Bolivia+Two+countries+in+one

The Culture of Bolivia  -Abby Carrier- 

=History= Bolivia is the sixth largest country in South America, bordering the countries of Perú, Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, and Chile, with a a population of roughly 8.8 million. It is a landlocked country, meaning that they do not border the ocean. Bolivia is populated by many different ethnicities, the most notable being the Quechua, the Aymara, and mestizo (see Language Contact). In 1524, the Spanish conquistadors came to Bolivia and the period of Spanish colonization lasted until 1533 (see [|History of Bolivia]). Bolivia started its movement of independence in 1809, and the history of Bolivia is marked with political and economic instability until the last two decades. In 1825 Bolivia gained its independence led by [|Simón Bolívar]after losing over half of its territory (8). Today Bolivia has "the lowest GDP per capita figures in South America. The country is rich in [|natural resources], and has been called a "donkey sitting on a [|gold]-[|mine]" because of this" ([|wikipedia.org]). ==**[|Economy]***== Industry: mining, smelting, petroleum, food and beverages. Agriculture: soybeans, coffee, coca, cotton; timber. Exports: soybeans, natural gas, zinc, gold, wood.


 * adapted from [|Bolivia--National Geographic]

Language
Spanish is the most widespread language in Bolivia, however there are also "39 other living languages used in the country spoken by people in different regions" ([|Kwintessential]). Bolivia's three official languages are Spanish, Aymara, and Quechua (see Bilingualism). The indigenous population of Bolivia is between 55-70%, and approximately half of hte population speaks an indigenous language as their native language. Bolivian Spanish has consequently become a fusion of Spanish mixed with some indigenous lexicon and other language characteristics. "The vocabulary and pronunciation differs according to where in Bolivia you are, i.e. highlands (Altiplano and valleys) or the lowlands (Santa Cruz, Beni and Pando)" ([|Kwintessential]). Most Bolivians speak Spanish and an indigenous language. " Aymara is spoken in the northern altiplano, Quechua in the southern highland and valleys, and Guaraní in the eastern lowlands. There are also more than two dozen distinct indigenous languages and dialects in the lowlands" ([|Kwintessential]).  

Religion
Bolivia has a strong Roman-Catholic influence. Approximately 95% of Bolivians are Roman-Catholic and the other 5% are Protestant. Generally speaking religion tends to be a female dominated activity and affects aspects of life such as language, music, art, dance, and cultural activities and traditions ([|Kwintessential]).

La Paz vs. Sucre
Bolivia has a unique situation in which there are effectively two capitals: La Paz and Sucre. La Paz is the administrative capital with roughly 1.5 million people living there, and Sucre is the constitutional capital occupied by roughly 210,000 people ([|National Geographic]). ====

Artwork
"The Spanish brought their own tradition of religious art which, in the hands of local native and [|mestizo] builders and [|artisans], developed into a rich and distinctive style of [|architecture], [|painting], and [|sculpture] known as "Mestizo Baroque". The colonial period produced not only the paintings of Pérez de Holguín, Flores, Bitti, and others but also the works of skilled but unknown [|stonecutters], [|woodcarvers], [|goldsmiths], and [|silversmiths]" (see [|Culture of Bolivia]). However, there is also a large Roman Catholic influence on the artwork of Bolivia and an influence from the various indigenous groups.


=Cultural Festivals/Activities= 

[|Carnaval de Oruro]
Carnaval de Oruro is an eight day large cultural event and celebration in Bolivia that occurs on a yearly basis before Ash Wednesday. Every year since the colonial days, the celebration begins with the //diablada// or devil dance. During the //diablada//, hundreds of people dressed as devils dance around, making loud noises. "Out of the devil dancers comes //China Supay//, the Devil's wife, who dances a seductive dance to entice the Archangel Michael. Around her dance the members of local workers unions, each carrying a small symbol of their union such as pickaxes or shovels. Dancers dressed as Incas with condor headdresses and suns and moons on their chests dance along with dancers dressed as the black slaves imported by the Spaniards to work in the silver mines. Family members led by the matriarchs in yellow dresses appear in order: first the husbands dressed in red, next come the daughters in green, followed by the sons in blue. The families dance their way to the football stadium where the next part of the celebrations takes place" (Hamre). Next there are two plays that are put on. "The first portrays the Conquest by the Spanish //conquistadores//. The second is the triumph of the Archangel Michael as he defeats the devils and the Seven Deadly Sins with his flaming sword. The results of the battle are announced the Patron Saint of the Miners the //Virgen del Socavon// and the dancers sing a Quecha hymn" (Hamre).

Festival Pits
At the beginning of the harvest season, neighboring villages select men to fight each other. Whoever wins, it is determined that their village's harvest will be superior because the Gods favor them.

Independence Day
Bolivia's independence from Spain, or Dia de la Patria, is celebrated yearly on August 6th. As part of the celebration there are school activities, patriotic parades, and military parades (iExplore).



El Dia de los Muertos
El Dia de los Muertos, or [|Day of the Dead] is a celebration in many  South and Latin American countries (most notably, Mexico) that honors one's dead relatives and is celebrated from October 31st until November 2nd. People honor their dead relatives through adnorning their gravesites with flowers, memories, and skulls and through celebrations and prayer. It is a religious holiday that is influenced by the Roman Catholic religion, and is in conjunction with All Saint's Day and All Soul's Day on November 1st and 2nd ([|wikipedia.org]).

=Dance= The most famous dance in Boliva is the [|caporales]. Caparles dates all of the way back to the caproales born in the Spanish colonies and is largely influenced by the Roman Catholic religon. "One supposedly dances for The Virgin of Socavon (patroness of miners) and promises to dance for three years of one's life. According to researchers at the University of San Marcos in Lima, Peru, the caporales is a Bolivian dance that came from the [|Tundiki] and [|Saya], Afro Andean dances of the [|Yungas] region, Bolivia and were presented formally as caporales in the religious festival of Gran Poder, La Paz Bolivia en the 40's by the Escalier family" ([|wikipedia.org]). People also dance the caporales in Perú and [|Chile].

media type="custom" key="2866281"

=Music= As a result of Bolivia's large indigenous population, a majority of the Bolivian music is largely influenced by the Quechua and the Aymara peoples in addition to the Spanish influence. In the late 1950s and 1960s there became a movement to recognize the indigenous music and many famous Bolivian singers started to adapt their music to include traditional indigenous music forms.

(To hear samples of some traditional Bolivian music: see [|Música de Bolivia].)

media type="custom" key="2866483"

Common musical instruments: //adapted from [|Culture of Bolivia]//
 * [|sicu] (also "sicus") or
 * [|quena]
 * [|tarka] or [|tharqa]
 * [|pinkillo]
 * skin drums
 * bronze gongs
 * copper bells
 * [|charango]: Has five pairs of strings and looks like a small [|guitar]. Traditionally it was made from the shells of [|armadillos], but today it is mostly made of wood.

=Interview with a native Bolivian speaker:=



 * Most people in Bolivia are Roman Catholic
 * Festivals/Holidays: El Dia de Los Muertos, San Juan
 * The different indigenous languages (<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">Quechua, Aymara) are mostly mutually unintelligible because the structure of the language is different
 * How you would greet someone or say goodbye to someone depends on their relation to you and how familiar you are to each other

References:
<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bolivia <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;"> <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_of_Bolivia <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;"> <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">http://www.languagecrossing.com/Destinations/Bolivia/Culture_of_Bolivia/ <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;"> <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">http://www.everyculture.com/A-Bo/Bolivia.html <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;"> <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif;">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Bolivia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_Bolivia http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-etiquette/bolivia.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sim%C3%B3n_Bol%C3%ADvar http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carnaval_de_Orurohttp://travel.nationalgeographic.com/places/countries/country_bolivia.html <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">

<span style="font-family: Impact,Charcoal,sans-serif;"> =<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"> =