Bolivia Country Guide

Bolivia is acknowledged as one of the most spectacular and adventurous destinations of South America. Though it is relatively underdeveloped, Bolivia has a rich culture which has been preserved carefully by its people and a majority of Bolivians retain their traditional practices and beliefs.

Bolivia is a treasure trove of ancient wisdom just waiting to be discovered.

This Bolivia Country Guide below gives some background information about the country, including useful Bolivia tourism and travel information. Detailed city information can be found by going to our Bolivia Destination Guide and clicking on the city or region you would like to know more about. To see listings of cities we offer accommodation or tours in, check out our Bolivia Hotels or Bolivia Tours pages.

Bolivia Country Guide

Useful information on this page includes:

To view information about climate and weather conditions in Bolivia, visit our Bolivia Weather page.

Telephone and Mobile Telephone

Tigo, Cotel, Boliviatel, Viva, and Entel are the main telephone and mobile service providers in Bolivia. They offer local and international calls at competitive rates.

Internet

Bolivia has cyber cafés at every corner. The charges range between US $ 0.25 and US $ 3 per hour. Internet services in smaller towns are available at the local Entel offices.

Post

Postal services in Bolivia are extensive and even the smallest of towns has a post office. The postal service in major towns is reliable. However, it is advisable to send important mail by registered post, even though it involves an extra cost.

Boliviano is the official currency of Bolivia. It is designated as B$ and is also called Pesos.

1 Boliviano = 100 Centavos

The current exchange rate can be found at OANDA.com, the currency site.

Currency Exchange

The US Dollar is the most preferred currency n Bolivia as many tourists have reported difficulties in exchanging Euros. The exchange rate in Bolivia is largely uniform and there is no black market exchange rate. Currencies may be exchanged at exchange bureaus (casas de cambio), specified banks in the larger cities, travel agencies and stores selling items of tourist interest. Currencies of neighbouring countries can be exchanged at the borders as well as at the casas di cambio at La Paz. Street moneychangers or cambiastas also exchange currency. They deal only in US Dollars, offer approximately the same rate as the exchange bureaus and operate even after office hours. Some of them may not be genuine and may deal in counterfeit notes, so choose with care. Also do ensure that the notes are not damaged in any way. If they have been repaired, check that both halves of the note bear identical numbers.

Credit/Debit Cards and ATMs

ATMs of VISA and Cirrus networks are found all over Bolivia. There are many of them in major cities and on routes that are frequented by tourists. The locator links on the web sites of the two networks will provide information on the exact location of the ATMs. Do retain the receipts of all ATM transactions because very often even failed transactions are debited from your account. The receipts will be required for reversing these debits.

Tourists are advised to carry some cash if they are visiting the interiors and the lowlands of Bolivia. Carry only a moderate sum as you run the risk of having your pockets picked.
Travellers’ cheques are hardly used. Most establishments accept the Boliviano and the US Dollar for large purchases. Tourists are advised to beware of unfavourable exchange rates.

Credit Cards

Large hotels, tourist agencies and restaurants accept MasterCard and Visa credit cards. Some establishments accept American Express credit cards as well. All branches of Banco de Santa Cruz and Banco Nacional de Bolivia advance cash against Visa cards without charging any commission. Prodem Bank also offers cash advances against Visa cards.

Travellers' Cheques

It is very difficult to convert travellers’ cheques in the smaller towns of Bolivia. American Express Travellers’ cheques are relatively easy to exchange, and with a little persistence, it is possible to exchange Travellers’ Cheques of some other banks. A commission of 5 % is charged on any exchange. This charge is marginally lower in La Paz.

Banking Hours

Banks in Bolivia operate between 8.30 am and 4.00 pm.

Bolivia has a 230V/50HZ systems except in La Paz and Viacha where they use 115V. Adaptor plugs are of the Type A - NEMA US/Japanese 2-pin type or the Type C (European 2-pin) type.

To view a list of Bolivian embassies around the world, as well as foreign embassies in Bolivia, go to EmbassyWorld.com.

Capital: Brasília. Population: 2 million (2000).
Size: 1,098,581 sq km
Population: 9,775,246 (July 2009 est.)
Time Zone: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

To view the current local time in Bolivia, click on this link to TimeAndDate.com.

Bolivia straddles the Andes in the west central region of South America. It stretches over an area of 1,098, 581 square kilometres which makes it twice the size of Spain. It is also equal to the combined area of California and Texas. The country is landlocked and has a land boundary of 6,083 kilometres adjoining five countries. Bolivia shares a boundary with Brazil in the north and the east and Peru in the northwest. Argentina lies to its south, Paraguay to its southeast and Chile to its southwest.

To view a map of Bolivia, click on this link to WorldAtlas.com.

Before you go

Since prevention is the key to staying healthy while travelling, tourists are advised to get inoculated with all the vaccines which are listed in the International Certificate of vaccination. The inoculation needs to be done at least four to eight weeks before the date of travel as the vaccines start acting only after a fortnight. This, along with proof of yellow fever vaccination, is a mandatory requirement for tourists visiting Bolivia, Brazil and Venezuela.

Tourists carrying medications and syringes are advised to carry them in the original containers along with a letter from their physician describing the various medical conditions and validating the use of the medicines.

The Andean region, in the western part of present day Bolivia, formed part of the valleys of the Cordillera Oriental and Lake Titicaca. The settlement of Chuqisaca (Sucre), which came to be the capital of the Spanish colonial regime, was founded in 1538. In 1544, the Spaniards discovered significant silver deposits in a mountain and established a settlement at the foot of this mountain called Potosi. Potosi was located at a height of 13800 feet (4200 metres) above sea level and evolved into the biggest urban base in South America by the end of the 16th century. It retained this position till early 18th century. More Spanish settlements were founded after Potosi. La Paz was founded in 1548, Cochabamba in 1574 and Oruro was founded in 1604. Bolivia was known as Alto Peru (Upper Peru) during the Spanish regime and came under the Viceroyalty of Peru. It was then transferred to the newly established Viceroyalty of La Plata in 1776.

In 1825, the Spanish garrison was defeated and Bolivia was declared independent by an assembly which met in Sucre (Chuqisaca). General Antonio Jose de Sucre was elected the first president of Bolivia. In 1826, Simon Bolivar drew up a constitution and the country was officially named Bolivia. The following years witnessed much internal strife and instability. The country was ruled by a succession of military dictators and Bolivia was subject to intense conflicts due to the ambiguity of its boundaries. It lost a substantial part of the lowlands in the east to Brazil in 1904. Due to this Bolivia today is half the size of what it was when it attained independence.

The expansion of mining opportunities in Bolivia at the end of the 19th century attracted a lot of foreign investment. This led to the emergence of three powerful foreign mining corporations. These corporations, along with Bolivia’s large landowners and military, began to control the economy and politics of the country.

In 1952, Movimiento Nationalista Revolucionario (MNR), a revolutionary group, seized the government and brought about significant social and economic changes. It brought the mines under the ownership and control of the state. It also brought about agrarian reforms and divided the vast tracts of land among the former tenants and peasants. The MNR was ultimately overthrown by the army in 1964.

The official language of Bolivia is Spanish. However, Bolivians in different parts of the country speak as many as 39 other languages and almost 50% of the people have an indigenous language as their mother tongue. Guyara, Chiriguano, Chiquitano and Aymara are some of the languages spoken in Bolivia.

The cultural ethos of Bolivia has evolved over three periods, namely, the pre – Columbian period, the Colonial period and the Republican period.

The Native American population in Bolivia has incorporated Spanish as well as Central and West African cultural elements with their own ancestral traditions. The Spanish speaking population follows Western traditions and customs.

The religious festivals of the Indians still include Pagan rites from the pre-Columbian era. The 'Tinku-fertility rites', an Indian festival, is still held every year at Macha, on the 3rd of May. The dress and clothing used in the festivals bear the stamp of the 16th century Spaniards as well as the pre Columbian era. The devil dances performed at the carnival in Oruro, the Anata Andina and the carnival at Tarabuco featuring the Pujllay, are prominent examples of folk art in South America.

The Spanish colonialists forced the indigenous women of Bolivia to wear a peasant skirt called pollera. Today, Bolivian Andean women wear the pollera proudly as a fashion statement and a status symbol. It is also considered fashionable to wear a bowler hat; a custom adopted from the British. The position of the bowler hat indicates the woman’s aspirations and marital status.

Music figures prominently in the festivals and dances of the Andean region. Bolivian folk music is varied and many tunes display Spanish influences. Still, Bolivian regional music is unique and has maintained a distinct identity of its own.

Follow the link to view a list of current public holidays in Bolivia.

Most Bolivians are born Roman Catholics. Catholicism, right from the early years of its inception in Bolivia, has woven itself into the local customs and folklore. Religion in Bolivia, in terms of visiting the church and participating in religious activities, is dominated by women.

Tourist visas are valid for 30 days from the date of entry. They may be extended up to 90 days depending on the nationality of the tourist. Specific purpose visas are also valid for 30 days and may be extended up to 60 or 90 days at the immigration office at Bolivia. Transit visas are valid for 15 days while student visas are valid for a period of 60 days.

As visa and passport information can be changed with little to no notice and varies according to your nationality it is advisable to check this information with your relevant embassy prior to travel.