Introduction Bolivia is one of the largest countries in all of South America. Bolivia is a country about three times the size of Montana and is located south of Brazil and east of Chile. The economy in Bolivia is facing difficulties right now. Bolivia’s gross domestic product (GDP) per capita is about 3,105 USD. In comparison, Chile's GDP per capita is 13,792, Peru's GDP per capita is 6,045, and Argentina's GDP per capita is 12,449. Bolivia is about 1.1 million square miles. Bolivia has a population of eleven million people, although it is not densely populated and only has 23 people per square mile. |
Brief History The first inhabitants of Bolivia were the Colla Indians who spoke Aymara. The Colla settled near the south end of Lake Titicaca around 600. The Colla later created the Tiahuanaco civilization which flourished until about 900. Around 1300 the Incas came to Bolivia and conquered the Tiahuanaco civilization. In 1527, the Inca ruler Huayna Capac divided the land and gave each half to one of his sons, Atahualpa and Huascar. Huayna Capac died in 1527 which soon led to the civil war between Atahualpa and Huascar. The civil war made it much easier for Pizzaro’s Spaniards to take over the land once they arrived in 1532. Bolivia was part of the Viceroyalty of Peru and around 1776, became part of the Viceroyalty of La Plata. On August sixth 1825, Bolivia gained independence and Antonio Jose de Sucre becomes the first president. In 1879, the Chilean president declared war on Bolivia which later become known as the War of the Pacific. The war of the Pacific lasted until 1884 when Chile defeated Bolivia. After the war in 1884, Bolivia no longer had an outlet to the sea or the coastal land which contained valuable minerals. The current president of Bolivia is Evo Morales
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