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- Bolivia facts
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Bolivia map
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Background: |
Bolivia, named after
independence fighter Simon BOLIVAR, broke away from Spanish rule in
1825; much of its subsequent history has consisted of a series of
nearly 200 coups and counter-coups. Comparatively democratic
civilian rule was established in the 1980s, but leaders have faced
difficult problems of deep-seated poverty, social unrest, and drug
production. Current goals include attracting foreign investment,
strengthening the educational system, resolving disputes with coca
growers over Bolivia's counterdrug efforts, continuing the
privatization program, and waging an anticorruption
campaign. |
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Location: |
Central South America,
southwest of Brazil
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Geographic coordinates: |
17 00 S, 65 00 W |
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Map references: |
South America |
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Area: |
total: 1,098,580
sq km
water: 14,190 sq km
land: 1,084,390 sq
km |
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Area - comparative: |
slightly less than three
times the size of Montana |
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Land boundaries: |
total: 6,743 km
border countries: Argentina 832 km, Brazil 3,400 km, Chile 861 km, Paraguay 750 km, Peru 900 km |
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Coastline: |
0 km (landlocked) |
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Maritime claims: |
none (landlocked) |
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Climate: |
varies with altitude;
humid and tropical to cold and semiarid |
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Terrain: |
rugged Andes Mountains
with a highland plateau (Altiplano), hills, lowland plains of the
Amazon Basin |
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Elevation extremes: |
lowest point: Rio
Paraguay 90 m
highest point: Nevado Sajama 6,542 m |
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Natural resources: |
tin, natural gas,
petroleum, zinc, tungsten, antimony, silver, iron, lead, gold,
timber, hydropower |
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Land use: |
arable land: 1.73%
permanent crops: 0.21%
other: 98.06% (1998
est.) |
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Irrigated land: |
1,280 sq km (1998 est.)
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Natural hazards: |
flooding in the northeast
(March-April) |
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Environment - current issues: |
the clearing of land for
agricultural purposes and the international demand for tropical
timber are contributing to deforestation; soil erosion from
overgrazing and poor cultivation methods (including slash-and-burn
agriculture); desertification; loss of biodiversity; industrial
pollution of water supplies used for drinking and irrigation |
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Environment - international agreements: |
party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol,
Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the
Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical
Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified:
Environmental Modification, Marine Dumping, Marine Life
Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection |
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Geography - note: |
landlocked; shares
control of Lago Titicaca, world's highest navigable lake (elevation
3,805 m), with Peru
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Population: |
8,586,443 (July 2003
est.) |
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Age structure: |
0-14 years: 37.1%
(male 1,624,366; female 1,562,501)
15-64 years: 58.4%
(male 2,452,892; female 2,561,873)
65 years and over:
4.5% (male 172,292; female 212,519) (2003 est.) |
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Median age: |
total: 20.8 years
male: 20.1 years
female: 21.5 years (2002)
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Population growth rate: |
1.63% (2003 est.) |
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Birth rate: |
25.53 births/1,000
population (2003 est.) |
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Death rate: |
7.91 deaths/1,000
population (2003 est.) |
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Net migration rate: |
-1.37 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2003 est.) |
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Sex ratio: |
at birth: 1.05
male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
65 years and
over: 0.81 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98
male(s)/female (2003 est.) |
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Infant mortality rate: |
total: 56.05
deaths/1,000 live births
female: 52.16 deaths/1,000 live
births (2003 est.)
male: 59.75 deaths/1,000 live births
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Life expectancy at birth: |
total population:
64.78 years
male: 62.2 years
female: 67.48
years (2003 est.) |
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Total fertility rate: |
3.23 children born/woman
(2003 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: |
0.1% - note: no country
specific models provided (2001 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: |
4,600 (2001 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths: |
290 (2001 est.) |
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Nationality: |
noun: Bolivian(s)
adjective: Bolivian |
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Ethnic groups: |
Quechua 30%, mestizo
(mixed white and Amerindian ancestry) 30%, Aymara 25%, white 15%
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Religions: |
Roman Catholic 95%,
Protestant (Evangelical Methodist) |
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Languages: |
Spanish (official),
Quechua (official), Aymara (official) |
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Literacy: |
definition: age 15
and over can read and write
total population: 87.2%
male: 93.1%
female: 81.6% (2003 est.)
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Country name: |
conventional long
form: Republic of Bolivia
conventional short form: Bolivia
local
short form: Bolivia
local
long form: Republica de Bolivia |
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Government type: |
republic |
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Capital: |
La Paz (seat of
government); Sucre (legal capital and seat of judiciary) |
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Administrative divisions: |
9 departments
(departamentos, singular - departamento); Chuquisaca, Cochabamba,
Beni, La Paz, Oruro, Pando, Potosi, Santa Cruz, Tarija |
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Independence: |
6 August 1825 (from
Spain) |
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National holiday: |
Independence Day, 6
August (1825) |
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Constitution: |
2 February 1967; revised
in August 1994 |
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Legal system: |
based on Spanish law and
Napoleonic Code; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
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Suffrage: |
18 years of age,
universal and compulsory (married); 21 years of age, universal and
compulsory (single) |
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Executive branch: |
chief of state:
President Gonzalo SANCHEZ DE LOZADA Bustamante (since 6 August
2002); Vice President Carlos Diego MESA Gisbert (since 6 August
2002); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
government
head of government: President Gonzalo SANCHEZ
DE LOZADA Bustamante (since 6 August 2002); Vice President Carlos
Diego MESA Gisbert (since 6 August 2002); note - the president is
both the chief of state and head of government
cabinet:
Cabinet appointed by the president
elections: president
and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for
five-year terms; election last held 30 June 2002 (next to be held NA
June 2007)
election results: the new president was chosen
by Congress, a result of no candidate winning a majority in the 30
June 2002 election; Congressional votes - Gonzalo SANCHEZ DE LOZADA
Bustamante 84, Evo MORALES 43 |
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Legislative branch: |
bicameral National
Congress or Congreso Nacional consists of Chamber of Senators or
Camara de Senadores (27 seats; members are directly elected by
popular vote to serve five-year terms) and Chamber of Deputies or
Camara de Diputados (130 seats; members are directly elected by
popular vote to serve five-year terms; note - some members are drawn
from party lists, thus not directly elected)
elections:
Chamber of Senators and Chamber of Deputies - last held 30 June 2002
(next to be held NA June 2007)
election results: Chamber
of Senators - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - MNR
11, MAS 8, MIR 5, NFR 2, other 1; Chamber of Deputies - percent of
vote by party - NA%; seats by party - MNR 36, MAS 27, MIR 26, NFR
25, others 16 |
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Judicial branch: |
Supreme Court or Corte
Suprema (judges appointed for 10-year terms by National Congress);
District Courts (one in each department); provincial and local
courts (to try minor cases) |
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Political parties and leaders: |
Bolivian Socialist
Falange or FSB [Romel PANTOJA]; Civic Solidarity Union or UCS
[Johnny FERNANDEZ]; Free Bolivia Movement or MBL [Franz BARRIOS];
Marshal of Ayacucho Institutional Vanguard or VIMA [Freddy ZABALA];
Movement of the Revolutionary Left or MIR [Jaime PAZ Zamora];
Movement Toward Socialism or MAS [Evo MORALES]; Movement Without
Fear or MSM [Juan DEL GRANADO]; Nationalist Democratic Action or ADN
[Jorge Fernando QUIROGA Ramirez]; Nationalist Revolutionary Movement
or MNR [Gonzalo SANCHEZ DE LOZADA]; New Republican Force or NFR
[Manfred REYES-VILLA]; Pachakuti Indigenous Movement or MIP [Felipe
QUISPE]; Socialist Party or PS [Jeres JUSTINIANO]
note:
the MNR, MIR, and UCS comprise the ruling coalition |
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Political pressure groups and leaders: |
Cocalero Groups;
indigenous organizations; labor unions; Sole Confederation of
Campesino Workers of Bolivia or CSUTCB
[Felipe QUISPE] |
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International organization participation: |
ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB,
IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur
(associate), MONUC, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNAMSIL,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIK, UNMISET, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO |
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Diplomatic representation in the US: |
chief of mission:
Ambassador Jaime APARICIO Otero
chancery: 3014
Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
consulate(s)
general: Miami, New York, and San Francisco
consulate(s): Washington, DC
FAX: [1] (202)
328-3712
telephone: [1] (202) 483-4410 |
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Diplomatic representation from the US: |
chief of mission:
Ambassador David N. GREENLEE
embassy: Avenida Arce 2780,
San Jorge, La Paz
mailing address: P. O. Box 425, La Paz;
APO AA 34032
telephone: [591] (2) 2430120, 2430251
FAX: [591] (2) 2433900 |
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Flag description: |
three equal horizontal
bands of red (top), yellow, and green with the coat of arms centered
on the yellow band; similar to the flag of Ghana, which has a large
black five-pointed star centered in the yellow band |
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Economy - overview: |
Bolivia, long one of
the poorest and least developed Latin American countries, made
considerable progress in the 1990s toward the development of a
market-oriented economy. Successes under President SANCHEZ DE LOZADA
(1993-97) included the signing of a free trade agreement with Mexico and becoming an
associate member of the Southern Cone Common Market (Mercosur), as
well as the privatization of the state airline, telephone company,
railroad, electric power company, and oil company. Growth slowed in
1999, in part due to tight government budget policies, which limited
needed appropriations for anti-poverty programs, and the fallout
from the Asian financial crisis. In 2000, major civil disturbances
held down growth to 2.5%. Bolivia's GDP failed to grow in 2001 due
to the global slowdown and laggard domestic activity. Growth picked
up slightly in 2002, but the first quarter of 2003 saw extensive
civil riots and looting and loss of confidence in the government.
Bolivia will remain highly dependent on foreign aid unless and until
it can develop its substantial natural resources. |
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GDP: |
purchasing power parity -
$21 billion (2002 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate: |
1.9% (2002 est.) |
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GDP - per capita: |
purchasing power parity -
$2,500 (2002 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector: |
agriculture: 20%
industry: 20%
services: 60% (2002 est.) |
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Population below poverty line: |
70% (1999 est.) |
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Household income or consumption by percentage
share: |
lowest 10%: 1.3%
highest 10%: 32% (1999) |
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Distribution of family income - Gini
index: |
58.9 (1997) |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices): |
2% (2001 est.) |
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Labor force: |
2.5 million |
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Labor force - by occupation: |
agriculture NA%, industry
NA%, services NA% |
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Unemployment rate: |
7.6%
note:
widespread underemployment (2000) |
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Budget: |
revenues: $4
billion
expenditures: $4 billion, including capital
expenditures of $NA (2002 est.) |
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Industries: |
mining, smelting,
petroleum, food and beverages, tobacco, handicrafts, clothing |
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Industrial production growth rate: |
3.9% (1998) |
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Electricity - production: |
3.901 billion kWh (2001)
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Electricity - production by source: |
fossil fuel: 44.4%
hydro: 54%
other: 1.6% (2001)
nuclear: 0% |
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Electricity - consumption: |
3.634 billion kWh (2001)
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Electricity - exports: |
3 million kWh (2001)
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Electricity - imports: |
9 million kWh (2001)
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Oil - production: |
44,340 bbl/day (2001
est.) |
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Oil - consumption: |
49,000 bbl/day (2001
est.) |
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Oil - exports: |
NA (2001) |
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Oil - imports: |
NA (2001) |
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Oil - proved reserves: |
458.8 million bbl
(January 2002 est.) |
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Natural gas - proved reserves: |
727.2 billion cu m
(January 2002 est.) |
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Agriculture - products: |
soybeans, coffee, coca,
cotton, corn, sugarcane, rice, potatoes; timber |
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Exports: |
$1.3 billion f.o.b. (2002
est.) |
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Exports - commodities: |
soybeans, natural gas,
zinc, gold, wood (2000) |
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Exports - partners: |
Brazil 19.7%, Colombia 19.2%, US
14.8%, Argentina
9.1%, Peru (2001)
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Imports: |
$1.6 billion f.o.b. (2002
est.) |
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Imports - commodities: |
capital goods, raw
materials and semi-manufactures, chemicals, petroleum, food |
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Imports - partners: |
Brazil 24.4%, Argentina 17.9%, US
13.9%, Chile 9.3%, Peru (2001) |
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Debt - external: |
$5.9 billion (2002 est.)
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Economic aid - recipient: |
$588 million (1997)
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Currency: |
boliviano (BOB) |
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Currency code: |
BOB |
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Exchange rates: |
bolivianos per US dollar
- 7.17 (2002), 6.6069 (2001), 6.1835 (2000), 5.8124 (1999), 5.5101
(1998) |
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Fiscal year: |
calendar year
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Telephones - main lines in use: |
327,600 (1996) |
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Telephones - mobile cellular: |
116,000 (1997) |
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Telephone system: |
general
assessment: new subscribers face bureaucratic difficulties; most
telephones are concentrated in La Paz and other cities; mobile
cellular telephone use expanding rapidly
domestic:
primary trunk system, which is being expanded, employs digital
microwave radio relay; some areas are served by fiber-optic cable;
mobile cellular systems are being expanded
international:
satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) |
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Radio broadcast stations: |
AM 171, FM 73, shortwave
77 (1999) |
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Radios: |
5.25 million (1997)
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Television broadcast stations: |
48 (1997) |
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Televisions: |
900,000 (1997) |
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Internet country code: |
.bo |
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Internet Service Providers (ISPs): |
9 (2000) |
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Internet users: |
78,000 (2000)
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Railways: |
total: 3,519 km
narrow gauge: 3,519 km 1.000-m gauge (2002) |
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Highways: |
total: 49,400 km
paved: 2,500 km (including 30 km of expressways)
unpaved: 46,900 km (1996) |
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Waterways: |
10,000 km (commercially
navigable) |
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Pipelines: |
crude oil 1,800 km;
petroleum products 580 km; natural gas 1,495 km |
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Ports and harbors: |
Puerto Aguirre (on the Paraguay/Parana
waterway, at the Bolivia/Brazil border); also,
Bolivia has free port privileges in maritime ports in Argentina,
Brazil, Chile, and Paraguay |
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Merchant marine: |
total: 53 ships
(1,000 GRT or over) 347,535 GRT/591,113 DWT
ships by
type: bulk 2, cargo 25, chemical tanker 4, container 4,
livestock carrier 1, petroleum tanker 12, roll on/roll off 1,
short-sea passenger 3, specialized tanker 1
note:
includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of Belize 2, China 2, Cuba 1, Cyprus 1, Egypt 1, Honduras 1, Latvia 2, Liberia 2, Panama 1, Saint Vincent
and the Grenadines 1, Saudi Arabia 1, Singapore 1, South
Korea 3, Switzerland 1, Ukraine 1, UAE 5, US 1
(2002 est.) |
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Airports: |
1,081 (2002) |
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Airports - with paved runways: |
total: 12
over 3,047 m: 4
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2002)
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Airports - with unpaved runways: |
total: 1,069
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 64
914 to 1,523 m: 225
under 914 m: 776 (2002) |
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Military branches: |
Army (Ejercito
Boliviano), Navy (Fuerza Naval, includes Marines), Air Force (Fuerza
Aerea Boliviana), National Police Force (Policia Nacional de
Bolivia) |
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Military manpower - military age: |
19 years of age (2003
est.) |
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Military manpower - availability: |
males age 15-49:
2,118,908 (2003 est.) |
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Military manpower - fit for military
service: |
males age 15-49:
1,380,883 (2003 est.) |
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Military manpower - reaching military age
annually: |
males: 96,003
(2003 est.) |
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Military expenditures - dollar figure: |
$147 million (FY99)
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Military expenditures - percent of GDP: |
1.8% (FY99)
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| Transnational Issues |
Bolivia |
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Disputes - international: |
continues to press Chile and Peru to restore the
Atacama corridor ceded to Chile in 1884; Chile demands water rights
to Bolivia's Rio Lauca and Silala Spring |
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Illicit drugs: |
world's third-largest
cultivator of coca (after Colombia and Peru)
with an estimated 24,400 hectares under cultivation in June 2002, a
23% increase from June 2001; intermediate coca products and cocaine
exported to or through Colombia, Brazil, Argentina, and
Chile to the US and
other international drug markets; eradication and alternative crop
programs under the SANCHEZ DE LOZADA administration have been unable
to keep pace with farmers' attempts to increase cultivation after
significant reductions in 1998 and 1999; money-laundering activity
related to narcotics trade, especially along the borders with Brazil
and Paraguay
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This page was last updated on 1 August,
2003
|
- Bolivia facts
-
Bolivia map
Source: CIA World Factbook
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