Bolivia has two regional languages, Spanish and Aymara, and they are both spoken in major cities, although not in the countryside.
Aymara is an Amerindian language spoken in Bolivia by more than 3 million people. Most Aymara speakers live in the Andes in the highlands, an area called Aymara heartland. The largest concentration is in the departments of La Paz, Cochabamba, and Santa Cruz.
Spanish is the official language of Bolivia and the most commonly spoken language, with about 55 million native speakers. It is spoken in the country, its provinces, and the largest cities, especially in the highlands, and also in some parts of the lowlands.
The indigenous languages are losing ground. There are some interesting exceptions, like the Mixe-Zoque languages and Quechua. In terms of area of territory, they are the most widespread indigenous language groups.
The ethnic makeup of Bolivia is divided mainly between Europeans (mostly descendants of European colonizers, the majority of whom live in the cities) and Amerindians (native people from an estimated population of 15.5 million, most of whom live in the Andes).
The ethnic diversity is also reflected in the language of daily life, which varies from one region to another.
The two main spoken ethnic languages in the country are Spanish and Aymara, which are spoken mainly in the highlands and the central regions, respectively.
In the lowlands, Quechua, a language spoken by indigenous people from northern Bolivia, is widely used for communication. The language is considered by some researchers to be the most important language of Bolivian.
Languages of daily use
The most widely spoken languages of the country are Spanish and Aymara.
Spanish is the official language of Bolivia and the most commonly spoken language in the country.
The number of speakers of Spanish in Bolivia is estimated at about 55 million. The majority of these speakers live in the cities and in the highlands. The majority of native speakers of the language are concentrated in La Paz, Cochabamba, Santa Cruz, and the departments of Beni and Pando.
The language is taught at all levels in the national schools.
In 1999, the Constitution of Bolivia included the language of the indigenous peoples of Bolivia as an official language. However, at the beginning of the 21st century, the Bolivian government of President be359ba680
Related links: