Chapter VI.
PHYSICAL AND TOPOGRAPHICAL FEATURES.
Bolivia possesses two distinct regions, namely, the Sierra, or mountainous region of the western half of the Republic, where the principal settlements are located, and the Montaña, a vast, low plain, embracing the tropical forests and sparsely settled districts of the eastern part.
THE SIERRA.
The Sierra—which has a cold or mild climate, according to the varied elevations of its high ranges, its valleys, and its tablelands—is divided into two well-defined sections, namely, that embracing the lofty ranges of the Andes and that comprising the high plains of the Titicaca Basin.
The Andes Range, on entering Bolivia from the northwest, divides into two branches. The principal range, called the Cordillera Real, which marks the regions of the rich mineral districts of Bolivia, runs southeast through the departments of La Paz, Cochabamba, and Potosi, with minor cordilleras diverging toward the low plains of the east, where they disappear. The Western or Coast Range continues on south to the Straits of Magellan, after reuniting with the Eastern Range, on the southern frontier of Bolivia, in latitude 22° south.
