Statistical information Bolivia 1993

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 pageLocation: Central South America, between Brazil and Chile
Geographic coordinatesMap reference:
South America, Standard Time Zones of the WorldAreaTotal: 1,098,580 km²
Land: 1,084,390 km²
Land boundaries: total 6,743 km, Argentina 832 km, Brazil 3,400 km, Chile 861 km, Paraguay 750 km, Peru 900 km
Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims:
none; landlocked
Pacific Ocean since the Atacama area was lost to Chile in 1884; dispute with
Chile over Rio Lauca water rights
Climate: varies with altitude; humid and tropical to cold and semiarid
Terrain: rugged Andes Mountains with a highland plateau (Altiplano), hills, lowland plains of the Amazon basin
ElevationNatural resources: tin, natural gas, petroleum, zinc, tungsten, antimony, silver, iron ore, lead, gold, timber
Land useArable land: 3%
Permanent crops: 0%
Meadows and pastures: 25%
Forest and woodland: 52%
Other: 20%
Irrigated land: 1,650 km² (1989 est.)
Major riversMajor watersheds area km²Total water withdrawalTotal renewable water resourcesNatural hazardsGeographytop of pagePopulation: 7,544,099 (July 1993 est.)
Growth rate: 2.31% (1993 est.)
Nationality: noun: Bolivian(s)
Ethnic groups: Quechua 30%, Aymara 25%, mixed 25-30%, European 5-15%
Languages: Spanish (official), Quechua (official), Aymara (official)
Religions: Roman Catholic 95%, Protestant (Evangelical Methodist)
Demographic profileAge structureDependency ratiosMedian agePopulation growth rate: 2.31% (1993 est.)
Birth rate: 32.83 births/1000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate: 8.63 deaths/1000 population (1993 est.)
Net migration rate: -1.06 migrant(s)/1000 population (1993 est.)
Population distributionUrbanizationMajor urban areasEnvironmentCurrent issues: cold, thin air of high plateau is obstacle to efficient fuel combustion; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification
Current issues note: landlocked; shares control of Lago Titicaca, world's highest navigable lake, with Peru
Air pollutantsSex ratioMothers mean age at first birthMaternal mortality ratioInfant mortality rate: 76.7 deaths/1000 live births (1993 est.)
Life expectancy at birthTotal population: 62.77 years
Male: 60.34 years
Female: 65.33 years (1993 est.)
Total fertility rate: 4.31 children born/woman (1993 est.)
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: age 15 and over can read and write (1990)
Total population: 78%
Male: 85%
Female: 71%
School life expectancy primary to tertiary educationYouth unemploymenttop of pageCountry nameConventional long form: Republic of Bolivia
Conventional short form: Bolivia
Local long form: Republica de Bolivia
Local short form: 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, 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: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory (married) 21 years of age; universal and compulsory (single)
Executive branch: president, vice president, Cabinet
Legislative branch: bicameral National Congress (Congreso Nacional) consists of an upper chamber or Chamber of Senators (Camara de Senadores) and a lower chamber or Chamber of Deputies (Camara de Diputados)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Corte Suprema)
Political parties and leadersInternational organization participation:
AG, ECLAC, FAO, GATT, G-11, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA,
IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ITU, LAES, LAIA,
LORCS, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU,
WHO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representationIn the us chief of mission: Ambassador Jorge CRESPO
In the us chancery: 3,014 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20,008
In the us telephone: (202) 483-4,410 through 4,412
In the us consulates general: Los Angeles, Miami, New York, and San Francisco
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Charles R. BOWERS
From the us embassy:Banco Popular del Peru Building, corner of Calles Mercado y
Colon, La Paz
From the us telephone: 591 (2) 350,251 or 350,120
From the us fax: 591 (2) 359,875
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: With its long history of semifeudalistic social controls, dependence on volatile prices for its mineral exports, and bouts of hyperinflation, Bolivia has remained one of the poorest and least developed Latin American countries. Since August 1989, President PAZ Zamora, despite his Marxist origins, has maintained a moderate policy of repressing domestic terrorism, containing inflation, and achieving annual GDP growth of 3 to 4%. 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 rate: 3.8% (1992)
Real gdp per capita: $670 (1992)
Gross national savingGdp composition by sector of origin
Gdp composition by end useGdp composition by sector of originAgriculture products: accounts for about 21% of GDP (including forestry and
Industries: mining, smelting, petroleum, food and beverage, tobacco, handicrafts, clothing; illicit drug industry reportedly produces 15% of its revenues
Industrial production growth rate:
growth rate 7% (1992); accounts for almost 32% of
GDP
Labor force: 1.7 million
By occupation agriculture: 50%
By occupation servicesandutilities: 26%
By occupation manufacturing: 10%
By occupation mining: 4%
By occupation other: 10% (1983)
Unemployment rate: 5% (1992)
Youth unemploymentPopulation below poverty lineGini indexHousehold income or consumption by percentage shareDistribution of family income gini indexBudget: revenues $1.5 billion; expenditures $1.57 billion, including capital expenditures of $627 million (1993 est.)
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: $609 million (f.o.b., 1992)
Commodoties: metals 46%, hydrocarbons 21%, other 33% (coffee, soybeans, sugar, cotton, timber)
Partners: US 15%, Argentina
Imports: 1.185 billion (c.i.f., 1992)
Commodoties: food, petroleum, consumer goods, capital goods
Partners: US 22%
Reserves of foreign exchange and goldDebt externalStock of direct foreign investment at homeStock of direct foreign investment abroadExchange rates: bolivianos ($B) per US$1 - 3.9437 (August 1992), 3.85 (1992), 3.5806 (1991), 3.1727 (1990), 2.6917 (1989), 2.3502 (1988), 2.0549 (1987)
top of pageElectricityProduction: 865,000 kW capacity; 1,834 million kWh produced, 250 kWh per capita (1992)
CoalPetroleumCrude oilRefined petroleumNatural gasCarbon dioxide emissionsEnergy consumption per capitatop of pageTelephonesTelephone systemBroadcast mediaInternetBroadband fixed subscriptionstop of pageMilitary expendituresPercent of gdp: exchange rate conversion - $80 million, 1.6% of GDP (1990 est.)
Military and security forcesMilitary service age and obligationSpace programTerrorist groupstop of pageNational air transport systemCivil aircraft registration country code prefixAirports: 1,225
Usable: 1,043
With permanentsurface runways: 9
With runways over 3659 m: 2
With runways 2440-3659 m: 7
With runways 1220-2439 m: 161
HeliportsPipelines: crude oil 1,800 km; petroleum 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
Ports and terminalsBolivia - Transnational issues 1993
top of pageDisputes internationalRefugees and internally displaced personsIllicit drugs: world's second-largest producer of coca (after Peru) with an estimated 47,900 hectares under cultivation; voluntary and forced eradication program unable to prevent production from rising to 82,000 metric tons in 1992 from 74,700 tons in 1989; government considers all but 12,000 hectares illicit; intermediate coca products and cocaine exported to or through Colombia and Brazil to the US and other international drug markets