Countries of the World/COUNTRYS.BIN/dp/0043/00431.txt

Text File | 1991-06-24 | 46KB | 741 lines

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$Pretitle{266}
$Title{Bolivia
The Cultural Guide of Bolivia Foreword}
$Subtitle{}
$Author{Peter McFarren}
$Affiliation{Embassy of Bolivia, Washington DC}
$Subject{bolivia
paz
cruz
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$Date{1989}
$Log{}
Country:     Bolivia
Book:        The Cultural Guide of Bolivia
Author:      Peter McFarren
Affiliation: Embassy of Bolivia, Washington DC
Date:        1989

The Cultural Guide of Bolivia Foreword

     Bolivia is becoming a model in South America for its economic stability
and the strengthening of democratic institutions despite some very serious
social problems. In the past Bolivia was often described abroad as a country
high in the Andes rife with political unrest, virtually controlled by the
cocaine mafia with few redeeming qualities that would make it attractive to a
visitor. Without a doubt Bolivia has had its share of political unrest and
problems. But Bolivia is progressing in many areas and its attractiveness to
foreign visitors in on the rise. Bolivia is one of the most fascinating,
colorful and varied nations in South America. In a 424,165 square mile
territory there are snow-covered peaks, lush valleys, tropical rain forests
and winding rivers that feed into the Amazon or Rio La Plata. Its people are
as varied as its territory, with ethnic groups ranging from the Aymaras and
Quechuas who inhabit the Bolivian highlands to the Guaranies, Ayoreos,
Chimanes and many other groups who live in the tropics.

     This second edition attempts to present a panorama of its people, its
habitat, its rich and varied cultural values and some of the problems, to
visitors and English speaking residents in Bolivia. By no means is it a
complete picture although with each subsequent editions I hope to add and
revise chapters. In this second edition I have added chapters on skiing and
climbing in the Andes, the Jesuit Mission of San Ignacio de Moxos, and the old
Inca and silver route, and completely updated and revised the maps and the
information on cities and departments. I welcome any suggestions, corrections
and additions that will make the next guide more complete. A Spanish edition
is in the works and I hope also to publish this guide in German.

     This guide has its origins with the book Discover Bolivia that was
edited by Kip Lester and Jane McKeel in 1972. Since then an English speaking
guidebook on Bolivia has not been available. I have utilized parts of Discover
Bolivia thanks to the kind permission of Kip Lester. But since Discover
Bolivia was edited, Bolivia has gone through a dramatic transformation, albeit
maintaining much of its charm, mystery and cultural diversity. Santa Cruz,
which in 1972 had a population of 40,000, is now a modern metropolis with a
population of more than 300,000 and has one of the most modern airports in
South America . There have also been significant changes in the economy with
the closing of most tin mines, the migration of farmers to the cities, and a
renewed dynamism in the fields of culture. New discoveries at Tiwanaku are
forcing a complete reexamination of its history and a keen appreciation for
the highly-developed forms of agriculture that developed in its environs. On
the political front there have been important developments with former
dictator General Hugo Banzer Suarez sharing power with President Jaime Paz
Zamora whom he persecuted in the 1970s.

     Some of the chapters are based on articles I wrote for the New York
Times, Associated Press and Newsweek. Other chapters were written by people
most familiar with the topic on hand. Teresa Prada and Ana Rebeca Prada
translated articles from Spanish into English and helped organize the book as
well as contributing several chapters to the book. Teresa Prada's help in
making this book a reality was invaluable.

     I would like to thank the authors, Frederic Savariau who assisted in
organizing the first edition of this book and James Painter who did a careful
job of proof-reading and editing the text. Johan Reinhard also provided two
chapters and invaluable suggestions and assistance with maps and illustrations
Marylin McKenney from the city of Santa Cruz was very helpful in updating the
information on Santa Cruz. The personnel at Servicio Grafico Quipus also
contributed their time, knowledge and effort to this book. The profits from
the sale of this guide will be used by the Fundacion Cultural Quipus to
sponsor Bolivian cultural activities. With the first edition- it sold out in
less than a year- we financed a digital recording of Bolivian music, increased
the collection of popular art and organized a tour of Feathers of the Gods at
the Museo de Arte Precolombino in Santiago, Chile. In the works is the
building of a state-of-the art Museum of Popular Art and the continued
sponsorship of exhibits by talented Bolivian artists.

Peter McFarren
La Paz, Bolivia
1990

Introduction to Bolivia

     Bolivia is a country of superlatives. Landlocked in the western part of
the continent, it sprawls over 424,165 square miles (1,098,580 square
kilometers) and shares borders with Peru to the northwest, Brazil to the north
and east, Paraguay to the southeast, Argentina to the south and both Peru and
Chile on the west. It is a country which claims the highest navigable lake in
the world, the highest commercial airport, the highest golf course, the
highest ski run, the highest capital, one of the newest and wildest frontiers,
one of the oldest ruins, and what is said to be the highest concentration of
cosmic rays on earth. Bolivia is also a nation of contrasts, which led a
French explorer-scientist to call it the "microcosm of our planet". It has
every type of geologically classified land, flora, fauna, minerals and
tropical product.

     Bolivia lies wholly in the tropical zone, yet temperatures vary from the
heat of its equatorial lowlands to the cold of the Andes. To focus therefore
on Bolivia's diverse land, it is best to start with the inland sea of Lake
Titicaca (12,600 feet) and work east. The nation is developing economically
and socially in that direction, much as the United States pushed its frontier
westward.

     Lake Titicaca is a major western boundary between Bolivia and Peru.
Stretching some 3,500 square miles, this deep (700 feet in places), clear body
of water is the highest navigable lake in the world. Notable along shallow
parts of the shoreline is a totora reed that greatly influences life around
the lake. The Aymaras fashion the reed together into exceptionally strong
gondola-like boats. These thick reeds also become floating and inhabited
islands. The pliable but durable material breaks loose from lake beds and
joins with other matter forming islands. The reed is also used for building
simple furniture, for feeding livestock, and even as a special candy-like
treat.

     Lake Titicaca lies at the northern extremity of the Bolivian "Altiplano"
(high plateau). The Altiplano is shaped by the Andes mountain range that
hunches along the west coast of South America and slices southeastward through
Bolivia. This two-pronged mountain range has formed between its peaks a
rambling plain about 85 miles wide and 520 miles long that cuts through
southeast Peru and southwest Bolivia. About 40,000 square miles of this bleak,
cold and windswept plateau lies in Bolivia. However hostile this 30 percent of
the nation's land is, it supports 52 percent of the population. The otherwise
impoverished Altiplano and its mountain rims are streaked with vast deposits
of tin, copper, silver, lithium, gold, tungsten, lead, zinc, and other
minerals.

     Centuries ago, the Aymaras established elaborate systems of agriculture
and irrigation that supported a large population. Today archaeological digs
are reviving these ancient forms of agriculture and trying to apply
them - with much success - to improve the livelihood of present-day Aymaras.
Their diet consists mostly of a wide variety of potatoes and the nutritious
"quinua" cereal, which is catching on in t