Map of Bolivia | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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Background: Bolivia broke away from Spanish rule in 1825. Its subsequent history has been marked by a seemingly endless series of coups, counter-coups, and abrupt changes in leaders and policies. Comparatively democratic civilian rule was established in the 1980s, but the leaders have faced difficult problems of deep-seated poverty, social unrest, strikes, and drug dealing. Current issues include encouraging and negotiating the terms for foreign investment; strengthening the educational system; continuing the privatization program; pursuing judicial reform and an anti-corruption campaign.


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Location

Geographic coordinates

Map reference

Area

Land boundaries: 6,743 km total; Argentina 832 km, Brazil 3,400 km, Chile 861 km, Paraguay 750 km, Peru 900 km

Coastline: none - landlocked

Maritime claims: none - landlocked

Climate: varies with altitude; humid and tropical to cold and semiarid

Terrain: high plateau, hills, lowland plains

Elevation

Natural resources: tin, natural gas, crude oil, zinc, tungsten, antimony, silver, iron ore, lead, gold, timber

Land use: 3% arable land; NEGL% permanent crops; 25% meadows and pastures; 52% forest and woodland; 20% other; includes NEGL% irrigated

Irrigated land

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards

Geography
Note: landlocked; shares control of Lago Titicaca, world's highest navigable lake, with Peru


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Population: 6,588,601 (July 1989), growth rate 2.1% (1989)

Nationality: noun - Bolivian(s; adjective Bolivian

Ethnic groups: 30% Quechua, 25% Aymara, 25-30% mixed, 5-15% European

Languages: Spanish, Quechua, and Aymara (all official)

Religions: 95% Roman Catholic; active Protestant minority, especially Evangelical Methodist

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate

Birth rate: 36 births/1000 population (1989)

Death rate: 13 deaths/1000 population (1989)

Net migration rate: - 1 migrant/1000 population (1989)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: cold, thin air of high plateau makes physical activity very difficult; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 123 deaths/1000 live births (1989)

Life expectancy at birth: 52 years male, 56 years female (1989)

Total fertility rate: 4.7 children born/woman (1989)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy: 63%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Bolivia

Government type: republic

Capital: La Paz (seat of government; Sucre (legal capital and seat of judiciary)

Administrative divisions: 9 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento; Chuquisaca, Cochabamba, El Beni, La Paz, Oruro, Pando, Potosi, Santa Cruz, Tarija

Dependent areas

Independence: 6 August 1825 (from Spain)

National holiday: Independence Day, 6 August (1825)

Constitution: 2 February 1967

Legal system: based on Spanish law and Code Napoleon; Constitution in force except where contrary to dispositions dictated by governments since 1969; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: universal and compulsory at age 18 if married, 21 if single

Executive branch: Chief of State and Head of Government - President Jaime PAZ Zamora (since 5 August 1989; Vice President Julio GARRETT Ayllon (since 6 August 1985; note - served as Acting Vice President from 14 December 1984 to 6 August 1985

Legislative branch: Bolivian Army, Bolivian Navy, Bolivian Air Force (literally, the Army of the Nation, the Navy of the Nation, the Air Force of the Nation)

Judicial branch

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation: FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IATP, IBRD, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IDB - Inter-American Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, ISO, ITC, ITU, IWC - International Wheat Council, LAIA and Andean Sub-Regional Group (created in May 1969 within LAIA, formerly LAFTA), NAM, OAS, PAHO, SELA, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us: Ambassador Carlos E. DELIUS; Chancery at 3,014 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20,008; telephone (202) 483-4,410 through 4,412; there are Bolivian Consulates General in Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, and San Francisco; US - Ambassador Robert GELBARD; Embassy at Banco Popular del Peru Building, corner of Calles Mercado y Colon, La Paz (mailing address is P. O. Box 425, La Paz, or APO Miami 34,032; telephone Õ591å (2) 350,251 or 350,120

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

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: During the period 1983-86 the government financed growing budget deficits through expansion of the money supply, which caused spiraling inflation - peaking at 11,700% in 1985 - and a steady decline in economic activity. Strong austerity measures were then adopted that helped bring down the rate of inflation to between 15% and 20% during 1987-1988. However, Bolivia continues to face substantial problems, such as relatively weaker prices for its major exports, including natural gas and tin. Farmers constitute half of the country's labor force; for many of them the main cash crop is coca, sold for cocaine processing.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate

Real gdp per capita

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: accounts for 20% of GDP (including forestry and fisheries; principal commodities - coffee, coca, cotton, corn, sugarcane, rice, potatoes, timber; an illegal producer of coca for the international drug trade

Industries: mining, smelting, petroleum, food and beverage, tobacco, handicrafts, clothing; illegal drug industry reportedly produces the largest revenues

Industrial production growth rate: 8.1% (1987)

Labor force:

Unemployment rate: 11% (December 1988)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget: revenues $2,867 million; expenditures $2,867 million, including capital expenditures of $663 million (1987)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $675 million (f.o.b., 1988)
Commodities: natural gas 43%, metals 29.2%, coffee, soybeans, sugar, cotton, timber, and illegal drugs
Partners: US 23%, Argentina

Imports: $750 million (c.i.f., 1988)
Commodities: food, petroleum, consumer goods, capital goods
Partners: US 15%

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $5.1 billion (December 1988)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: bolivianos ($B) per US$1 - 2.4479 (December 1988), 2.3502 (1988), 2.0549 (1987), 1.9220 (1986), 0.4400 (1985)


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Electricity
Capacity: 778,000 kW capacity; 1,646 million kWh produced, 250 kWh per capita (1988)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones

Telephone system

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $158.6 million, 33.0% of central governmnent budget (1988)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 685 total, 589 usable; 9 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways over 3,659 m; 7 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 117 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Heliports

Pipelines: crude oil 1,800 km; refined products 580 km; natural gas 1,495 km

Railways

Roadways

Waterways: 10,000 km of commercially navigable waterways

Merchant marine: 2 cargo ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 14,051 GRT/22,155 DWT; note - 1 is owned by the Bolivian Navy

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: has wanted a sovereign corridor to the South Pacific Ocean since the Atacama area was lost to Chile in 1884; dispute with Chile over Rio Lauca water rights

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs