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South America is home to several developing countries. The history of colonization under Spanish and Portuguese rule first created challenges for native peoples, who struggled to overcome the challenge posed by Europeans. Today many of these populations continue to suffer from economic problems in the modern world.
The developing country of Bolivia is in the western region of South America. It is home to a multiethnic population that faces many economic and political challenges. The following activity includes evidence of these challenges in Bolivia that can be categorized into a thesis statement.
There are many economic and political issues in the developing country of Bolivia. Read the secondary source below to help answer this essay question:
Why is Bolivia considered a developing country?
As you read, think about how you could categorize information into two or three different groups. In the presentation that follows, you will learn how to categorize some of the information into evidence that supports a thesis statement in response to the essay question.
Economic, Social and Political Development in Bolivia
As in many developing countries, Bolivia has had widespread economic challenges in the last 50 years. Until the 21st century, their changing styles of government failed to solve these problems and worsened conditions for many.
Economically, the Bolivian economy is made up of a mix of farming, mining and industry. Most Bolivians have jobs in farming or mining. Soybeans and coca are the most popular plants to be grown and sold. Natural gas is also mined and sold as fuel for heat or engines. Unfortunately, inflation in Bolivia is often high, resulting in higher prices. Thus, most Bolivians live in poverty and suffer from high unemployment.
Communities in modern Bolivia are divided between rural areas of the countryside, and urban areas of cities and surrounding suburbs. Generally, Bolivians in rural areas live in greater poverty and have lower standards of living. Access to education is higher in urban areas, where populations have higher literacy rates. Although there are public schools and several colleges and universities, access to higher education is limited to wealthier Bolivians.
The health of people living in Bolivia is among the lowest levels in South American countries. The life expectancy is low and the death rate of infants is high, both indicators of poor health compared to the rest of the world. Most low-income Bolivians have no access to health care. Children are especially vulnerable and suffer from malnutrition and high rates of disease, and live in unsanitary conditions. The lack of clean drinking water is due to poor management and pollution of water sources such as lakes and rivers. Like many other developing countries, the wealthier classes enjoy proper medical care and better health at the expense of the lower classes.
Recent governments have been a mix of military dictatorships or attempts at forming a democracy. Some leaders have attempted to reform society and address the widespread poverty, while others have taken advantage of the country’s vast resources to allow foreign companies to invest and profit on natural gas. Revolutionary activities have opposed ineffective governments, which sometimes respond violently and suppress protests. Corruption and human rights abuses have also been common. In particular, indigenous Bolivians native to the region have demanded more civil liberties and economic control. Many have also called for government crackdowns on the production of illegal drugs. The most recent Constitution passed in 2009 has extended more political and economic independence to native Bolivians. However, the wealthier elite classes have consistently influenced and benefited from the Bolivian modern government.
Let’s revisit the essay question:
Why is Bolivia considered a developing country?
View the video below to examine how the source and evidence you read above could be used to support a thesis statement and write a response to the essay question.
