Ten Fun Facts About Bolivia

Bolivia is a landlocked country located in South America, and is famous for its cultural wealth. The country is bordered by Brazil in the east; while its western neighbors are Peru and Chile, and Argentina and Paraguay are its southern neighbors. Bolivia has immensely varied Amazonian and Andean landscapes, as well as remainders of the country’s ancient civilizations. Below are ten fun facts about the country of Bolivia.

Fact #1

In the year 2000, an ancient temple was found submerged in the depths of Lake Titicaca. This ruin of the temple is believed to be Pre-Inca which go back to about 1,000 to 1,500 years ago. Also, found near the sunken temple was a patio for crops, a long road and an 800m long wall.

Fact #2

During 1987 Bolivia made the world’s first debt-for-environment trade when the country swapped the 135,000-hectare Beni Biosphere Reserve with an U.S conservation organization who in turn bought US$650,000 of the country’s national debt from a bank for US$100,000. Bolivia still conserves its environment and in 1995 the Madidi National Park was created. The park includes just about everything which ranges from Andean glaciers to rain forests. Maddi has also helped to develop the country’s ecotourism, which includes watching about 1,000 species of bird and tracking tapirs.

Fact #3

Bolivia’s capital, La Paz, is the world’s highest capital city. La Paz is located at an elevation of 3,630 metres.

Fact #4

Bolivia’s Lake Titicaca is the largest South American lake it is also the highest commercially navigable body of water in the world based on its location at an altitude of 12,507 ft.

Fact #5

The planet’s largest deposit of salt can be found in Bolivia. The Salar de Uyuni or salt flats or Uyuni salt beds hold more than 64 million tons of salt.

Fact #6

Beneath the largest salt bed in the world is the world’s largest deposit of lithium and yes it is in Bolivia.

Fact #7

Bolivia is biological diversity. The country is home to 40% of all animal and plant life in the world. Bolivia’s Pantanal Wetlands and tropical rainforests are some of the world’s most biologically rich ecosystems.

Fact #8

Bolivia is one of the top “mega-diverse” countries in the world. The mega-diverse countries have more than 70% of all species known to man. Bolivia is 11th in the world’s country for plant spicies with over 20,000 plant species, 7th for bird species and 4th in butterfly species and 10th when it comes to vertebrate species.

Fact #8

Bolivia is also home to the worlds only known bolivianita mine. Bolivianita is a gem that is partly yellow and purple and is formed when citrine and ametrine are combined.

Fact #10

Bolivia is home to South America’s second largest natural gas reserves.