Tucked among the Andean mountains to the west and the vast inland sea of the Amazon forest to the east, Bolivia remains one of the most inaccessible and unchanged countries of the Americas. As a result, it is a treasure of diverse cultures, which are preserved not just in memory or museums but in the living reality of a nation that is majority indigenous. There are the famous Quechuas of the mountains, the proud Ayamaras of Lake Titicaca, the Guarani of the Grand Chaco, the Guarayos of the great humid forests, the Chiquitanos of the dry tropical forests, and the dozens of Amazon tribes of the lowland jungle.
Although Bolivia won its independence from Spain in 1825, it is still a young democracy, having emerged from a military dictatorship only in 1982. It is struggling to build formal processes of popular expression and democratic participation while at the same time to develop an economy that will benefit all, not just a few. The result is a nation in constant change, sometimes in turmoil, searching for its own path to democracy and prosperity without forgetting its identity and history.
