llera Occidental is part of the Andean range that extends along the western fringe of South America. It features many active volcanoes. There is a distinct climatic difference between the northern and southern parts of the Cordillera Occidental. With peaks of more than 20,000 feet, steep slopes, and much volcanic activity, in the north the Cordillera Occidental is the least inhabited part of Bolivian Highlands. In the eastern lowlands, there are distinct differences between the natural features of the northeast and those of the southeast. In the northeast the Llanos de Mamore, which slopes gently to the Amazon Basin, is well watered by rain and rivers and has rich natural vegetation, while the southeast the Gran Chaco, which slopes toward the Pilcomayo and Paraguay rivers, is semiarid, with dry scrub and savanna and occasional gallery forests along the rivers.The effect of coca in the Bolivian culture goes back to the native Indians. The native people have used the coca leafs as a medicinal drug up until the present day. Until the early 1950s the coca leaf was readily used in soft drinks and was considered socially excitable in the United States. In the early 1960s the United States made cocaine illegal and created a large underworld in most Latin America countries. By the mid 1960s over sixty five percent of Bolivias workers made their livelihood off the coca plant. The Bolivian government had no reason to try to stop the drug trade in their country; cartel leaders were paying huge payments to government officials. During the 1980s Ronald Regan attempted to curve the in flux of cocaine in to the United States with no real results. During 1990s the United States started to send large amounts of funding and training for Latin Americas military to combat the cartels....
