Boliviap4

span style="text-align: center; display: block; color: rgb(255,0,0); font-size: 120%;">Bolivia By: Lizzy Pennock, Ryan Van Diest, Kiersten Wood p.4 General Information Entertainment Food and Cuisine



General Information
Bolivia is a mid-sized country of the beautiful South America. Home to 9,199,152 Bolivians (World Factbook), there are many great aspects of the area. A major hobby of natives is hiking. There are numerous mountains, including the Andes (Destination360) with a variety of wild life and plants (Spanish Abroad). Also, probably the best rewards for a long hike, people have really come to enjoy the view. Reaching the top of a mountain on a hot, humid day couldn’t be rewarded better than to look out into the vast oceans and rain forests that cover the 418,683 square miles of land. Having a life expectancy of 66 years (World Factbook), Bolivians learn to enjoy every day to the fullest. From taking a dip in the highest navigable lake in the world, lake Titicaca, or visiting ancient Incan ruins, they fill their lives with years of celebration and adventure. Independence day is August sixth, when they sing their National Anthem (Lyrics on Demand), Cancion Patriotica. Bolivia is a Republican country, using Boliviano for currency (kbears.com).



Culture is a pretty big deal in this country, exactly the way that Simon Bolivar wanted it (Harvey L Johnson). Way before he defined Bolivia today, it was inhabited by another historical people, the Incans (countrystudies.com). Some Incan roads are still in existence today, and you can see them if you visit and experience how it used to be. Now that Bolivia is a prominent country in South America, of course they have their own flag(as seen above 'General Information'). The Bolivian flag was established on July 14, 1988, and still makes natives and citizens proud (worldatlas.com). Currently, the people range in many different ethnicities, languages, and religions. There are four main ethnic groups. Ranging from white to Mestizo. Bolivia consists of 30% Quechua, 30% Mestizo, 25% Aymara, and 15% white (nationsencyclopedia.com). These groups determined the most widely used (and official) languages which are Spanish, Quechua, and Aymara. Some English is spoken there as well, but it is not commonly spoken enough to be considered an official language (ethnologue.com). The number of religions is not quite as high as the number of ethnic groups, because there is only one. Roman Catholics have proven to be the vast majority of people, coming in at 95%! The other 5% are other religion, or have none (World Factbook).



Bolivians love to celebrate, or as they would say, have a fiesta!! In February, citizens have a celebration to honor the Virgin of Candelaria. This takes place near Lake Titicaca. Bolivia is landlocked, being bordered by Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, Peru, and Argentina (nationalanthems.net). Bolivia is sometimes called the 'Tibet of the Americas' because of its prestigious location (World Factbook). The land mass of Bolivia is 1,084,390 sq km, and the water mass this beautiful place is 14,190, an amazing amount for having 0 km of coastline (nationalgeographic.com). Bolivia is a wonderful country love and inhabited by many. You won't find many countries with the activities, views, and natives like this one (latcom.org) Bolivian Food **__Bolivian Entertainment __** Hiking through Incan trails is one of the more popular things to do while visiting Bolivia. Most hikes start from La Paz and Sorata, with hikes lasting around 3 days. (Hikes)  If you are in for a rush of adrenaline mountain biking is an activity that many people enjoy. Trails begin in the Bolivian Andes and very quickly end up in the Yungas Jungle. (Experience). Bike down the world’s most dangerous road starting in the frozen Andes down into the valleys of the upper Amazon. (Outdoor Activities)  The Cordillera Real is another great place to hike that has peaks above 14,000 feet. (Climbs) As you can see in the picture it can be a very cold hike but ends with a very rewarding view. (Posters) The Che Guevara Trail is a famous trail on where he died. It begins in Santa Cruz and ends in La Higuera (SA Pics)   

  Salar De Uyuni is a very beautiful place to go as you can see in the picture below. Take in the wonderful view and atmosphere, as this is the world’s highest salt flats. The hotel you see below is made entirely out of salt, which gives the rooms a cool feeling because the temperatures outside can be very hot. (Chocolate Fish Pics)(Unique) <span style="font-family: Times New Roman; color: #0900cc; font-size: 13pt; text-decoration: none; msohansifontfamily: ArialMT; msobidifontfamily: 'Times New Roman';"> <span style="font-family: ArialMT; font-size: 13pt; mso-hansi-font-family: ArialMT; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">La Paz, which is the capital, has many clubs in the city. La Paz is located in a deep canyon with an altitude of over 3500m above sea level. The actual party starts around midnight at most of the clubs. The legal drinking age is 18 and that is also how you have to be to get into the clubs. (Travel Guide) (Things to do)



Lake Titicaca is a massive high altitude lake that straddles the border with Peru. (Where to go)

Cerro Rico was once a source of wealth in the mines. These mines now show today the working conditions that the Bolivians went through a long time ago. There are a couple thousand mineshafts in the mountain that are open for touring. (Things not to miss)

Exploring the desert landscape of Tupiza is a hot but beautiful experience. You can go on the infamous North American trail of the outlaws Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. (The Southern Altiplano)

Pink river dolphins are a common sight to see in the Bolivian Amazon. If you want to you are even allowed to swim alongside them that is if you are not scared of the piranhas and caimans also in the water. (The Amazon)(Unique)

The Cordillera Apolobamba is a remote place but offers some of the most spectacular scenery of Bolivia. This place is also home to the Kallawayas, which is a secretive group of herbalists, the wander about the Andes. Their healing abilities are famed all throughout the Andes. (Cordillera Real)(Web shots)



Parque Nacional Madidi is around 19,000 square kilometers. It has a variety of diverse plant animal life and is another site that is very famous and is not miss. (Sights)

Noel Kempff Mercado National Park is said to be the best national park in Bolivia. It has all kinds of wildlife, magnificent Amazonian rainforest and stunning waterfalls tumbling down large plateaus. (Eastern Lowlands). An estimated 4,000 species of flora as well as over 621 bird species, 74 species of reptiles, 62 species of amphibians and fish, and 347 species of insects is said to be in the park. (useful info)

=Bolivian Food and Cuisine=

General Information:

Potatoes are a main staple in the Bolivian diet. The potatoes are preserved by being left out in the sun all day then being stamped on to remove all the water (countryreports.com). Corn is another commonly used ingredient in Bolivia. They make a sweet popcorn called pasankalla, and this is one of the most commonly consumed treat. The cassava is a fried plantain which is usually used as a side dish for many meals .They also eat a lot of rice which can be added to any meal, especially in soups. In Bolivia you can enjoy a wide variety of fruits like the prickly pear or a chirigioya which is a custard apple (culturegrams.com). Bolivians love to use pork in most of their dishes. Chicken and beef are also used, but they are not as common. Restaurants will occasionally offer goat, llama, or guinea pig (vivatravelguides.com). Bolivian food also contains a lot of spices which suits the climate of Bolivia. They use many different ways of preparing the food like; boiling, frying, seasoning, salting, steaming, and roasting (mapsoftheworld.com). Bolivian food is a lot like most of the food that is served around South America.

Breakfast: The average Bolivian breakfast consists of an empanada. The empanada is a pocket pastry that is filled with cheese and other types of ingredients (countryreports.com). Another meal that is eaten for breakfast, but isn’t as common, is a lomo montado. A lomo montado is fried tenderloin with two fried eggs on top and rice and a fried banana on the side. For a mid-morning snack, they usually snack on a saltena. The saltena is another small pastry with meat, veggies, potatoes, peas, carrots, olives, raisins and an egg all packed inside. These pastries can be sweetened to make them more edible for the children. A popular drink in the morning is a cornmeal drink with sugar and cinnamon, called api.

Lunch:

Lunch is the most important meal of the day in Bolivia; it is kind of like our dinner. People take a couple hours off of work in the middle of the day to go home and have a nice sit down meal with their families (countryreports.com). The meal begins with a soup such as changa (chanka) de pollo which is a chicken soup prepared with potatoes, onions and peppers (vivatravelguides.com). Then comes the main plate, which usually has some type of potatoes in it. One common main dish is called Lechon de horno which is a roast suckling pig that is served with potatoes. Then may come some type of dessert. One of the Bolivian favorites is called Manjar Blanco other wise known as white carmel or Dulce de Leche.<

Random Facts:

In Bolivia, the legal drinking age is 18. When you dine in a restaurant in Bolivia, it is customary to add a 10% tip to the 13% service charge they have already added in. In La Paz, Pena restaurant Huari and Pena Restaurant Marka Tambo have the most traditional Andean food along with performances by local musicians.


 * __BIBLIOGRAPHIES__**

General information bibliographies "August 2008." __Secret Tenerife__. 03 May 2009 <http://www.secret-tenerife.com/archives/2008_08_01_index.html>.

"Bolivia national anthem." __National Anthems__. 03 May 2009 <http://www.national-anthems.net/BL>.

"History of Simon Bolivar." __Simon Bolivar__. 03 May 2009 <http://www.geocities.com/>.

“Map of Bolivia and Quick Facts." __Country of Bolivia__. 03 May 2009 <http://www.kbears.com/bolivia/information.html>.

__<span style="font-family: ArialMT; color: #0900cc; font-size: 13pt; mso-hansi-font-family: ArialMT; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">www.southamericanpictures.com __<span style="font-family: ArialMT; font-size: 13pt; mso-hansi-font-family: ArialMT; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> __<span style="font-family: ArialMT; color: #0900cc; font-size: 13pt; mso-hansi-font-family: ArialMT; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> www.chocolate-fish.net __ __<span style="font-family: ArialMT; color: #0900cc; font-size: 13pt; mso-hansi-font-family: ArialMT; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> www.worldtravelguide.net/.../ Bolivia.html __ __<span style="font-family: ArialMT; color: #0900cc; font-size: 13pt; mso-hansi-font-family: ArialMT; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> bolivianjourneys.bizland.com __ __<span style="font-family: ArialMT; color: #0900cc; font-size: 13pt; mso-hansi-font-family: ArialMT; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> gravityblolivia.com __ __<span style="font-family: ArialMT; color: #0900cc; font-size: 13pt; mso-hansi-font-family: ArialMT; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> The Rough Guide to Bolivia By: James Read __

1) http://travel.mapsofworld.com/bolivia/cuisine.html 2) http://south-american-food.suite101.com/article.cfm/desserts_of_bolivia 3) http://www.vivatravelguides.com/south-america/bolivia/bolivia-overview/food-and-drink-in-bolivia 4) http://www.iexplore.com/dmap/Bolivia/Dining 5) http://www.countryreports.org/people/recipe.aspx?countryid=31 6) http://www.vivatravelguides.com/south-america/bolivia/bolivia-overview/food-and-drink-in-bolivia/ 7) http://www.online.culturegrams.com/secure/world/world-country-sectionsphp?contid=7

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