Cultural Analysis Of Bolivia

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             Altitude and the changes in annual precipitation toward the southwest dominate the climate of Bolivia. Widely varying conditions can often be seen over short distances. Average seasonal temperatures ranges are generally smaller than the average cyclical ranges. The average temperatures of the coldest (June/July) and the warmest (November) months at La Paz are 43.5F and 51.8F. Lake Titicaca, with nearly constant water temperature of 51F throughout the year, has a moderating influence on its surroundings; winter temperatures within its surroundings are slightly higher then those at similar altitudes elsewhere on the Altiplano. The southern areas that form the Bolivian part of the Gran Chaco have the highest temperatures in South America, with highs of over 104F and an average of 82.5F and 72F for the hottest and coolest months. .
             The rainy seasons lasts from approximately October to March and is longer in the north. The southwestern part of Bolivia is arid, and agriculture there is largely dependent of irrigation. The northeastern lowlands have abundant rainfall, an annual average of over 60 inches, contrary to the average annual precipitation of La Paz, which is 22.6 inches. The extreme south is semiarid, with an average annual rainfall of 20 inches and frequent drought. .
             Social Institutions.
             A. Family.
             A stable family life and widely extends bonds of kinship provide the most effective source of personal security. Although family and kinship practices vary among the disparate ethnic groups, both Hispanic and Indian traditions placed great stress upon bonds of responsibility among ins. No other institution endues as the family does, and none command greater loyalty. .
             The nuclear family seldom exists as a wholly independent unit. Partly as a result of the social and economic conditions of Bolivian life, bonds of loyalty, affection, and mutual responsibility with the extended kin of both spouses are strong and abiding.