- It is officially known as the Plurinational State of Bolivia.
- It is bordered by Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, Chile, and Peru.
- Bolivia is named after Simon Bolivar, the great independence fighter of South America.
- Bolivia became independent from Spain in 1825.
- It is landlocked. This is a sore spot for Bolivians. They lost their coastal access to Chile in the War of the Pacific in 1979.
- Before it was colonized, it was part of the great Inca Empire.
- Bolivia is a democratic republic and divided into 9 departments (like states or provinces).
- The geography of Bolivia is varied with the Andes in the west, and lowlands of the east.
- The population is about 10 million and is multiethnic and multicultural.
- The main language is Spanish, although the Aymara and Quechua languages are also common.
- The current president is Evo Morales, who is the leader of the socialist party MAS ("more").
- Shares Lake Titicaca with Peru- the world's highest navigable lake.
- Bolivia is rich in natural resources.
- Predominately Catholic.
- Bolivia has 2 capitols: La Paz and Sucre.
- One of the poorest and least developed countries in Latin America.
- There have been A LOT of coups the history of Bolivia since 1825.
- Santa Cruz is the largest department in Bolivia.
- Located in southeast Bolivia.
- Main languages in the region are Spanish, Guarani and Quechua.
- There are lots of natural gas reserves.
- Weather is warm and tropical.
- Winter lasts 2-3 months but it is only really cold for about 1-2 weeks, otherwise it's pleasant, and rainy.
- Agriculture grown there includes sugar, cotton, soybeans, and rice.
- Santa Cruz is the largest City in Bolivia with about 1.6 million people.
- The name means "Holy Cross of the Hills".
- The city was founded in 1561.
- Elevation is 1365 ft above sea level.
- The city's street layout is a concentric ring model.
- Santa Cruz is a major fashion and modeling hub. Cruceños are proud of the tradition they have of winning beauty pageants.
- The city has grown a lot in the past 15 years.
- Common foods are rice, potatoes, and meat.
info and pictures courtesy of CIA world factbook and wikipedia
