Bolivia is a beautiful, geographically diverse, multi-ethnic and democratic country in the heart of South America. Sometimes referred to as the Tibet of the Americas, Bolivia is one of the most remote countries in the western hemisphere; except for the navigable Paraguay River stretching to the distant Atlantic, Bolivia and Paraguay are landlocked, the only landlocked nations in the Americas.

Bolivia is also the most indigenous country in the Americas, with 60% of its population being of pure Native American ancestry. An enormous diversity of ecological zones are represented within Bolivia's territory. The western highlands of the country are situated in the Andes Mountains and the eastern lowlands include large sections of the Amazon rainforest. The highest peak is Nevado Sajama at 6,542 metres, located in the department of Oruro. Lake Titicaca is located on the border between Bolivia and Peru.

The Salar de Uyuni, the world's largest salt flat, lies in the south-west corner of the country, in the department of Potosí.

Official Tourism Body:

EXCHANGE_RATE: 1 Euro = 10,8 Bolivianos
1 USD = 7.05 Bolivianos

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Bolivia's climate varies with altitude, from humid and tropical to cold and semi-arid. In most parts of the country winters are dry and summers are somewhat wet. Despite its tropical latitude, the altitude of cities like La Paz keeps things cool and warm clothing is advised year-round.

You can enter Bolivia with any of the following items without having to pay a duty tax; one photographic camera, one lap top, one video camera with its accessories, one radio, five litres of alcohol, four hundred cigarettes or fifty cigars or half a kilo of chopped tobacco. Personal items such as clothes and toiletries are obviously tax-free.

There are many different celebrations and festivals all over Bolivia, going on year round. This is mostly due to the high concentration of ethnic groups that continue to adhere to ancient traditions. Christmas, New Year and Easter are celebrated nationwide. Carnival, in February, is celebrated in lots of towns and villages throughout Bolivia. Most places have a different interpretation of it, from traditional Andean decorations to more exotic, colourful parades.

Inti Raymi, the solemn feast of the sun, is an interesting celebration that takes place in June during the summer equinox. It is a very important ritual that originated with the Incas. The dances of the Patron Saint of Moxos take place in July. San Joaquin is celebrated in August with bullfights and games. All the festivals are celebrated with music, dancing and elaborate costumes and parades that are synonymous with Bolivian culture.

The international calling code for making calls to Bolivia is +591. Bolivia's national phone company Entel has outlets on practically every street in all major cities. Most Punto Entel shops also have Internet-connected PCs. While traditional pay-phones still exist, you can also make local calls from mobile phones at kiosks or "walking phone booths" - look for a guy in a green vest with a mobile phone on a chain.

A yellow fever vaccination is recommended for those who plan on spending time in the Bolivian Amazon. If you are entering Bolivia from a country where yellow fever is a risk, such as Africa or other South American countries then you will need to present your yellow fever certificate. You must have the injection at least ten days prior to your arrival into the country.

Malaria prophylaxis is recommended if you plan to visit tropical-rural areas. As a preventive measure the following inoculations are also recommended; hepatitis A, hepatitis B, typhoid, tetanus, diphtheria and a measles and chickenpox booster.

To try and avoid the most common traveller illness, diarrhoea, take some precautions. Don’t drink tap water, have drinks with ice in or have anything prepared with water, such as salads or fruit juices. Only drink bottled or boiled water. Avoid milk and milk products like cheese and yogurt, and avoid eating food from roadside stalls that has been sitting out for a long time. Be sure to clean your hands thoroughly before eating too. If you do happened to get a stomach virus, and you probably will, then just take it easy, eat very bland “safe” foods and drink plenty of bottled water. It should pass in a day or two.

Most importantly, make sure you take out a good medical insurance policy before you set off on your travels. This coverage will prove invaluable if you do become seriously ill or are involved in an accident.

The only direct flights to Bolivia from the United States are from Miami, daily on American Airlines and several times a week on AeroSur, which also has connections from Buenos Aires and São Paulo. All flights to Bolivia from Europe go via Miami. El Alto International Airport, which is just outside of La Paz, is where most international visitors travelling by air will enter the country.

If you are entering Bolivia by car then it is common to travel through the border at the north-east of Chile/south-west of Bolivia. The Puno-Desaguadero-La Paz or Puno-Copacabana-La Paz routes from Peru are also popular. There are also many options for travelling from Argentina, Peru and Chile by bus.

It is common for tourists to arrive in Bolivia by boat, from the port city of Puno in Peru, over Lake Titicaca.

Transportation strikes are a common occurrence in Bolivia, so try to keep tuned in to local news. Strikes often affect local taxis as well as long-distance buses; airlines are generally unaffected. Flying within Bolivia is quick and fairly economical. Lloyd and AeroSur connect most major cities. Bus transportation in Bolivia is a nice cheap way to get to see the beautiful scenery while travelling to your destination. Unfortunately the buses often travel solely at night. Keep in mind that the road from La Paz to Cochabamba is occasionally blocked due to protests, often for several days, so if you are planning to use the bus you should also be willing to spend a few days sleeping on it.

Also be wary of the "World's Most Dangerous Road" that goes from La Paz to the Amazon. Bus travel is fairly cheap but keep in mind that only about 5% of all the roads in Bolivia are paved so journeys aren’t very comfortable. However, most major routes between cities are paved, such as Santa Cruz, La Paz, Cochabamba and Sucre. Be aware that in mountainous regions traffic sometimes switches sides of the road. This is to ensure the driver has a better view of the dangerous drops. For longer trips between towns and cities that aren't served by bus, shared taxis are common.

When leaving Bolivia by air there is a departure tax to be paid at the airport. This tax is usually about US$25 or the equivalent in bolivianos, and if it is not included in your ticket price then it has to be paid in the airport, before check-in.

The Andean region has been inhabited for some 13,000 years. Beginning about the second century BC, the Tiwanakan culture developed at the southern end of Lake Titicaca. This culture, centred around the great city of Tiwanaku, developed advanced architectural and agricultural techniques before it disappeared around 1200 AD, probably because of extended drought. The collapse of Tiwanakan influence resulted in the rise of seven regional kingdoms of the Aymara, the most powerful states located in the densely populated area around Lake Titicaca. The Aymara were a belligerent people who lived in fortified hilltop towns. They had an extraordinary ability to adapt to the unique climatic conditions of the region and increased their food supply through irrigation and the process of freezing and drying crops. The Aymara completely dominated the Uru, another major ethnic group in the Pre-Columbian southern Andes, but they were not able to contain the expansion of the Quechua, the third major ethnic group. A Quechua-speaking state emerged in the area around Cusco. They became known as the Incas when they adopted the name of their rulers and were the most powerful group in the northern highlands. As the Aymara kingdoms in the south became weaker, the Incas began to conquer them. The Bolivian highlands became known as the Kollasuyo, a densely populated area with great economic and mineral wealth. By the beginning of the sixteenth century, the Incas had fully established their rule over the Kollasuyo. The Incas failed, however, to conquer the nomadic tribes in the eastern Bolivian lowlands.

The remains of Inca fortresses are evidence of this failure and suggest that the Incas could subdue only those cultures that were primarily based on agriculture. Thus, the Indian groups of the eastern two-thirds of Bolivia preserved their ways of life to a great extent, even after the Spanish conquest. Francisco Pizarro, Diego de Almagro, and Hernando de Luque led the Spanish discovery and conquest of the Inca Empire. They first sailed south in 1524 along the Pacific coast from Panama, to confirm the legendary existence of a land of gold called "Bíru" (later altered to Peru). Bolivia, named after independence fighter Simon Bolívar, broke away from Spanish rule in 1825; much of its subsequent history has consisted of a series of nearly 200 coups and counter-coups. Comparatively democratic civilian rule was established in the 1980s, but leaders have faced difficult problems of deep-seated poverty, social unrest, and drug production. Current goals include attracting foreign investment, strengthening the educational system, and waging an anti-corruption campaign.