BOLIVIA 
81 
with little vegetation, but is extremely rich 
in mineral deposits. 
Running north and south, and at the east 
and west sides of this vast plateau are two 
ranges of the Andes, the distance between them 
being about 85 miles. In addition to these 
main ranges are many others which criss-cross 
the country in numerous directions. In but 
few, if any, countries of the world is there to 
be found such a wealth of scenery, Bolivia 
possessing three of the highest peaks in this 
hemisphere, namely Illampu, Sorata and Illi 
mani, the sentinel of La Paz, whose snow- 
covered peak towers into space 22,500 feet. 
As may be surmised the climate in the pla 
teau and mountain regions is cool and invigor 
ating most of the year, but extremely warm in 
the summer, while as the land descends toward 
Brazil and the upper Amazon region it be 
comes milder until it reaches tropic warmth. 
On account of the high altitude of Bolivia, 
the traveler generally has attacks of what is 
known locally as “puno” or “sirroche”—or in 
plain English, mountain sickness, owing to the