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.

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

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

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

Population: 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

Birth rate: 35 births/1000 population (1990)

Death rate: 13 deaths/1000 population (1990)

Net migration rate: - 1 migrant/1000 population (1990)

Environment
Current issues: cold, thin air of high plateau is obstacle to efficient fuel combustion; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification

Infant 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)

Literacy: 63%

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

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; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage: 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)

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, NAM, OAS, PAHO, SELA, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation
In 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

Economy 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.

Agriculture 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:

Unemployment rate: 20.7% (1988)

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

Fiscal year: calendar year

Exports: $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%

Debt external: $5.7 billion (December 1989)

Exchange rates: bolivianos ($B) per US$1--2.6917 (1989), 2.3502 (1988), 2.0549 (1987), 1.9220 (1986), 0.4400 (1985)

Electricity
Capacity: 817,000 kW capacity; 1,728 million kWh produced, 260 kWh per capita (1989)

Military expenditures
Percent of gdp: 3% of GNP (1987)

Airports: 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

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

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

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

Illicit 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