Statistical information Bolivia 1990

Bolivia in the World
top of pageBackground: 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.
top of pageLocationGeographic coordinatesMap referenceAreaLand 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
ElevationNatural 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 landMajor riversMajor watersheds area km²Total water withdrawalTotal renewable water resourcesNatural hazardsGeographyNote: landlocked; shares control of Lago Titicaca, world's highest navigable lake, with Peru
top of pagePopulation: 6,706,854 (July 1990), growth rate 2.1% (1990)
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 profileAge structureDependency ratiosMedian agePopulation growth rateBirth rate: 35 births/1000 population (1990)
Death rate: 13 deaths/1000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: - 1 migrant/1000 population (1990)
Population distributionUrbanizationMajor urban areasEnvironmentCurrent issues: cold, thin air of high plateau is obstacle to efficient fuel combustion; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification
Air pollutantsSex ratioMothers mean age at first birthMaternal mortality ratioInfant mortality rate: 125 deaths/1000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 52 years male, 56 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 4.7 children born/woman (1990)
Contraceptive prevalence rateDrinking water sourceCurrent health expenditurePhysicians densityHospital bed densitySanitation facility accessHiv/AidsMajor infectious diseasesObesity adult prevalence rateAlcohol consumptionTobacco useChildren under the age of 5 years underweightEducation expendituresLiteracy: 63%
School life expectancy primary to tertiary educationYouth unemploymenttop of pageCountry 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 areasIndependence: 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; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
International law organization participationCitizenshipSuffrage: universal and compulsory at age 18 (married) or 21 (single)
Executive branch: Chief of State and Head of Government--President Jaime PAZ Zamora (since 6 August 1989; Vice President Luis OSSIO Sanjines (since 6 August 1989)
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: Supreme Court (Corte Suprema)
Political parties and leadersInternational 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, NAM, OAS, PAHO, SELA, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representationIn the us: Ambassador Jorge CRESPO; 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 p591o (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 symbolsNational anthemNational heritagetop of pageEconomy overview: The Bolivian economy steadily deteriorated between 1980 and 1985 as La Paz financed growing budget deficits by expanding the money supply and inflation spiraled--peaking at 11,700%. An austere orthodox economic program adopted by newly elected President Paz Estenssoro in 1985, however, succeeded in reducing inflation to between 10% and 20% annually during 1987 and 1989, eventually restarting economic growth. President Paz Zamora has pledged to retain the economic policies of the previous government in order to keep inflation down and continue the growth begun under his predecessor. Nevertheless, Bolivia continues to be one of the poorest countries in Latin America, and it remains vulnerable to price fluctuations for its limited exports--mainly minerals and natural gas. Moreover, for many farmers, who constitute half of the country's work force, the main cash crop is coca, which is sold for cocaine processing.
Real gdp purchasing power parityReal gdp growth rateReal gdp per capitaGross national savingGdp composition by sector of origin
Gdp composition by end useGdp composition by sector of originAgriculture products: accounts for 20% of GDP (including forestry and fisheries; principal commodities--coffee, coca, cotton, corn, sugarcane, rice, potatoes, timber; self-sufficient in food
Industries: mining, smelting, petroleum, food and beverage, tobacco, handicrafts, clothing; illicit drug industry reportedly produces the largest revenues
Industrial production growth rate: 8.1% (1987)
Labor force:
1,700,000; 50% agriculture, 26%
services and utilities, 10% manufacturing, 4% mining, 10% other (1983)
Unemployment rate: 20.7% (1988)
Youth unemploymentPopulation below poverty lineGini indexHousehold income or consumption by percentage shareDistribution of family income gini indexBudget: revenues $2,867 million; expenditures $2,867 million, including capital expenditures of $663 million (1987)
Taxes and other revenuesPublic debtRevenueFiscal year: calendar year
Inflation rate consumer pricesCentral bank discount rateCommercial bank prime lending rateStock of narrow moneyStock of broad moneyStock of domestic creditMarket value of publicly traded sharesCurrent account balanceExports: $634 million (f.o.b., 1989)
Commodities: metals 45%, natural gas 32%, coffee, soybeans, sugar, cotton, timber, and illicit drugs
Partners: US 23%, Argentina
Imports: $786 million (c.i.f., 1989)
Commodities: food, petroleum, consumer goods, capital goods
Partners: US 15%
Reserves of foreign exchange and goldDebt external: $5.7 billion (December 1989)
Stock of direct foreign investment at homeStock of direct foreign investment abroadExchange rates: bolivianos ($B) per US$1--2.6917 (1989), 2.3502 (1988), 2.0549 (1987), 1.9220 (1986), 0.4400 (1985)
top of pageElectricityCapacity: 817,000 kW capacity; 1,728 million kWh produced, 260 kWh per capita (1989)
CoalPetroleumCrude oilRefined petroleumNatural gasCarbon dioxide emissionsEnergy consumption per capitatop of pageTelephonesTelephone systemBroadcast mediaInternetBroadband fixed subscriptionstop of pageMilitary expendituresPercent of gdp: 3% of GNP (1987)
Military and security forcesMilitary service age and obligationSpace programTerrorist groupstop of pageNational air transport systemCivil aircraft registration country code prefixAirports: 636 total, 551 usable; 9 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways over 3,659 m; 8 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 110 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
HeliportsPipelines: crude oil 1,800 km; refined products 580 km; natural gas 1,495 km
RailwaysRoadwaysWaterways: 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 terminalsBolivia - Transnational issues 1990
top of pageDisputes 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 personsIllicit drugs: world's second-largest producer of coca (after Peru) with an estimated 54,000 hectares under cultivation; government considers all but 12,000 hectares illicit and subject to eradication; intermediate coca products and cocaine exported to or through Colombia and Brazil to the US and other international drug markets