Bolivia saw to open out brilliant civilizations on the Andean grounds; that of Tiahuanaco knew its apogee between the VII E and XII E centuries of our era.

INCA civilization succeeded to him. The ethnic independent groups of this time, Aymaras and Quechuas, remain today. The low grounds were populated by Tupi-Guanaris (Chiquitanos and Chiriguarros), Panos and Arawaks.

The colonial period

To the beginning of the XVI E century, the Spanishs extend their domination on the country. In 1559 the audience of Charcas (High-Peru), attached to the viceroyalty of Lima is created. The discovery of the money mine of Potosí in 1545 marked the history of the country deeply. The cycle of the money lasted of 1545 to 1650. In a few years, Potosí became more the big city of Americas (160 ' 000 h. to the XVII E century). The system of became moth-eaten, obligatory work, generated the deportation of 6 million Indians during this period.

During decades, all the economic life of High-Peru rested on this activity. Thousands of farmers provided for the food with the minors. La Paz was only one village, Sucre (old Plata) held the administrative powers. In 1780-1781, the Indian revolts shook the power. In 1809, a mongrel called with the revolt but was carried out: the seed of independence had germinated.

The republic

With 1810 to 1820, the guerilla badgered the Spanish troops and the victory of the Sucre marshal, in 1824, opened the way with independence. Created in 1825, the Republic of Bolivia is temporarily plain in Peru in 1836 by Santa Cruz; but the prospect to see constituting a powerful State worries the neighbors. The vast Bolivian territory (2 ' 340 ' 000 km2) will be nibbled little by little; the war of salpetre against Chile (1879-1883) deprives the country of one access to the sea, the war against Brazil (1901-1903) cuts down it by the Acre and the Western part of Mato Grosso.

Finally the war against Paraguay (1932-1935) results in the loss of 200 ' 000 km2. This dismemberment goes hand in hand with a great political instability: a coup d'etat per annum between 1850 and 1950. The country knew some phases of prosperity related to the exploitation of quinine (1830-1850), guano and salpetre (1868-1878), latex (1895-1915) and tin (as from 1880).  

The construction of the railways for the export of the products, the needs financial for the State and the fall of the value of the raw materials lead the country to be involved in debt. The luxurious way of life of a minority the misery of the people answered. In April 1952, a popular insurrection brings to the power the revolutionary Nationalist movement. The mines are nationalized, the vote for all is adopted and a land reform is launched. Gradually the mode deviates from the people, the MNR divides and, in 1964, the army seizes the power. It represses the strikes hard. It is into 1967 that Che Guevara fall under the balls from the army.  

The coups d'etat follow one another. Only the Banzer general, manages to be maintained with the power (of 1971 to 1978, and since 1997). The country sinks then in a succession of economic crises and policies, in spite of the return of the civilians to the power in 1982. Years 1980 are remembered by a deep depression: fall of the price of tin, which gallop inflation (11 750 % in 1985), extension of pauperism and progression of the economy of drug. Since the beginning of the years 1990, the country took the route of the economic liberalism, the mines were privatized as well as many state enterprises. Bolivia seems to join again with the growth, but the social costs are very heavy.