Bolivia is named after Simon Bolivar, who led the country to independence in 1825. Throughout the country’s colonial history, Bolivia was known as 'Upper Peru'. The country's name therefore instigates great national pride, but such pride is marred by past turmoil – a past that has been dogged by the succession of caudillos (military dictators) who tried, with mixed success, to integrate the country’s three disparate regions – the central region, the eastern Andes and the Altiplano – into a national entity in the early years of independence.

Since then, 'liberation' retains a dual meaning in Bolivia. Bolivia is a country of great expanse, extensive lakes and salt plains, which induce an elated sense of freedom for any traveller. But there is little of such freedom for Bolivians, many of whom descend from indigenous tribes and many of whom count for some of the poorest people in South America. Although, domestically, Bolivia has entered an unprecedented era of political stability, such stability has ended a record of military coups and recurrent internal strife that has been little short of ludicrous – there were 192 coups in the 156 years from independence to 1981: an average of one every 10 months.

The fight to keep their land and preserve their landscape mirrors the Bolivians' fight to preserve their traditions. One such example is the significance of the Pachamama, otherwise known as 'Mother Earth'. Shrines to Her are everywhere. Talismans of Her can be bought. These archaic customs belie a deep regard for the environment, presumably because it has on countless occasions been so physically harsh and so politically precarious. Such traditions are also easier to uphold in a country still so steeped in antiquity, from the remnants of the ancient Aymará civilization who lived on Lake Titicaca around 1500 BC, to the Incas in the Bolivian highlands, to the people who forged great ruins of rock at Tiahuanaco.

'Mother Earth' is kind in return: Bolivia is beautiful and striking. There are currently 10 national parks and eight protected areas in Bolivia, as well as many other areas being re-evaluated for park or protected area status. Although it once held claim to the Atacama coastal strip (lost in the 1928 Wars against Paraguay), Bolivia is now landlocked but never feels claustrophobic, blessed with breathtaking lakes and lofty mountains. It is difficult to know what is more stunning: the Bolivian's gentle struggle to survive amidst a legacy of poverty and unrest, or the struggle of the Altiplano to ascend ever higher. Standing as tall as the mountains, the pride that the Bolivians have for their homeland is always evident – and always justified.