It is believed that the Andean region was first inhabited some 20,000 years ago. Beginning at about the 2nd century B.C., the Tiwanakan culture developed at the southern end of Lake Titicaca. This culture developed advanced architectural and agricultural techniques before it disappeared around 1200 A.D. Roughly at the same time, other tribes in the east and the north also developed advanced agriculture-based communities. One of them was the Aymara tribe who lived on Lake Titicaca, but in about 1450, the Incas invaded the region and added it to their empire. They controlled the area until the Spanish conquest in 1525.
During most of the Spanish colonial period, this territory was called "Upper Peru" or "Charcas" and was under the authority of the Viceroy of Lima, Peru. After Spain was vanquished by Napoleon during the Napoleonic wars, the authority of the Spanish royalty was weakened and the movement in Bolivia for independence from Spain grew. Independence was proclaimed in 1809, but it was only in 1825 that the republic called Bolivia was formed and named after the hero of the independence movement, Simon Bolivar
Independence was not able to solve Bolivia’s internal problems and disagreements. Although Bolivar was appointed president of the new republic, even he could not hold the position for long. Coups and short-lived constitutions dominated Bolivian politics for the next 60 years. It was further weakened by its defeats twice in the hands of Chile in the 19th century, and lost its seacoast and rich nitrate fields to the victor. In the Chaco War of 1932-35, it was again defeated but this time it was by Paraguay. Therefore, since independence, Bolivia waged wars with three countries, was defeated three times, and lost nearly half its territory.
Meanwhile, there was enormous inequality between the ruling and commercial elites and the common people. The indigenous peoples, who constituted most of the population, were particularly disadvantaged as they had to live and work under deplorable conditions, and were denied access to education or political power. The desire for change came after Bolivia’s 1935 defeat by Paraguay, and the ruling class saw its authority and credibility decline particularly in the minds of the indigenous people. From then on the reform movement gained momentum, leading to the 1952 revolution, after which the new administration introduced universal suffrage, carried out land reforms, promoted rural education, and nationalized the country's tin mines. However, since then there have been great and periodic internal turmoil for various reasons, leading to a long series of coups by the military or resignations by elected governments before their terms expired. In total there were 190 coups in the 156 years from independence in 1825 to 1981, a world record.
