Education
Education is public, official, free, or private. Primary education is called free and compulsory. The provision, formerly inadequate, has recently been improved in accordance with a well planned programme. There are about 900 primary schools with 53,000 pupils, including private and kindergarten. Fourteen colegios nacionales provide for secondary education besides private schools under government supervision; in La Paz and Cochabamba, two under Methodist auspices have accomplished excellent work. Teachers are trained in four normal schools, while professional or higher education is afforded by Universities in La Paz, Sucre, and Cochabamba, Law Schools at Oruro, Potosí, Santa Cruz, and Tarija, a School of Theology at Santa Cruz. There are further a Mining School, Institutes of Agronomy, Commerce, Modern Languages, and Music; and four Schools of Arts and Trades, the one at Cochabamba giving excellent results from instruction in weaving wool, and in the use of native dyes. With a view to extending and modernizing the education of women coeducation is practised in most institutions and there are two liceos for girls. Students of especial ability are sometimes sent abroad for study, and foreign instructors are engaged.
Press, Religion, Etc.
Press. The press, while important, is said to have less influence than in the neighboring Republics, and it contains less news of the world.
Religion. The religion of the State is Roman Catholic, but freedom is now granted to other forms of worship. Civil marriage alone is legal, but is frequently neglected by the Indians.
Telegraphic Communication. The Capital is in telegraphic communication with the rest of the world and with the capitals of all the Departments. The country has over 200 offices, and 4350 miles of wire. A powerful wireless station at Viacha, on the plateau 15 miles from La Paz, communicates with the Pacific Coast and with passing ships. Other stations are at Villa Bella, Cobija, Trinidad, Santa Cruz, Ballivián, D’Orbigny, Esteros, Riberalta, Puerto Suarez, and Yacuiba. Telephone service exists in La Paz and Oruro.
Money. The unit of Bolivian money is the boliviano, equal to about 40 cents (.389) of our money. English and Peruvian gold pounds are legal tender, equal to 12.50 bolivianos. The latter are divided into 100 centavos. Silver coins are of 20 and 50 centavos. Bank bills of one and five bolivianos and of higher denominations are in general use.
Weights and Measures are of the metric system, but in the interior the old Castilian system is chiefly employed.
Physical Characteristics
The topography of Bolivia in general is similar to that of Peru save for the absence of a coast section. The Sierra or plateau region and the Trans-Andine continue those at the north, though the latter differs from the Peruvian in that its rivers reach the Atlantic Ocean, some by way of the Amazon, others by the Paraná and La Plata, while the montaña of Peru is wholly in the Amazon Basin.