| South America's primary mountain range, the Andes, | | | | Amerindian population clusters. But these indigenous |
| attains one of its widest points in Bolivia. Here the | | | | Bolivians still lost their land as did their Peruvian and |
| Andes are divided into two subranges, Cordillera | | | | Ecuadorian counterparts. However, what made the |
| Oriental and Cordillera Occidental. Peaks in these | | | | richer Europeans in Bolivia wealthy was not land but |
| areas are in excess of 20,000 feet. Between these | | | | minerals. |
| subranges lies the Altiplano which contains the highest | | | | The city of Potosi in the Cordillera Oriental became |
| navigable lake on earth. Lake Titicaca, which also lies in | | | | well--known for the huge silver deposits in its |
| Peru, is 12,507 feet above sea level. | | | | surroundings. Zinc, copper, and other ores were found |
| Also in the Altiplano is one of Bolivia's capitals, La Paz. | | | | there. Bolivia's tin deposits provided a large portion of |
| At 11,700 feet it is one of the highest cities in the world. | | | | the country's export income throughout most of the |
| This region is home to one of the centers of Inca | | | | twentieth century. But in the 1980's, tin reserves |
| civilization and pre--Inca cultures. | | | | declined and that along with weak world prices |
| Lake Titicaca is what helps make the Altiplano livable. | | | | reached the point where Bolivia's antiquated mining |
| This body of water is large enough to temper the | | | | methods forced the industry to all but shut down. |
| coldness in its vicinity. Grains have been raised for | | | | Oil and gas are now accounting for an increasing |
| centuries on the surrounding arable land up to the | | | | portion of foreign revenues. Bolivia exports much of it |
| amazing elevation of 12,800 feet. The area supports a | | | | gas to Argentina and Brazil. In return, Brazil is |
| major group of subsistence farmers to this day. | | | | commtted to assisting the development of the corridor |
| Bolivia has had a troubled history. Aside from | | | | between Santa Cruz and Corumba, Brazil, in the |
| numerous internal struggles, the country first lost its | | | | southeastern lowlands. It is here that commercial |
| access to the Pacific Ocean in a conflict with Chile. It | | | | agriculture--especially soybeans--is on the rise. |
| then lost its northern territory of Acre to Brazil in a | | | | Comparatively democratic civilian rule was established |
| dispute involving the rubber industry in the Amazon | | | | in 1982, but leaders have faced difficult problems of |
| Basin. On top of all that, Bolivia was forced to give up | | | | deep-seated poverty, social unrest, and drug |
| 55,000 square miles of southeastern Gran Chaco | | | | production. Current goals include attracting foreign |
| territory to Paraguay. Bolivia has reactivated its claim | | | | investment, strengthening the educational system, |
| to restore the Atacama corridor, ceded to Chile in | | | | resolving disputes with coca growers over Bolivia's |
| 1884, to secure sovereign maritime access for Bolivian | | | | counterdrug efforts, and waging an anticorruption |
| natural gas. | | | | campaign. The country does have its problems, but it |
| Modern Bolivia is the product of European domination, | | | | also has its optimism. |
| however that influence has not affected some of the | | | | |