BOLIVIA

BOLIVIA. – Republic of South America.

I. GEOGRAPHY

Bordered by Peru, Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, and Chile; among the Andean states, the only one without its own outlet onto the nearby Ocean. The territory (1.1 million sq. km.) comprises (for approximately one quarter of its extent) a highland zone, with enclosed basins and elevated mountain ranges; for the rest, the broad, gradual slope by which these descend toward the basins of the Amazon and Paraguay. The former contains, in its depressions, lakes without outlets to the sea; the latter is traversed by mighty rivers that flow into the Madeira and the Pilcomayo; there, the grass steppe or bare rocky terrain predominates; here, in part (to the NE), the equatorial forest, and in part, as humidity decreases (to the SE), scrubland and prairie (Chaco). The soil is cultivated over a very limited area (2% of the total). The principal resource consists in mining production (tin, bismuth, silver, zinc, gold, etc.). The entire country suffers from sparse and difficult communications; international routes lead, by means of bold railway lines, to the ports of Arica, Antofagasta (Chile), and Mollendo (Peru), and to the Argentine network (Tucumán), while relying to a large extent (for passengers and mail) on air transport. B. is a unitary republic, independent since 1825; its constitution is democratic, with bicameral representation. The population (3.7 million inhabitants in 1945) consists of more than half Amerindians (among whom are the civilized Quechua and Aymarà), approximately one third mestizos, one seventh Creoles and whites, and the remainder blacks. There are approximately 1,500 Italians. On the high plateau, where, above 3,000 metres, 90% of the country’s population lives, the principal population centres are concentrated. The seat of government is La Paz (280,000 inhabitants; elevation 3,630 metres); the legal capital is Sucre (35,000 inhabitants; 2,790 metres); other noteworthy cities are Cochabamba (60,000 inhabitants; 2,557 metres), Oruro (50,000 inhabitants; 3,706 metres), and Potosi (40,000 inhabitants; 3,970 metres). Catholic worship is the state religion; according to official data, 84% of the population belongs to II.
The soil is cultivated over a very limited area (2% of the total). The entire country suffers from sparse and difficult communications; international routes lead, by means of bold railway lines, to the ports of Arica, Antofagasta (Chile), and Mollendo (Peru), and to the Argentine network (Tucumán), while relying to a large extent (for passengers and mail) on air transport.

Giuseppe Caraci

II. CIVIL AND ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY

Until its separation from Spain, this region was called Upper Peru, but it was much more extensive, reaching three million sq. km.; likewise, the indigenous population in the sixteenth century was much larger than today, having subsequently been decimated by wars, plague, and the vices im- ported by the Europeans, who went there in great numbers, attracted by the exceedingly rich mines, especially those of silver, at Potosi. There is a great diversity of races and civilizations in the country; the Europeans, chiefly Spaniards, founded colonies of white populations beside the rich mines and attempted to bring the indomitable Indians into civilized life. These still display the characteristics of the various regions, since the nation may be considered geographically divided into three parts: the inter-Andean, the Amazonian, and the Plata regions. All three are very mountainous, which in the past made the penetration of European and Christian culture difficult, especially in the Andean region. This was further complicated by the multiplicity of ancient languages, among them Quechua and Aymará, not to mention forty dialects. The country’s civilization seems to have begun in the region adjoining Peru and Colombia.

The civil and ecclesiastical history of B. after the discovery is largely identified with that of Peru, because the colonizing activity of the Spaniards was confined to the plateau, which, as the province (Audiencia) of Upper Peru or Charcas, formed an integral part of the Viceroyalty

of Peru. The plains to the north and east remained in the hands of the Indians, who were only partly reached by missionary activity. The western part of present-day B., the Charcas plateau, at the time of the Spanish conquest in 1559, belonged to the kingdom of the Incas. In 1776 the territory was annexed to the newly established Viceroyalty of Buenos Aires.

The conquest of B. was begun by the brothers Ferdinando and Gonzalo Pizarro and completed through extremely harsh battles with the Indians. After most of the country had been pacified, the victors proceeded to establish several important cities, the principal one being La Plata, initially called Chugnisaca or Las Charcas, so named on account of the exceedingly rich silver mines in the same region. Its founder, in 1538, was Captain Pedro Anzures; the founder of the city of La Paz in 1548 was the viceroy Pietro La Gasca, who gave it this name for the peace achieved after the victory over the rebels led by Gonzalo Pizarro. The construction of Cochabamba was begun in 1575 by Girolamo d'Osorio; the city of Tarija had been founded the previous year; that of S. Cruz de la Sierra in 1592, and Oruro in 1604. Evangelization of the country began at the same time as the conquest, through the work of the Dominicans and, still more, of the Franciscans. In 1551 Charcas or La Plata, now Sucre, was erected into a diocese. In 1565 the Franciscans founded the province of S. Antonio

de las Charcas, which in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries maintained seventeen « doctrinas » or missionary stations among the Indians of Upper Peru. At the beginning of the seventeenth century, the ecclesiastical hierarchy was completed with the erection of the dioceses of S. Cruz de la Sierra (1605) and La Paz (1608), and with the elevation of Charcas to an archdiocese (1609).

During the sixteenth century, missionary activity had been confined to the western plateau of present-day B.; in the seventeenth century the mission began to extend northward and eastward. In 1632 the Jesuits attempted, initially without success, to convert the Chiriguanos in the Chaco. In 1668 they began the mission among the Mojos in the north, founding the first Reduction, Loreto, in 1684. The work of the Reductions among the Mojos and neighboring tribes achieved good results. In 1752 the mission numbered twenty-one Reductions with more than 35,000 Christians. Equally effective was the work of the Jesuits among the Chiquitos in the east, begun in 1691 through the martyr José de Arce; in 1767 the mission comprised ten villages with 22,000 Christians. Following the expulsion of the Jesuits in 1767, the Reductions were destroyed; they passed into the hands of the diocesan clergy of S. Cruz de la Sierra, who, however, were too few in number to continue the mission. Consequently, the Christians again mingled with the pagan Indians, giving rise to a mixture of Christian and pagan customs that subsequently formed an almost impregnable bulwark.

Meanwhile, the Franciscans had (1692) resumed their work among the Chiriguanos of the Chaco. The missionary college of Tarija, founded in 1754, continued this work. By 1810, 22 missions had been founded, with 16,000 Christians. The work of the college of Tarata, founded in 1796, among the Tucacares, was soon disrupted by the wars of independence, which unfortunately also destroyed the mission among the Chiriguanos of the college of Tarija. Fr. Andrea Herrera O.F.M., a missionary since 1813 in the north-east of B., where, despite the wars, he continued his work undisturbed, recruited missionaries in Europe for the colleges of Tarija and Tarata and established two new colleges: that of La Paz in 1815 and that of Sucre in 1837, followed by the college of Potosi in 1844. These five Franciscan colleges were the centres of missionary activity among the Indian tribes of the south, east and north of B., until the ecclesiastical and missionary situation was reorganized.

The diocese of Cochabamba had already been established in 1847. Then, in 1924, the dioceses of Oruro, Potosi and Tarija followed. In 1943 La Paz was elevated to an archdiocese, with Cochabamba and Oruro as suffragans; Sucre retained as its suffragans S. Cruz de la Sierra, Potosi and Tarija. With the establishment of the apostolic vicariate of Beni in 1917, the reorganization of the missions also began, since until that time they had depended on the colleges. The missions were entrusted to the European provinces of the Franciscan Order: Beni to the Province of Andalusia, incorporating the colleges of Sucre and La Paz; Chaco, erected as an apostolic vicariate in 1919, to the Tuscan Province, together with the colleges of Tarija and Potosi. In 1925 the apostolic prefecture of Pilcomayo was established with territory taken from the apostolic vicariate of Chaco and entrusted to the Oblates of Mary Immaculate; in 1934, after the war between B. and Paraguay, the territory of Pilcomayo passed from B. to Paraguay. The college of Tarata and its missions passed in 1930 to the old Bolivian province of S. Antonio de las Charcas. In 1930 the apostolic vicariate of Chiquitos was established and entrusted to the Tyrolean Province of the Franciscans. In 1942 the western regions of the vicariate of Beni were detached, establishing the vicariates of Pando for the Maryknoll Missionaries and of Reyes for the Redemptorists.

In summary, today B. is ecclesiastically divided into two metropolitan sees: La Paz, with the suffragan sees of Cochabamba and Oruro, and Sucre, with the suffragan sees of Potosi, S. Cruz de la Sierra and Tarija; and five apostolic vicariates: Chaco, Chiquitos, Beni or El Beni, Pando and Reyes. The government has a diplomatic representation at the Holy See, and vice versa.

The lyceums or colleges have a duration of five years. The Bolivian professional schools are to be regarded as detached university faculties and are divided into schools of medicine, which confer the title of doctor; schools of ecclesiastical sciences, which confer the title of «licenciado»; teachers’ colleges, which confer the title of «baccalaureate in letters» or «in the sciences»; and schools of jurisprudence, which confer the title of «abogado».

In B., the following are designated as professional schools: the «Facultad de derecho y ciencias sociales de la República», the «Escuela de odontología», the «Instituto nacional de comercio», the National Conservatory of Music, the National Academy of Fine Arts, the Agronomic and Veterinary Institute, the Military College, and the Aeronautical College.

The universities are the following: the «Real y pontificia universidad de s. Francisco Javier» in Sucre, founded in 1623; the «Universidad de Gabriele René Moreno» in Santa Cruz; the «Universidad de Thomas Frias» in Potosi; the «Universidad de Juan Misael Saracho» in Tarija; the «Universidad de Mariscal Andrés» in Santa Cruz; and the State University in La Paz.