Figure 1.--Here we see a native America boy photographed near Lake Titicaca with the family llama, probably about 1950. We are unsure how common his hat was. We have not noticed this style in Ecuador or Peru, but are less familar with Bolivia. Hopefully Bolivian readers can tell us more.

Bolivia's principal ethnic groups are the indigenous people dominated by the Quechua and Aymara Native American people. There are a small number of European-descended whites and a much larger, diverse group of mestizo people. The Bolivian population is notable for its ethnic diversity. Nore than 50 different ethnic groups of varying sizes make up the population of Bolivia. Over 60 percent of Bolivians identified themselves as indigenous. [2001 Census] The percentge would be much higher if the origins of mestizos is considered. The two larget groups are Quechua (30 percent) and Aymara (25 percent). Smaller indigenous groups include Guarani (1.5 percent), Chiquitano (2.2 percent), Mojeno (0.9 percent), and smaller mostly Amazonian tribes (2 percent). Bolivia has the population with the largest proportion of indigenous people in Latin America. This compates with Guatemala (50 percent), Peru (40 percent), and Ecuador (35 percent). The Quechua and Aymara are concentrated inthe northern parts of the Andean Altiplano. They are also important in the higher valleys and basins of the Andes. The Chiquitanos and Guarani-speaking peoples in the eastern lowlands are the third and fourth most important ethnic groups. There is a large number of relativly small tribes in the Amazonian lowland departments of Santa Cruz, the Beni and Pando. Bolivia has a small population of African ancestry. They are mostly found in the Nor and Sur Yungas regions in the department of La Paz near the silver mines. These people are descended from enslaved Africans, brought to Bolivia as slave labor to wirk the silver mines One report claims that the Spanish soon decided, that they were 'unsuitable' to work in the horific conditions prevailing in the mines. That does not sound quite right. The high alditude may have been a factor, but we suspect that African slaves who had to be transported long distances were more expensive than Native American labor. In addiion to the Spanish colonial population, other Europeans migrated to Bolivia, most immediately before and during World War II. Some Jews found refuge in Bolivia. There was also a German community. The opening up of Santa Cruz and the Amazonian lowlands attracted Europeans, particularly from Eastern Europe and the former Yugoslavia. There are also colonies of Japanese and Mennonite farmers in northern Santa Cruz. After the indegenous groups, the largest part of the population is mestizos, mixed European (mostly Spanish) and indigenous people. Theu make up much of the urbn population. The term 'cholo' is also used. This has different meanings in Latin America, but in Bolivia commonly tkes on the meaning of an indigenous individual attempting upward mobility by adopting the cultural norms and speaking Spanish, essentially necoming a cultural mestizo. Ethnicity has a powerful afect on language and other cultural matters bcause so many Bolivians are Native Americans. The large Native American population has meant that many Bolivians have preserved their indigenous languages and cultures. Spanish and European culture tends to predominate in urban areas, more than half of Bolivians speak an indigenous language as their first language. Community festivals play an important cultural role, especially in rural areas. Political and economic power was dominated by the Spanish colonial elite. This contintinued with the Criollos after independemce. President Juan Evo Morales Ayma is Bolivia's first democratically elected president from the indigenous population, in his case the Aymara people. His focus is on reducing Bolivia's endemic poverty, but his pasionate devotion to Socialism does not auger well for Bolivia's economic future.

Created: 8:29 AM 5/13/2014
Last updated: 8:29 AM 5/13/2014