Bolivia
My country is Bolivia, which is in South America and borders Brazil,
Peru, Paraguay, Argentina, and Chile. The absolute location of Bolivia is 16
degrees south and 68 degrees west. Bolivia is on a great plateau. Bolivia’s
biggest city is Santa Cruz. The president is Evo Morales. Mining accounts for
50 percent of Bolivia’s foreign trade. There is still a lot of petroleum yet to be
extracted from the ground. Bolivia also mines lots of iron because there is a large iron ore field in Eastern Bolivia
called the Cerro de Mutún. It is the largest iron ore mine in the world. Bolivia
is full of interesting people and culture. Its main religion is Roman Catholic
and protestant. The people of Bolivia mainly speak Spanish. Other languages are
also common such as Quechua, Aymara and Tupi Guairani. Three perceptions about Bolivia are that many of the
people are addicted to cocaine, everyone lives below poverty level, and most
people are uneducated and illiterate.
Perception #1: Bolivian Are Addicted to Cocaine
Because cocoa plants are grown all over Bolivia, it is assumed most people use cocaine. This is false while most people chew coca leafs this is not the same as cocaine. Coca leafs are used to overcome hunger, thirst and exhaustion. The coca leaf actually has lots of Nutritional value like vitamins B1, B2, C, and E and contains calcium and protein. It is so popular that in the city of La Paz, there is a museum call Museo de la coca, a whole museum about the history and use of the coca leaf.
Perception #2: Everyone is below the poverty line.
“Bolivia is South America’s poorest country,
with about 60 percent of the population of 9.1 million mired in poverty.” Bolivia
is 30.3% below the poverty level based of the average income of two dollars a
day. Since 1981, Bolivia’s GDP per capita was 1957.015 and as of 2010 it is now
4603.528. It is slowly but surely on a incline. In Bolivia the working of
society and of the economy results in inequity. The social problem in the
country is inequality in the distribution of income and of benefits. In 2001
the president of Bolivia introduced a bill that did reduce poverty and increase
the GPD. According to statistics Bolivia will have to work hard to escape
poverty within the next 2 generations.
Poverty will
persist as long as Latin Americans fail to take day-to-day responsibility for
improving the quality of life of their fellow citizens.
Perception #3: The people of Bolivia are uneducated
and illiterate.
Bolivia
has an 87.6% literacy rate, which compared to other countries in South America which
is good, because it is a developing rate. 87 percent of kids go to school but
they only go to school for a few years. The Literacy rate is low in rural
areas. “Government statistics are also positive regarding school attendance,
which they indicate increased from 73 to 81 percent between 1992 and 1996.
Illiteracy is said to have fallen from 36.8 percent in 1976 to 20 percent in
1992”.
Even though Bolivia isn’t the most exciting country in
the world it could be worse. It is a great place to visit full of rich culture,
and a unique people with interesting lifestyles. Visit Bolivia to see a hard
working people in a developing country with.
