CAPITALS LA PAZ (ADMINISTRATIVE), SUCRE (JUDICIAL) - POPULATION 9.1 MILLION - AREA 1,098,580 SQ KM - OFFICIAL LANGUAGES SPANISH, QUECHUA, AYMARA
Things are not well at present in this beautiful, remote and landlocked country, with a state of emergency having been declared following severe flooding in February 2008. The floods left tens of thousands homeless, and it'll be quite some time before Bolivia's infrastructure is completely repaired and it's back on its feet. There have been violent clashes of late, brought on partly by President Evo Morales' promise to begin penning a new constitution, and exacerbated by poverty and local political wrangling. Still, with the allure of volcanoes, pristine wilderness comprising both the Andes and the Amazon, vast and magical Lake Titicaca, the world's largest salt flats at Salar de Uyuni, and such culinary delights as guinea pig and llma jerky to feast on, it's a place worth adding to any travel wish list.
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