Learn Spanish Abroad - Geography of Bolivia

The Highlands
There are two Andean mountain chains that run through Bolivia. The western mountain chain, Cordillera Occidental, runs along the western Bolivian border with Chile, near the Pacific Ocean. The Cordillera Real runs southeast past Lake Titicaca, through central Bolivia and then joins the western Cordillera in the south of Bolivia.

The Altiplano, or “high plain”, is the section of land between the two Cordilleras. The Andean Altiplano is a cold and almost treeless environment. It features poetic beauty and unsettled land where visitors can appreciate geologic formations and rugged nature. The Altiplano is also home to the largest salt flats of the world, with the Uyuni Salt Flat being the most famous.

Lake Titicaca, considered the world’s highest navigable lake, is full of culture from the days of the Tiahuanaco. The man-made floating islands built from reeds native to the region are unique to Lake Titicaca.

Sucre is the judiciary capital of Bolivia, meaning the judicial branch of the government resides here. Sucre was the original capital of the Republic and is located on the Cordillera Real. The legislative and executive branches of government have moved to La Paz. Although Sucre is still the legal capital of Bolivia, La Paz is the political heart of Bolivia now and is the acting capital for all intents and purposes. La Paz is located in the highlands in northeastern Bolivia, close to Lake Titicaca.


The Lowlands
More than half of Bolivia’s land is in the Amazon Basin. The northern and eastern parts of Bolivia are mostly flat and covered in swamps and rainforest. These areas are very sparsely populated.
The southeastern corner of Bolivia is also flat and very thick with tropical rainforest. The area is so thick, it is almost impenetrable. The area is known as the Gran Chaco and extends into northern Paraguay.

Go back to Learn Spanish in Bolivia