Bolivia is one of two landlocked countries in South America (the other is Paraguay), but this was not always the case. In 1879 Bolivia lost territory that connected it to the Pacific Ocean in a war with Chile. Día del Mar (Day of the Sea), which falls on March 23, is when Bolivians commemorate the loss of this territory with somber ceremonies throughout the country.

BoliviaBella offers a concise and interesting write up of the war:

What initially detonated the conflict was Bolivia’s intention to charge a 10-cent tax per 100-pounds of potassium nitrate (saltpeter) harvested by Chilean companies in the Atacama Desert. The Chilean government did not accept this Bolivian decision and ordered its troops to invade the Bolivian regions of Antofagasta and Calama, where Bolivia had no military presence and most of the population was of Chilean descent.

It is because of the Battle of Calama that today we celebrate the Day of the Sea. With just under a hundred soldiers, Commanders Eduardo Abaroa (Bolivian) and Ladislao Cabrera (Peruvian) faced over 500 Chilean soldiers. Abaroa was obstinately defending a small bridge over the Topáter River, when on the 23rd of March 1879 the Chileans ordered him to surrender. His response was “Me, surrender? Tell your grandmother to surrender!” after which he was promptly shot dead.

Learn more about Día del Mar at BoliviaBella.com.