,000 to 3,000 meters above sea level, and this lower elevation means milder temperatures than those of the Altiplano. Two of Bolivia’s most important cities, Sucre and Cochabamba, are located in basins in this vast region.

The eastern lowlands include all of Bolivia north and east of the Andes. Although comprising over two-thirds of the national territory, the region is sparsely populated and, until recently, has played a minor role in the economy.

Differences in topography and climate separate the lowlands into three areas. The flat northern area, made up of Beni and Pando Departments and the northern part of Cochabamba Department, consists of rainforest. Because much of the topsoil is underlain by claypan, drainage is poor, and heavy rainfall periodically converts vast parts of the region to swamp. The central area, comprising the northern half of Santa Cruz Department, has gently rolling hills and a drier climate than the north. Forests alternate with savanna, and much of the land has been cleared for cultivation. Santa Cruz, the largest city in the lowlands, is located here, as are most of Bolivia’s petroleum and natural gas reserves. The southeastern part of the lowlands is part of the Gran Chaco. Virtually rainless for nine months of the year, this area becomes flooded for the three months of heavy rains. The extreme variation in rainfall supports only thorny scrub vegetation and cattle grazing, although recent discoveries of natural gas and petroleum near the foothills of the Andes have attracted some settlers to the region.

Most of Bolivia’s important rivers are found in the water-rich northern parts of the lowlands, particularly in the Alto Beni (Upper Beni), where the land is suitable for crops such as coffee and cacao. The northern lowlands are drained by wide, slow-moving rivers, the three largest of which—the Mamoré, Beni, and Madre de Dios—all flow northward into the Madeira River in Brazil and eventually into the Amazon. Riverboats along the Beni and the Mamoré carry both passenger and freight traffic; rapids on the Madeira provide river traffic farther into Brazil. Near the Paraguayan border, shallow sandy streams carry the seasonal runoff into the Pilcomayo or Paraguay rivers. Also, the Pantanal, the world’s largest wetland of any kind, has some of its area in Bolivia.

Despite the fact that eastern Bolivia is described a lowland in when seeing the general topography of the country there are mountains and mountain ranges well beyond the Andes. The most notable of these mountains are the forested Serranías Chiquitanas in eastern Santa Cruz Department.

Professional Translation Organizations & Associations in Bolivia

Below is a list of the major translation organizations and associations of Bolivia.

:: List of Organizations ::

Asociación Boliviana de Traductores (ABT)

Asociación Boliviana de Intérpretes de Conferencia (ABI Bolivia)

Information about the Bolivian Flag: Colors and Meaning of the Flag of Bolivia

The national flag of Bolivia contains three equal horizontal bands of red (top), yellow, and green with the coat of arms centered on the yellow band. The Bolivian flag is similar to the flag of Ghana, which has a large black five-pointed star centered in the yellow band; in 2009, a presidential decree made it mandatory for a so-called wiphala – a square, multicolored flag representing the country’s indigenous peoples – to be used alongside the traditional flag.

Color red stands for bravery and the blood of national heroes, yellow for the nation’s mineral resources, and green for the fertility of the land.

Extensive List of Languages of Bolivia: Spoken and Extinct Languages

Araona [aro] 81 (Adelaar 2000). Ethnic population: 90 (Adelaar 2000). Northwest, headwaters of Manupari River. Alternate names: Cavina. Classification: Tacanan, Araona-Tacana, Araona

Aymara [aym] A macrolanguage. Population total all countries: 2,446,642.

Aymara, Central [ayr] 1,790,000 in Bolivia (1987). Population total all countries: 2,262,900. Whole Altiplano west of eastern Andes. Some migration to yungas and lowlands. Also in Argentina, Chile, Peru. Dialects:Chilean Aymara is very similar to La Paz, Bolivia dialect. Classification: Aymaran

Ayoreo [ayo] 770 in Bolivia (Adelaar 2000). Ethnic population: 856 in Bolivia (Adelaar 2000). Gran Chaco region, Department of Santa Cruz. Alternate names: Ayoré, Moro, Morotoco, Pyeta, Yovai. Dialects: Tsiricua. Classification: Zamucoan

Baure [brg] 13 (Adelaar 2000). Ethnic population: 631 (Adelaar 2000). Beni Department, northwest of Magdalena. Classification: Arawakan, Maipuran, Southern Maipuran, Bolivia-Parana Nearly extinct.

Bolivian Sign Language [bvl] 350 to 400 (1988 E. Powlison). Cochabamba, La Paz, Riberalta, Santa Cruz. Dialects:Based on American Sign Language [ase] with necessary changes for borrowed Spanish lexical items. Some groups in La Paz and Santa Cruz use the same signs with some dialect signs from their own areas. Morgan (2004) gives evidence that Bolivian Sign Language is no more divergent from ASL [ase] than some dialects of ASL. Classification: Deaf sign language

Callawalla [caw] 10 or 20 speakers (1995 SIL). Highlands and high valleys, east Andes north of La Paz, Charazani area north of Lake Titicaca. Alternate names: Callahuaya. Dialects: Seems to have Quechua affixes and syntactic patterns, but distinctive roots from a dialect of the extinct Puquina language. Classification: Mixed language, Quechua-Puquina

Canichana [caz] No known speakers. Ethnic population: 583 (Adelaar 2000). Lowlands. Alternate names:Kanichana. Dialects: Said to be of the Tucanoan family. Classification: Language isolate

Cavineña [cav] 1,180 (Adelaar 2000). Ethnic population: 1,736 (Adelaar 2000). North Bolivia, southeast of Riberalta, along Beni River; east of the Beni; 500 in Pando west of the Beni. Classification:Tacanan, Araona-Tacana, Cavinena-Tacana, Cavinena

Cayubaba [cyb] No known speakers. Ethnic population: 794 (Adelaar 2000). Beni Department, west of Mamore River, north of Santa Ana. Alternate names: Cayuvava, Cayuwaba. Dialects: Ruhlen (1991) and others classify it as Equatorial. Classification: Language isolate

Chácobo [cao] 550 (2000 SIL). Ethnic population: 860 (2000 SIL). Northwest Beni, south of Riberaltaon, Alto Ivon River. Classification: Panoan, Southern

Chipaya [cap] 1,200 (1995), increasing. Ethnic population: 1,800. Department of Oruro, Province of Atahuallpa. Alternate names: Puquina. Dialects: May be Arawakan or distantly related to Mayan. Classification: Uru-Chipaya

Chiquitano [cax] 5,860 (Adelaar 2000). ISA (2000) lists 2,000 in Brazil. Ethnic population: 47,086 (Adelaar 2000). East Santa Cruz, east region. Alternate names: Chiquito, Tarapecosi. Dialects:Concepción, San Ignacio de Velazco, San Javier (Javierano, Xavierano), Santiago, San Miguel. Classification: Macro-Ge, Chiquito

Chorote, Iyo’wujwa [crq] 8 in Bolivia (1982). Southeast, Tarija Department. Alternate names: Choroti, Manjui, Manjuy. Classification: Mataco-Guaicuru, Mataco

Ese Ejja [ese] 1,300 in Bolivia (2000 SIL). Population total all countries: 1,770. Ethnic population: 1,300 in Bolivia (2000 SIL). Northwestern region; into foothills on Beni and Madre de Dios rivers; Tambopata and Heath rivers around Puerto Maldonado in Peru. Also in Peru. Alternate names:“Chama” , Ese Eja, Ese Exa, Huarayo, Tiatinagua. Dialects: Each clan has slight dialect differences; all seem inherently intelligible. Most divergent Tacanan language. Tambopata dialect in Peru somewhat different from the Bolivian dialect. Classification: Tacanan, Tiatinagua

Guaraní, Eastern Bolivian [gui] 33,700 in Bolivia (Adelaar 2000). Population total all countries: 51,230. Ethnic population: 36,917 in Bolivia (Adelaar 2000). South central Parapeti River area, Tarija. Also in Argentina, Paraguay. Alternate names: “Chawuncu” , “Chiriguano” , Western Argentine Guaraní. Dialects:Izoceño (Izocenio), Ava. Classification: Tupi, Tupi-Guarani, Subgroup I

Guaraní, Western Bolivian [gnw] 7,000. Chuquisaca Department, south to Pilcomayo River, east to Cuevo, north to Monte Agudo. Alternate names: Simba, Simba Guaraní. Classification: Tupi, Tupi-Guarani, Subgroup I

Guarayu [gyr] 5,930 (Adelaar 2000). Ethnic population: 7,235 (Adelaar 2000). Northeast Guarayos River area. Alternate names: “Guarayo”. Classification: Tupi, Tupi-Guarani, Subgroup II

Ignaciano [ign] 4,500 (2000 SIL). Ethnic population: 20,805 with Trinitario (2000 W. Adelaar). South central Beni. Dialects: Limited comprehension of Trinitario [trn], similar to Spanish and Portuguese, with vowel reduction. Classification: Arawakan, Maipuran, Southern Maipuran, Bolivia-Parana

Itene [ite] No known speakers. Ethnic population: 108 (Adelaar 2000). North central Beni Department at junction of Mamoré and Itenez rivers. Alternate names: Iteneo, Itenez, More. Dialects: Itoreauhip. Classification: Chapacura-Wanham, Guapore

Itonama [ito] 10 (2000 Crevels). Ethnic population: 5,090 (Adelaar 2000). Beni Department and Itonamas River. Alternate names: Machoto, Saramo. Dialects: Ruhlen classifies it as Paezan. Classification: Language isolate Nearly extinct.

Jorá [jor] Extinct. Alternate names: Hora. Classification: Tupi, Tupi-Guarani, Guarayu-Siriono-Jora II

Leco [lec] 20 (2001 S. van de Kerke). Ethnic population: 80 (Adelaar 2000). Lake Titicaca east; Apolo area; scattered on Mapiri-Kaka River in Karura, Candelaria, Tutilimundi and Uyapi; Coroico River in Trapichiponte in KeleKelera. Alternate names: Leko, Rik’a. Classification: Language isolate Nearly extinct.

Machinere [mpd] 140 in Bolivia (1994). Ethnic population: 155 in Bolivia. Acre River. Alternate names:Manchinere, Manchineri, Manitenére, Manitenerí, Maxinéri. Classification: Arawakan, Maipuran, Southern Maipuran, Purus

Movima [mzp] 1,450 (Adelaar 2000). Ethnic population: 6,528 (Adelaar 2000). Central Beni Department, Santa Ana area on Yacuma River. Dialects: Reportedly Tucanoan. Classification: Language isolate

Pacahuara [pcp] 17 (Adelaar 2000). Ethnic population: 18 (Adelaar 2000). Northwest Beni. Alternate names:Pacawara. Classification: Panoan, Southern Nearly extinct.

Pauserna [psm] No known speakers. Ethnic population: 46 (Adelaar 2000). Southeast Beni on Guapore River. Alternate names: Guarayu-Ta, Paucerne, Pauserna-Guarasugwé. Classification: Tupi, Tupi-Guarani, Pauserna

Plautdietsch [pdt] 28,600 in Bolivia. Alternate names: German, Mennonite German. Classification: Indo-European, Germanic, West, Low Saxon-Low Franconian, Low Saxon

Quechua, North Bolivian [qul] 116,000 in Bolivia (1978 census), increasing. 18,452 monolinguals. Apolo region, La Paz Department. Also in Peru. Alternate names: North La Paz Quechua. Dialects: Apolo, Charazani, Chuma. Classification: Quechuan, Quechua II, C

Quechua, South Bolivian [quh] 2,780,000 in Bolivia (1987). Population total all countries: 3,635,000. Highland and lowland except around Apolo; Northwest Jujuy Quechua in Argentina. Also in Argentina. Alternate names:Central Bolivian Quechua, Quechua Boliviano. Dialects: Sucre, Cochabamba, Oruro, Potosí, Chuquisaca, Northwest Jujuy. May be intelligible with Chilean Quechua [cqu]. Classification:Quechuan, Quechua II, C

Reyesano [rey] 4,600 (2006). Possibly a few speakers (Adelaar 2000). Ethnic population: 4,118 (Adelaar 2000). Beni Department, west central around San Borja, near Reyes. Alternate names: San Borjano. Classification: Tacanan, Araona-Tacana, Cavinena-Tacana, Tacana Proper

Saraveca [sar] Extinct. Eastern jungle. Classification: Arawakan, Maipuran, Central Maipuran

Shinabo [snh] Extinct. Classification: Panoan, Southern

Sirionó [srq] 400 (Adelaar 2000), increasing. 50 monolinguals. Ethnic population: 419 (Adelaar 2000) to over 600 (2000 P. Priest). Eastern Beni and northwestern Santa Cruz Departments, Ibiato (Eviato) village; along the Río Blanco in farms and ranches. Alternate names: Mbia Chee, Mbya. Dialects: Similar to Yuqui [yuq]. Classification: Tupi, Tupi-Guarani, Subgroup II

Spanish [spa] 3,480,000 in Bolivia (1995). Dialects: Afro-Yungueño (Black Spanish). Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Western, Gallo-Iberian, Ibero-Romance, West Iberian, Castilian

Tacana [tna] 1,820 (Adelaar 2000). Ethnic population: 5,058 (Adelaar 2000). Beni and Madre de Dios rivers, jungle, some in foothills. Alternate names: Takana. Classification: Tacanan, Araona-Tacana, Cavinena-Tacana, Tacana Proper

Tapieté [tpj] 70 in Bolivia (Adelaar 2000). Ethnic population: 74 in Bolivia (Adelaar 2000). Southeast, Samayhuate and Cutaiqui towns. Alternate names: Guasurango, Ñanagua, Tirumbae, Yanaigua. Classification: Tupi, Tupi-Guarani, Guarani I

Toba [tob] 100 in Bolivia. Alternate names: Qom. Classification: Mataco-Guaicuru, Guaicuruan

Toromono [tno] 200 (1983 Varese). Ethnic population: 200 (Adelaar 2000). Northwest, close to the Araona, between the upper Madidi and River Heath. Alternate names: Toromona. Classification:Tacanan, Araona-Tacana, Cavinena-Tacana, Tacana Proper

Trinitario [trn] 5,500 (2000 SIL). Ethnic population: 20,805 with Ignaciano (Adelaar 2000). South central Beni. Alternate names: Mojos, Moxos. Dialects: Loreto (Loretano), Javierano. Classification:Arawakan, Maipuran, Southern Maipuran, Bolivia-Parana

Tsimané [cas] 5,320 (Adelaar 2000). Includes 585 Moseten speakers. Ethnic population: 5,907. Southwest Beni Department and along Maniqui River; San Miguel de Huachi and Santa Ana de Alto Beni.Alternate names: Chimané, Mosetén. Dialects: Tsimané, Mosetén. Mosetén move into Tsimané communities and function with seemingly no communication difficulties (2002 NTM). Classification: Language isolate

Uru [ure] 2 (Adelaar 2000). Ethnic population: 142 (Adelaar 2000). Department of Oruro, Province of Atahuallpa, near Lake Titicaca, near where the Desaguadero River comes out of Titicaca, near Iruitu. Alternate names: Iru-Itu, Morato, Muratu. Classification: Uru-Chipaya Nearly extinct.

Wichí Lhamtés Nocten [mtp] 1,810 in Bolivia (1994). Population total all countries: 1,910. Ethnic population: 2,081 (1994). North central Tarija Department, southwest of Pilcomayo River, Cordillera de Pirapo. Also in Argentina. Alternate names: “Mataco” , Bolivian, “Mataco Nocten” , Nocten, Noctenes, Oktenai, Weenhayek. Classification: Mataco-Guaicuru, Mataco

Yaminahua [yaa] 140 in Bolivia (Adelaar 2000). Ethnic population: 161 in Bolivia (Adelaar 2000). Northwest corner Pando Department. Alternate names: Jaminawa, Yamanawa, Yaminawa. Classification:Panoan, South-Central, Yaminahua-Sharanahua

Yuqui [yuq] 120 (Adelaar 2000). Ethnic population: 138 (Adelaar 2000). Foothills north of Cochabamba; Chimoré River. Alternate names: Bia, Yuki. Dialects: Similar to Sirionó [srq]. Classification: Tupi, Tupi-Guarani, Guarayu-Siriono-Jora II

Yuracare [yuz] 2,680 (Adelaar 2000). Ethnic population: 3,333 (Adelaar 2000). Beni and Cochabamba departments, primarily along Chapare River. Alternate names: Yura. Dialects: Mansinyo, Soloto. Classification: Language isolate

:: Reference ::
Courtesy of Lewis, M. Paul (ed.), 2009. Ethnologue: Languages of the World, Sixteenth edition. Dallas, Tex.: SIL International. Online version: http://www.ethnologue.com/

Famous Bolivian People: Bolivian Artists, Scientists, Leaders, Musicians, Politicians and Athletes

Bolivia is home to outstanding individuals who made a difference with their remarkable achievements.The following people made their mark on both the local and international scenes. They are just some of many famous Bolivians who have lifted Bolivia’s name worldwide and made a difference in our world. Their purpose and stories inspired awe if not greatness.

:: List of Famous People from Bolivia ::

Evo Morales
Evo Morales is the incumbent President of Bolivia and the leader of a political party called the Movement for Socialism (Movimiento al Socialismo, with the Spanish acronym MAS, meaning “more”). MAS was involved in social protests such as the gas conflict and the Cochabamba protests of 2000, along with many other groups, that are collectively referred to as “social movements” in Bolivia. The MAS aims at giving more power to the country’s indigenous and poor communities by means of land reforms and redistribution of gas wealth.

Morales is also titular president of Bolivia’s cocalero movement – a loose federation of coca growers’ unions, made up of campesinos (rural laborers) who are resisting the efforts of the United States government to eradicate coca in the province of Chapare in central Bolivia.

In October 2009, Morales was named “World Hero of Mother Earth” by the General Assembly of the United Nations.

María Luisa Pacheco
María Luisa Pacheco was an international award winning Bolivian painter who emigrated to the United States. She studied at the Academia de Bellas Artes in La Paz, Bolivia, where she later became a member of its faculty. In the late 1940’s and until 1951, María Luisa worked at the newspaper La Razón as an illustrator and as the editor of their literary section. A scholarship from the Government of Spain allowed María Luisa Pacheco to continue her studies in 1951 and 1952, as a graduate student at the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando in Madrid, Spain.

In 1956, María Luisa Pacheco was the recipient of three consecutive Fellowship Awards from the Guggenheim Foundation in New York City. The first fellowship awarded coincided with an invitation to exhibit at the Museum of the Organization of American States (OAS) in Washington DC. As a result of both of those opportunities, María Luisa Pacheco moved to New York in 1956. The Guggenheim Foundation fellowship and also the OAS exhibit each included the acquisition of a María Luisa Pacheco painting for their permanent art collections. Those paintings are currently exhibited in the art museums of those organizations, as part of the periodic rotation of their permanent collections. In New York, María Luisa became famous for her masterful abstract paintings, inspired by the native Quechua and Aymara people of Bolivia and the majestic glaciers and peaks of the Andes Mountains. The content of many of her paintings was her interpretation of the brilliant light, the strong colors, the sharp forms and the texture of her native Bolivia.

Alfredo Da Silva
Alfredo Da Silva is a famous Bolivian painter, graphic artist, and photographer, known for his abstract expressionism. He came to international prominence in 1959.

Marina Núñez del Prado
Marina Núñez del Prado was one of the most respected sculptors from Latin America. Her work is highly sensuous, with rolling curves. She carved from native Bolivian woods, as well as black granite, alabaster, basalt and white onyx. Perhaps one of her most famous works is “White Venus” (1960), a stylized female body in white onyx. Another celebrated work is “Mother and Child,” sculpted in white onyx. Indigenous Bolivian cultures inspired much of her work.

Jaime Escalante
Jaime Escalante is regarded as one of the most famous educators in the United States. The 1988 movie Stand and Deliver, which dramatized Escalante’s efforts to help underachieving Latino students beat the odds and pass an advanced placement calculus test, has already become one of the classic films about American education. As a result of its faithfulness to life, the film is a profound tribute to the positive impact a good teacher can make.

In recognition of his incredible achievements, Escalante was awarded the United States Presidential Medal and the Andres Bello award by the Organization of American States.

Famous People from Bolivia: Famous Bolivian Footballers/Soccer Players

The following Bolivian athletes dedicated themselves in promoting and inspiring people about football, one of the most well-loved sports in the world.

Marco Etcheverry
Former football midfielder Marco Antonio Etcheverry Vargas is considered as one of the best Bolivian players of all time. Etcheverry, nicknamed El Diablo (The Devil) joined D.C. United of Major League Soccer in its inaugural season of 1996, and led the team to three MLS Cups and was named MLS MVP in 1998. In eight years with the team, Etcheverry played 191 league games, scoring 34 goals and registering 101 assists (the games and assists are DC records). He retired at the end of the 2003 season. In 2005, he was named to the MLS All-Time Best XI. Etcheverry is the current manager of Bolivian club Oriente Petrolero.

Luis Cristaldo
Luis Héctor Cristaldo Ruiz Díaz is an Argentine-Bolivian football midfielder who currently plays for Guabirá. He holds the record for the most appearances for the Bolivian national team with 93 international matches and 5 goals between 1989 and 2005, including two appearances in the 1994 FIFA World Cup.

Erwin Sánchez
Dubbed “Platini”, Erwin Sánchez Freking played as an attacking midfielder, with scoring range. Most of his professional career was spent in Portugal, after which he became a coach. From 2006–09, Sánchez managed the Bolivian national team, after having appeared as a player in the 1994 FIFA World Cup, the country’s first ever participation.

Marcelo Martins
Marcelo Martins Moreno currently plays for the Ukrainian Premier League side Shakhtar Donetsk, as well as the Bolivian national team. Born in Bolivia to a Brazilian father and Bolivian mother, Marcelo Martins has played for the Brazilian U20 national team at the youth level, becoming the first foreign player to be part of it and the fifth foreign player to wear the Brazilian National Team’s shirt in an official match, but chose to play for the Bolivian senior national team as a professional.

Joaquín Botero
Bolivian striker Joaquín Botero Vaca became the top goalscorer in world football in the 2002 season, with 49 goals scored for Club Bolívar. He currently plays for San José in the Liga de Fútbol Profesional Boliviano.