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**Regions** **Bolivia has 3 major geographic zones: the High Plateau (Altiplano), the Yungas, and the lowlands.** ** __The Altiplano__ In the world, the Altiplano is one of the highest inhabited areas. The Altiplano is a plateau located in the middle of two ranges of the Andes Mountains. The average height of the Alitplano is 12,000 feet. This region is very cold and barren, yet it is also the most highly popultated region in Bolivia (2). ** ** __The Yungas__ The Yungas are the "deep valleys and high ridges on the Eastern slope of the Andes Mountains"(2). This region consists of very rugged terrain. There are hills and gorges that tangle amoungst each other, which makes many areas hard to access. Some of the Yungas valleys are very narrow, while others are wide and even spread out into a well-watered fertile basin. Compared to the Altiplano, the Yungas are far more fertile and hospitable. 30% of the population of Bolivia live in the Yungas region(6). ** ** __The Lowlands__ The lowlands spread vastly, and add to be about 3/5ths of Bolivia's land. The lowlands often consist of tropical forests, savannas, or swamps. They lie north to east, and spread from Bolivia to Paraguay. The lowands climate changes from a semi-desert to a swamp depending on the time of year. The lowlands are generally sparsely populated(5).

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