Summary Bolivian Penury - 1946 Words

Bolivian Penury Not unlike many of the Southern American countries which were colonized by Spanish conquistadors, Bolivia was imperialized by spaniards in the 16th century through the defeat of the Incan Empire. The native population of Bolivia was thrust immediately into poverty and slavery, though they avoided the major devastation of European disease which ravaged through other native settlements which had been imperialized. Spaniards put slaves to work mining and â€Å"By the end of the 17th century, the mineral wealth had begun to dry up.† (Infoplease) Bolivia gained its independence in 1825 and suffered from much turmoil within and without its borders. It lost much land to outside forces, and political instability, as is common among recently independent countries, contributed to a loss of diminishing wealth. The country currently sits on the second largest natural gas deposit in the world, and also contains much oil, but due to lack of capitalism in the country, it has yet to draw upon this large advantage. Currently, â€Å"the country ranks 108th out of 187 countries on the United Nations Development Programme’s Human Development Index† (IFAD) About 60% of Bolivians are impoverished, and most of this poverty is among the indigenous population. The country suffers such poverty due to: Lack of capitalism, lack of rural roads or forms of easy transportation, limited access to institutions such as schools and hospitals. There are several solutions to the problems present in