Chiquitos Province
Encyclopedia
Chiquitanía is a region of tropical savannas in the Santa Cruz Department
in eastern Bolivia
.
"Chiquitos" is the colonial name for what is now essentially five of the six provinces that make up the Chiquitania, a region in Bolivia's Santa Cruz department. "Chiquitos" refers to a region, not a tribe. One of the many tribes inhabiting Chiquitos were the Chiquitano..
The name Chiquitos means "little ones" in Spanish
. It was chosen by the Spanish Conquistadores, when they found the small doors of the Indian huts in the region. Around 20 ethnic groups live in the Chiquitanía region.
A notable feature are the 18th century Jesuit reductions
and Franciscan
settlements scattered throughout the region. Six churches still remain in the zone and were selected in 1990 as UNESCO
World Heritage Sites under the name Jesuit Missions of the Chiquitos
.
Santa Cruz Department
Santa Cruz, with an area of 370,621 km², is the largest of the nine constituent departments of Bolivia. In the 2001 census, it reported a population of 2,029,471. The capital is the city of Santa Cruz de la Sierra. The state is one of the wealthiest states in Bolivia with huge reserves of...
in eastern Bolivia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
.
"Chiquitos" is the colonial name for what is now essentially five of the six provinces that make up the Chiquitania, a region in Bolivia's Santa Cruz department. "Chiquitos" refers to a region, not a tribe. One of the many tribes inhabiting Chiquitos were the Chiquitano..
The name Chiquitos means "little ones" in Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
. It was chosen by the Spanish Conquistadores, when they found the small doors of the Indian huts in the region. Around 20 ethnic groups live in the Chiquitanía region.
A notable feature are the 18th century Jesuit reductions
Jesuit Reductions
A Jesuit Reduction was a type of settlement for indigenous people in Latin America created by the Jesuit Order during the 17th and 18th centuries. In general, the strategy of the Spanish Empire was to gather native populations into centers called Indian Reductions , in order to Christianize, tax,...
and Franciscan
Franciscan
Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
settlements scattered throughout the region. Six churches still remain in the zone and were selected in 1990 as UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
World Heritage Sites under the name Jesuit Missions of the Chiquitos
Jesuit Missions of the Chiquitos
The Jesuit Missions of the Chiquitos are in the Santa Cruz department of eastern Bolivia. Six of the missions have been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The missions are distinguished by the fusion of European and American Indian cultural influences...
.