| Bolivia's ethnic distribution is estimated to be 30% | | | | Bolivia one of the largest percentages of |
| Quechua-speaking and 25% Aymara-speaking | | | | Bahá'Ãs in the world). There are colonies of |
| Amerindians. The largest of the approximately | | | | Mennonites in the department of Santa Cruz.[5] Many |
| three-dozen native groups are the Quechuas (2.5 | | | | Native communities interweave pre-Columbian and |
| million), Aymaras (2 million), then Chiquitano (180,000), | | | | Christian symbols in their worship. About 80% of the |
| and Guaranà (125,000). The remaining 30% is | | | | people speak Spanish as their first language, although |
| Mestizo (mixed European and Amerindian), and around | | | | the 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, which | | | | primary school but often for a year or less. The |
| in turn consist of families of relatively unmixed Spanish | | | | literacy 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 since | | | | Brazil's literacy rate, but below the South American |
| independence. Other smaller groups within the white | | | | average. The cultural development of what is |
| population are Germans who founded the national | | | | present-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 other | | | | archaeological ruins, gold and silver ornaments, stone |
| minorities, many of whose members descend from | | | | monuments, ceramics, and weavings remain from |
| families that have lived in Bolivia for several | | | | several important pre-Columbian cultures. Major ruins |
| generations. | | | | include Tiwanaku, Samaipata, Incallajta, and |
| Also noteworthy is the Afro-Bolivian community that | | | | Iskanawaya. The country abounds in other sites that |
| numbers more than 0.5% of the population, descended | | | | are difficult to reach and have seen little archaeological |
| from African slaves that were transported to work in | | | | exploration. |
| Brazil and then migrated down south to Bolivia. They | | | | The Spanish brought their own tradition of religious art |
| are mostly concentrated in the Yungas region (Nor | | | | which, in the hands of local native and mestizo builders |
| Yungas and Sud Yungas provinces) in the department | | | | and artisans, developed into a rich and distinctive style |
| of La Paz, some three hours from La Paz city. There | | | | of 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 who | | | | only the paintings of Pérez de HolguÃn, |
| became prosperous in commerce. | | | | Flores, Bitti, and others but also the works of skilled but |
| Bolivia is one of the least developed countries in South | | | | unknown stonecutters, woodcarvers, goldsmiths, and |
| America. Almost two-thirds of its people, many of | | | | silversmiths. 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 person | | | | recent years and has been performed internationally to |
| per square kilometer in the southeastern plains to | | | | wide 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 is | | | | include Guzmán de Rojas, Arturo Borda, |
| increasing about 1.45% per year. | | | | MarÃa Luisa Pacheco, and Marina Núnez del |
| The great majority of Bolivians are Roman Catholic | | | | Prado. |
| (the official religion), although Protestant denominations | | | | Bolivia has a rich folklore. Its regional folk music is |
| are expanding strongly. Islam practiced by the | | | | distinctive and varied. The "devil dances" at the annual |
| descendants of Middle Easterners is almost | | | | carnival of Oruro are one of the great folkloric events |
| nonexistent. There is also a small Jewish community | | | | of South America, as is the lesser known carnival at |
| that is almost all Ashkenazi in origin. More than 1% of | | | | Tarabuco |
| Bolivians practice the Bahá'à Faith (giving | | | | |