The structure and appearance of La Paz is best explained by looking at the people and cultures that have made the city what it is today.

This page will give you a touch of what it means to be a citizen of La Paz, by looking at some of the important things that constitute the daily life of a highland Urban Bolivian.

La Paz has an extremely high percentage of indigenous people, with roughly half of the population speaking the Aymara language. A majority of the indigenous people live in poverty in el Alto. This conflicts with the wealthy populations of the Zona Sur. Yet, somehow, all the people seem to get along in el Centro, the downtown area, where most of the markets, plazas and sources of entertainment are located.

Despite all the differences in ethnicity, over 95% of the population still claims to be Catholic. The origins of the city are found in the Spanish Colonial Architecture.

Bolivians eat their biggest meal for lunch, which usually consists of soup and a second dish and sometimes dessert. Many families also have dinner. Breakfast and tea-time (late afternoon) consist of tea and rolls with jam or Dulce de Leche (caramel sauce). A Bolivian meal is not complete without some potatoes, either fried, boiled, or whipped together with other foods. Traditional meals are heavy on the carbohydrates, with lots of rice or small bow-tie noodles in addition to the potatoes. Meat, normally beef, chicken, or sausage, accompanies most dishes. Vegetable consumption is limited to primarily red onions, tomatoes, shredded lettuce or cabbage, carrots, peas, with some broccoli and other vegetables. Always available with meals is llajhua, a hot spicy salsa made from tomatoes and hot peppers ground on a large stone. Bolivians drink a good amount of alcoholic beverages, too; these include locally-brewed beer, Rum, Singani (a hard alcohal made from fermented grapes), and chicha (potent liquor made from maize).

An integral part of the urban cultures of Latin America are the central plazas where people gather to visit, relax, and enjoy the day. When the Spanish first came in and conquered the "new world," they brought with them their notions of how a city model should look, in the Code of the Indies, and one of the key elements in their model was the central plaza.

The plazas in the city offer some of the best-preserved examples of colonial architecture. Pictured above is the Plaza Igelesia de San Fracisco, with the oldest cathedral of the same name.

The majority of those classified as "whites" in La Paz are in fact Meztiso, people of mixed ancestry. This is a result of the high rate of intermixing and intermarraige of the Spanish Conquistadors and native populations. The indigenous people in Bolivia are often ignored or looked down upon by leaders and wealthy people the country due to their continued separation from the national life in Bolivia. Most of the Aymara Indians found on the Altiplano are peasants, most of which were held in bondage until 1952 by white or mestizo masters. The agrarian land reform in 1952 allowed Indians to become small landholders, thus causing many to migrate to the city, creating el Alto.

Spanish is the official and commercial language, although English is widely spoken and understood within the business community in La Paz. The Aymara language is the most widely spoken indigenous language in the department of La Paz, spoken by roughly half its residents.

One interesting group of people in the city are the market women who not only conduct much of the country's retail trade through their bargaining, but also have strong political influence. This is done throught their wide acquaintance with the general public and their strategic location to show their discontent with policies and personalities of the regime currently in power. These indigenous women are bilingual, speaking both their native toungue and Spanish. They are visible because of their unique, colorful dress. Like this picture shows, they wear large, long skirts, shawls, and small top-hats that come from the elite that took over their lands long ago.

Bolivian ethnic culture is expressed through traditional music and dances, as well as spinning and weaving, which has changed little over the last 3000 years.

One of the best ways to learn about Bolivians is to look at their news papers. Look at recent articles in the news about La Paz ... including one on the coming of McDonalds. (On this page)

Learn about the new Quipus Cultural Foundation Complex, which houses the Children's Museum, the Museum of Bolivian Arts and Cultures and the Quipus Craft Development Program, in the central park of La Paz. (It's an outside link.)

Read a newspaper from Bolivia - the Bolivian Times. (Don't worry, it's in English!)