Bolivia

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Bolivia

Although economically the poorest area of South America, Bolivia is rich in many ways making it a mecca for tourists seeking new and different experiences. Bolivia shares borders with Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, Chile and Peru. Bolivia, whose main tongue is Spanish, was granted independence from Spain in 1809. Five things you might not know about Bolivia are:

5 Facts You Might Not Know

Education in Bolivia is very poor since the school year only runs from February to November. Although twelve years of education is available, the average Bolivian drops out of school at the sixth level leading to a 60 percent jobless rate. Only Catholic teachings are allowed in the public schools.

Festivals and holidays are a very important part of the culture. One highlight of the year is Carnival, similar to Mardi Gras, celebrated with food, music and dance. Independence Day is celebrated each August sixth. Christmas is predominately a Christian observance. There are no restrictions regarding the placement of nativity scenes.

Bolivia is a country of two climates. Western Bolivia is dominated by the cold Andean mountains. Two tourist attractions in this area are La Paz which is the world's second highest city and Lake Titicaca with an elevation of 12 thousand feet above sea level. Eastern Bolivia is comprised of rainforests and home to wildlife such as the sloth and the 9-foot wing spanned Andean Condor.

The largest display of dinosaur footprints in the world may be found near the capital city of Sucra. Designated as a UNESCO site in 1994, it is estimated there are 5000 tracks belonging to about 150 species and believed to date back 70 million years. Bolivia boasts the world's largest butterfly sanctuary, salt concentration(60 million tons) and an estimated rainfall around 300 inches yearly.

Bolivia is 95 percent Roman Catholic.