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