Bolivia
A country of statistical extremes, landlocked Bolivia is the highest and most isolated country in South America. It has the largest proportion of indigenous people, who make up around two-thirds of the population, and is the world's largest producer of tin. Bolivia is also one of the poorest countries in South America. Whereas wealthy city elites, who are mostly of Spanish ancestry, have traditionally dominated political and economic life, the majority of Bolivians are low-income subsistence farmers, miners, small traders or artisans.
In the 1980s Bolivia suffered from a deep economic recession. The tin market collapsed, with the loss of about 21,000 jobs, inflation was rampant and the national currency was in severe crisis. While strict austerity measures, the introduction of a new currency and tax reform succeeded in curbing inflation and restoring foreign confidence, these policies also widened the already huge wealth gap and generated great social unrest.
Bolivia is one of the world's largest producers of coca, the raw material for cocaine. A crop-eradication programme, though easing the flow of conditional US aid, has incensed many of Bolivia's poorest farmers for whom coca is often the only source of income.
The country has the second-largest reserves of natural gas in South America, but there are simmering tensions over the exploitation and the export of the resource. Indigenous groups are opposed to relinquishing control of the reserves, which they see as Bolivia's sole remaining natural resource. The political fallout from the issue helped to topple two presidents and has been compounded by mounting calls for regional autonomy, including in prosperous, oil-producing Santa Cruz.
Source: BBC News
- Fact Sheet…basic info about the country
- CLWR's Involvement…a description of CLWR's program
- Projects…information about specific projects
- Photo Gallery…photos from CLWR program locations and the country in general
- Donate to Bolivia…direct link to online donation
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