16 Fun Facts About Bolivia, Home to the World's Highest Capital City!

Bolivia is a landlocked country in the center of South America. Bolivia borders four nations: Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, Chile and Peru. At the nation’s center you can find Cerro Rico. This “Rich Mountain” supplied Spain with silver during the era of Spanish conquest. In fact, the yellow in the modern Bolivian flag represents the nation’s mineral wealth.

Here are some key facts about Bolivia to get you started:

In this article, we explore 16 Bolivia facts including its innovative prison system, UNESCO World Heritage sites and status as a plurinational state.

>> Travel to Peru, one of Bolivia’s neighboring countries!

1. Bolivia has two national capitals

Bolivia has two national capitals: La Paz is the administrative capital city, while Sucre is the constitutional capital. Sucre is where the country declared independence from Spain during the Spanish rule (August 6, 1825). The Spanish rule in Bolivia lasted from 1538 to 1825, a total of 287 years.

During the Spanish colonization in the early 1500s, Bolivia was historically referred to as ‘Upper Peru’ by the conquistadors who sought gold and resources.

Bolivia is one of four countries in the world with an unusual number of capitals.

The other three countries are:

1. South Africa – South Africa has three capitals:

• Pretoria (administrative capital)
• Cape Town (legislative capital)
• Bloemfontein (judicial capital)

2. Netherlands – The Netherlands has two capitals:

• Amsterdam (constitutional capital)
• The Hague (seat of government, judiciary, and foreign affairs)

3. Switzerland – Switzerland does not have an official capital, but the de facto capital is:

• Bern (federal city, where the government operates)

Extra fact: Bolivia may have two capital cities, but neither of them are the largest city in the country. That title belongs to Santa Cruz.

>>Travel Programs to South Africa, The Country with Three Capitals

2. Bolivia has the world’s largest salt flat

Salar de Uyuni is the world’s largest salt flat and it’s located in the Andes region of Bolivia. The salt flat covers 10,582 square kilometers (4,086 square miles).

It is famous for creating an effect where the sky and the ground appear as one, forming the world’s largest natural mirror.

Salar de Uyuni was part of an ancient lake(Lake Poopó) before becoming the massive salt flats we see today. The salt flats still hold the remnants of that ancient body of water.

3. Bolivia has the 5th highest airport in the world

El Alto International Airport in La Paz, Bolivia is the 5th highest airport in the world with an altitude of 13,325 feet (4,061 meters).

4. Bolivia was once part of the Inca Empire

Bolivia was part of the Inca Empire before the nation was colonized by Spain. The Incas was one of the largest empires in pre-Columbian America and controlled territory across the Andes. The empire stretched through modern-day Peru, Ecuador, Chile, Argentina, and Bolivia.

Related: Everything You Need to Know About Traveling to Peru

5. Bolivia has 37 official languages

Bolivia has 37 official languages, including Spanish, Quechua, Aymara, and Guarani. The most spoken language is Spanish, but Indigenous languages are also common.

6. Lake Titicaca is the highest navigable lake in the world

Lake Titicaca is the largest freshwater lake by volume in South America and the highest navigable lake in the world. The lake is shared by Bolivia and Peru and has an altitude of 12,500 feet (3,810 meters) above sea level.

Bonus Fun Fact about Bolivia: The Incans believed the lake to be the birthplace of their civilization, where the creator god Viracocha emerged from the waters to create the sun, moon, stars, and first humans.

7. Bolivia abolished slavery in 1831

In 1831, Bolivia became one of the first countries in Latin America to abolish slavery, six years after gaining independence from the Spanish crown. Other Latin American nations that abolished slavery in the same period were Haiti in 1804 and Chile in 1823.

8. Bolivia has a navy despite not having access to the sea

Bolivia’s navy conducts its drill on Lake Titicaca. Along with Paraguay, Bolivia is one of two landlocked countries in South America. Bolivia lost access to South America’s Pacific coast to Chile in the War of the Pacific (1879 to 1884).

The war was caused by disputes over mineral rights in the Atacama Desert and resulted in Bolivia losing 400 kilometers of coastline and 120,000 square kilometers of territory to Chile.

The loss of access to the sea is annually recognized on March 23, Bolivia’s Dia del Mar (Day of the Sea).

9. Bolivia’s Oruro Carnival is a UNESCO World Heritage event

Bolivia’s Oruro Carnival is recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity due to its interesting mix of religious and cultural traditions. The Carnival was initially an Indigenous celebration of Andean gods that was later incorporated into Roman Catholic celebrations of the Virgin Mary.

• Dates: 2026: Feb 9–18 | 2027: Feb 24–Mar 5

• Location: Oruro City, which can be reached by bus or train from larger cities such as La Paz or Cochabamba.

Travel Tips: Book your accommodations in advance and arrive a few days earlier to get used to the high altitude. If you want to get the best view of the Diablada (Dance of the Devils), then head to Avenida 6 de Agosto.z

10. Bolivia has one of the world’s most dangerous roads

The Yungas Road in Bolivia, also known as the “Death Road,” is a narrow, winding path that connects La Paz to the Amazon basin. It was once the only road linking the two locations but there are now safer options. During its peak, 200 to 300 people per year died on the road.

While the road is popular with thrill-seekers, Rustic Pathways does not travel down that road.

11. Bolivia enshrined being a plurinational state into its 17th constitution

Bolivia declared itself a plurinational state with the creation of its 17th constitution in 2009. A plurinational state is one that recognizes the existence and rights of multiple nations and cultures within a single country.

The constitution strengthened the rights of Bolivia’s indigenous peoples, helping to preserve their traditions and languages.

12. Bolivia’s San Pedro prison is not a typical system

The San Pedro Prison in La Paz has a weird system where families live together inside the prison. Housing is rented or purchased, with monthly costs reaching up to 1,100 Bolivianos ($159).

Businesses can also be managed inside the prison. Restaurants and barber services are among the most common, though many engage in illegal activities such as producing drugs.

Democratic elections for inmate committees also take place to determine who will manage which sections and who will handle budgets.

Because parents (inmates) want to keep the family together, children live with them in the prisons. Approximately 200 children live in the prison and attend nearby schools.

Could you imagine living in a prison? Me neither.

13. The ancient ruins of Tiwanaku are located in Bolivia

The ancient ruins of Tiwanaku are one of the most important archaeological sites in Bolivia, located near Lake Titicaca. The ruins are of particular importance as this ancient civilization predates the Inca Empire and shows the engineering and architectural feats of Bolivia’s early Indigenous people.

Some of the stone structures and statues date back to 1500 BCE.

14. Bolivia has the largest indigenous population in Latin America

Bolivia has the highest percentage of Indigenous population in Latin America, with up to 62% of the country’s population identifying as Indigenous.

These are the top 5 Latin American countries with the highest percentage of indigenous populations:

15. Cerro Rico was once the richest place in the world

Cerro Rico in Potosí was once the world’s largest silver deposit and the richest place in the world. Also known as Rich Mountain, Spanish colonizers mined silver through forced labor from 1545, killing millions of indigenous people.

The mountain’s silver funded much of the Spanish Empire, with an estimated 45,000 tons extracted during colonial rule. At its peak in the late 16th century, Potosí was one of the largest and wealthiest cities in the world, with a population exceeding that of Paris.

Now empty of silver, the mountain continues to be mined for tin and zinc. UNESCO has designated it as a World Heritage site but also placed it on their “in danger” list. The mining that has taken place in the caves has weakened its foundations and is now prone to collapsing.

16. Bolivia is the world’s largest exporter of Brazil nuts and this is protecting the rainforest

Bolivia is the world’s largest exporter of Brazil nuts, known round those parts as “almendra” or “castaña”. The Brazil nut industry employs over 15,000 people directly and generates over $200 million in annual exports.

Brazil nuts grow wild in the Amazon rainforest, especially in the northern Pando Department. They cannot be effectively grown in plantations so require the Amazon rainforest to thrive.

This preserves large chunks of forest, as local communities have an economic incentive to maintain the natural ecosystem and grow Brazil nuts.

References:

BBC

South American Jets

UNESCO

Visit Latin America