BOLIVIA HAS TWO NATIONAL FLOWERS - the Kantuta and the Patujú (pictured on the banner above). Both are red, yellow and green in color. Click here to read the Legend of the Kantuta and here to read about why Bolivia has not one national flower (floral emblem) but two.

THE LLAMA IS BOLIVIA'S NATIONAL ANIMAL. The llama (pronounced "ya-ma" not "la-ma") has been bred and used as a pack animal by indigenous peoples of the Andes for thousands of years. It is related to the alpaca, the vicuña, and the guanaco. All are camelids.

BOLIVIA'S NATIONAL MOTTO is "Morir antes que esclavos vivir". That means "We'd rather die than live as slaves". It's the last line of the chorus of the Bolivian National anthem.

BOLIVIA HAS NOT NAMED A NATIONAL TREE. However, the tree pictured on the coat of arms of the Bolivian Flag is the breadfruit tree.

BOLIVIA'S NATIONAL BIRD IS THE ANDEAN CONDOR. You can see a photo and description of it and many other species in our section about Bolivian wildlife.

TWO NATIONAL FLAGS: Bolivia's national flag has three equal-sized horizontal stripes that are red, yellow and green. As of 2009 the government of Bolivia declared there will now be a second national flag and both must be flown together! Read more about Bolivia's two national flags here. Each of Bolivia's 9 states also has its own flag.

NATIONAL GEMSTONE OR MINERAL: Someone asked in our forums if Bolivia has a national gem or mineral. Not officially, but here's the answer to what Bolivia's national gem and mineral probably would be if Bolivia were ever to official name them.

BOLIVIAN NATIONAL ANTHEM I found six different versions of the Bolivian national anthem - you can download one or all of them straight to your computer or MP3 player right here for your school project. I also wrote out all the words (it's in Spanish you know). Go to my Bolivian national anthem page to hear it. It's pretty!

Other Important National Facts

Although they aren't really national emblems, I thought it might be important for you to know that Bolivia has:

TWO CAPITAL CITIES: Bolivia doesn't actually have 2 capital cities. Sucre (in the Department of Chuquisaca) is Bolivia's one and only constitutional capital and remains the seat of the Judicial Branch of government. La Paz (in the Department of La Paz) is the seat of the Executive and Administrative branches of government. That's why it is sometimes referred to as the "de facto" capital of Bolivia. For more information read our pages on the History of Bolivia and the Bolivian Government. That's why Bolivia usually has two "capital city" stars on its map. Read why Bolivia seems to have 2 capital cities.

AND BOLIVIA HAS HOW MANY OFFICIAL LANGUAGES??! As of January 25, 2009 Bolivia has a new National Constitution which declared EVERY native language in Bolivia an OFFICIAL language. This means that Bolivia now has nearly thirty official languages. Why? Read about Bolivia's 36 native cultures.