We are visiting Bolivia, a rugged and beautiful country in the heart of South America. There are around 12 million people living here. It is unique because it has two capital cities: Sucre, which is the constitutional capital, and La Paz, where the government actually works. The official languages are Spanish and over 30 indigenous languages, including Quechua and Aymara.

Bolivia covers about 1.1 million square kilometers, or 424,000 square miles. To imagine its size, the country is roughly the same size as Ethiopia, or about three times the size of Germany. It is a landlocked country, meaning it has no ocean coast, and it contains some of the highest mountains and flattest deserts on the planet.

The most popular sport is Football, and the national team has a huge advantage when they play at home because their stadium in La Paz is so high up in the mountains that visiting players often get tired from the thin air! Their national animal is the Llama, a sturdy and furry relative of the camel that has been helping people carry goods across the mountains for thousands of years.

The flag features three horizontal stripes of red, yellow, and green, where the red symbolizes the bravery of the soldiers, the yellow represents the country’s rich mineral resources, and the green stands for the fertility of the land.

The food is hearty and perfect for the cold mountain air. You must try Salteñas, which are savory pastries filled with meat, eggs, and a sweet, spicy gravy. They also grow over 4,000 types of potatoes in every color and shape you can imagine!

Bolivia is home to the Salar de Uyuni, the largest salt flat in the world; it is so flat and white that it looks like a giant mirror when a thin layer of water covers it. In the city of La Paz, instead of just taking buses, people commute in a giant network of Cable Cars that soar over the city like colorful bubbles. High in the Andes mountains, you will find Lake Titicaca, which is the highest lake in the world that big ships can sail on. The country also has a “Deadly Road” called the North Yungas Road, which is famous for being carved into the side of a cliff with a drop-off of nearly 2,000 feet!

From the white salt deserts to the colorful markets of the Andes, Bolivia is a land of extremes and ancient traditions. ¡Gracias! That means “Thank you!”