Travel Alert Status
Level 4: Do Not Travel
Time Difference:
UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Travel Climate:
Bolivia lies entirely within the Tropics, but extreme differences in elevation from 300 feet (90 meters) along the Brazilian border to 21,000 feet (6,400 meters) at the highest peaks produce a great variety of climatic conditions. Coupled with soil diversity, this produces highly varied vegetation, from the sparse scrub grasses in semiarid highlands to lush rain forests containing a variety of hardwoods (Mahogany, South American, Oak, and Cedar). There are two seasons in La Paz: a rainy season beginning in December and continuing through March (it rains almost daily during this period), and a dry season running from April to November. The climate is generally cool, but brilliant sunshine raises daytime temperatures. Midday outdoor parties and activities are pleasant. Rainfall averages 20 inches (51 centimeters) a year.
Travel Currency:
6.91
Languages:
Spanish (official), Quechua (official), Aymara (official)
Ethnic Groups:
Quechua 30%, mestizo (mixed white and Amerindian ancestry) 30%, Aymara 25%, white 15%
National Holiday:
Independence Day, 6 August (1825)
Geographic Coordinates:
17 00 S, 65 00 W
Location:
Central South America, southwest of Brazil
Airports:
21