Map of the Bolivia departments

Beni Department

Beni, sometimes El Beni, is a northeastern department of Bolivia, in the lowlands region of the country. It is the second largest department in the country, covering 213,564 square kilometers (82,458 sq mi), and it was created by supreme decree on November 18, 1842 during the administration of General José Ballivián. With a population of 362,521 (2001 census), Beni is the most sparsely populated of the nine departments of Bolivia. Its weather is warm to hot and humid. Its capital is Trinidad.

Beni borders upon Brazil to the northeast, and the departments of Santa Cruz to the southeast, La Paz to the west, Pando to the northwest, and Cochabamba to the south. Beni's territory is mainly covered by rainforest and pampa. Three of the country's main lakes are located in the department of Beni. Although Beni is rich in natural resources, the poverty level of its inhabitants is high. The main economic activities are agriculture, timber and cattle.

The Beni region features many large mounds connected by earthen causeways which were built by ancient inhabitants. The importance of cattle is prominent in the regional culture, and cowboys, or "Vaqueros", still play an important role in Beni society, comprising a large portion of the working class. Other industries significant to the region include logging, small-scale fishing and hunting, farming, and in recent years, eco-tourism.

Though the Beni lies in the southern reaches of the Amazon Basin, an area renown for tropical disease, the population experiences less health problems than in the Andes Region, especially those related to malnutrition.

The inhabitants (Benianos) are mostly descendants of Cruceños (people from Santa Cruz) and native peoples. The culture is Camba (common to Santa Cruz, Beni, and Pando) and not Andean. Benianos are simple, straightforward people whose Spanish is likely inherited from Santa Cruz which in turn inherited it from Asunción del Paraguay, the departure point of its founders, among them Ñuflo de Chávez. Not only the language, but the customs are almost pure Andalusian. The Beniano diet is largely rice, bananas, beef and fish. The department is divided into eight provinces including Cercado, Iténez, José Ballivián, Mamoré, Marbán, Moxos, Vaca Diéz, Yacuma.