Bolivia demographics

Bolivia's ethnic distribution is estimated to be 30%Bolivia one of the largest percentages of
Quechua-speaking and 25% Aymara-speakingBahá'ís in the world). There are colonies of
Amerindians. The largest of the approximatelyMennonites in the department of Santa Cruz.[5] Many
three-dozen native groups are the Quechuas (2.5Native communities interweave pre-Columbian and
million), Aymaras (2 million), then Chiquitano (180,000),Christian symbols in their worship. About 80% of the
and Guaraní (125,000). The remaining 30% ispeople speak Spanish as their first language, although
Mestizo (mixed European and Amerindian), and aroundthe Aymara and Quechua languages are also
15% is classified as white.common. Approximately 90% of the children attend
The white population consists mostly of criollos, whichprimary school but often for a year or less. The
in turn consist of families of relatively unmixed Spanishliteracy rate is low in many rural areas, but according
ancestry, descended from the early Spanish colonists.to CIA the literacy rate is 87% nation wide, similar to
These have formed much of the aristocracy sinceBrazil's literacy rate, but below the South American
independence. Other smaller groups within the whiteaverage. The cultural development of what is
population are Germans who founded the nationalpresent-day Bolivia is divided into three distinct periods:
airline Lloyd Aereo Boliviano, as well as Italian,pre-Columbian, colonial, and republican. Important
American, Basque, Croatian, Russian, Polish and otherarchaeological ruins, gold and silver ornaments, stone
minorities, many of whose members descend frommonuments, ceramics, and weavings remain from
families that have lived in Bolivia for severalseveral important pre-Columbian cultures. Major ruins
generations.include Tiwanaku, Samaipata, Incallajta, and
Also noteworthy is the Afro-Bolivian community thatIskanawaya. The country abounds in other sites that
numbers more than 0.5% of the population, descendedare difficult to reach and have seen little archaeological
from African slaves that were transported to work inexploration.
Brazil and then migrated down south to Bolivia. TheyThe Spanish brought their own tradition of religious art
are mostly concentrated in the Yungas region (Norwhich, in the hands of local native and mestizo builders
Yungas and Sud Yungas provinces) in the departmentand artisans, developed into a rich and distinctive style
of La Paz, some three hours from La Paz city. Thereof architecture, painting, and sculpture known as
are also Japanese who are concentrated mostly in"Mestizo Baroque". The colonial period produced not
Santa Cruz de la Sierra, and Middle Easterners whoonly the paintings of Pérez de Holguín,
became prosperous in commerce.Flores, Bitti, and others but also the works of skilled but
Bolivia is one of the least developed countries in Southunknown stonecutters, woodcarvers, goldsmiths, and
America. Almost two-thirds of its people, many ofsilversmiths. An important body of native baroque
whom are subsistence farmers, live in poverty.religious music of the colonial period was recovered in
Population density ranges from less than one personrecent years and has been performed internationally to
per square kilometer in the southeastern plains towide acclaim since 1994.[4]
about ten per square kilometer (twenty-five per sq. mi)Bolivian artists of stature in the twentieth century
in the central highlands. As of 2006, the population isinclude Guzmán de Rojas, Arturo Borda,
increasing about 1.45% per year.María Luisa Pacheco, and Marina Núnez del
The great majority of Bolivians are Roman CatholicPrado.
(the official religion), although Protestant denominationsBolivia has a rich folklore. Its regional folk music is
are expanding strongly. Islam practiced by thedistinctive and varied. The "devil dances" at the annual
descendants of Middle Easterners is almostcarnival of Oruro are one of the great folkloric events
nonexistent. There is also a small Jewish communityof South America, as is the lesser known carnival at
that is almost all Ashkenazi in origin. More than 1% ofTarabuco
Bolivians practice the Bahá'í Faith (giving