| Bolivia's ethnic distribution is estimated to | | | | 1% of Bolivians practice the Bahá'à |
| be 30% Quechua-speaking and 25% | | | | Faith (giving Bolivia one of the largest |
| Aymara-speaking Amerindians. The largest of | | | | percentages of Bahá'Ãs in the world). |
| the approximately three-dozen native groups | | | | There are colonies of Mennonites in the |
| are the Quechuas (2.5 million), Aymaras (2 | | | | department of Santa Cruz.[5] Many Native |
| million), then Chiquitano (180,000), and | | | | communities interweave pre-Columbian and |
| Guaranà (125,000). The remaining 30% is | | | | Christian symbols in their worship. About 80% |
| Mestizo (mixed European and Amerindian), and | | | | of the people speak Spanish as their first |
| around 15% is classified as white. | | | | language, although the Aymara and Quechua |
| | | | languages are also common. Approximately 90% |
| The white population consists mostly of | | | | of the children attend primary school but |
| criollos, which in turn consist of families | | | | often for a year or less. The literacy rate |
| of relatively unmixed Spanish ancestry, | | | | is low in many rural areas, but according to |
| descended from the early Spanish colonists. | | | | CIA the literacy rate is 87% nation wide, |
| These have formed much of the aristocracy | | | | similar to Brazil's literacy rate, but below |
| since independence. Other smaller groups | | | | the South American average. The cultural |
| within the white population are Germans who | | | | development of what is present-day Bolivia is |
| founded the national airline Lloyd Aereo | | | | divided into three distinct periods: |
| Boliviano, as well as Italian, American, | | | | pre-Columbian, colonial, and republican. |
| Basque, Croatian, Russian, Polish and other | | | | Important archaeological ruins, gold and |
| minorities, many of whose members descend | | | | silver ornaments, stone monuments, ceramics, |
| from families that have lived in Bolivia for | | | | and weavings remain from several important |
| several generations. | | | | pre-Columbian cultures. Major ruins include |
| | | | Tiwanaku, Samaipata, Incallajta, and |
| Also noteworthy is the Afro-Bolivian | | | | Iskanawaya. The country abounds in other |
| community that numbers more than 0.5% of the | | | | sites that are difficult to reach and have |
| population, descended from African slaves | | | | seen little archaeological exploration. |
| that were transported to work in Brazil and | | | | |
| then migrated down south to Bolivia. They are | | | | The Spanish brought their own tradition of |
| mostly concentrated in the Yungas region (Nor | | | | religious art which, in the hands of local |
| Yungas and Sud Yungas provinces) in the | | | | native and mestizo builders and artisans, |
| department of La Paz, some three hours from | | | | developed into a rich and distinctive style |
| La Paz city. There are also Japanese who are | | | | of architecture, painting, and sculpture |
| concentrated mostly in Santa Cruz de la | | | | known as "Mestizo Baroque". The colonial |
| Sierra, and Middle Easterners who became | | | | period produced not only the paintings of |
| prosperous in commerce. | | | | Pérez de HolguÃn, Flores, Bitti, and |
| | | | others but also the works of skilled but |
| Bolivia is one of the least developed | | | | unknown stonecutters, woodcarvers, |
| countries in South America. Almost two-thirds | | | | goldsmiths, and silversmiths. An important |
| of its people, many of whom are subsistence | | | | body of native baroque religious music of the |
| farmers, live in poverty. Population density | | | | colonial period was recovered in recent years |
| ranges from less than one person per square | | | | and has been performed internationally to |
| kilometer in the southeastern plains to about | | | | wide acclaim since 1994.[4] |
| ten per square kilometer (twenty-five per sq. | | | | |
| mi) in the central highlands. As of 2006, the | | | | Bolivian artists of stature in the twentieth |
| population is increasing about 1.45% per | | | | century include Guzmán de Rojas, Arturo |
| year. | | | | Borda, MarÃa Luisa Pacheco, and Marina |
| | | | Núnez del Prado. |
| The great majority of Bolivians are Roman | | | | |
| Catholic (the official religion), although | | | | Bolivia has a rich folklore. Its regional |
| Protestant denominations are expanding | | | | folk music is distinctive and varied. The |
| strongly. Islam practiced by the descendants | | | | "devil dances" at the annual carnival of |
| of Middle Easterners is almost nonexistent. | | | | Oruro are one of the great folkloric events |
| There is also a small Jewish community that | | | | of South America, as is the lesser known |
| is almost all Ashkenazi in origin. More than | | | | carnival at Tarabuco |