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.

Geographic coordinates: 17 00 S 65 00 W

Map reference: South America

Area
Total: 1,098,580 km²
Water: 14,190 km²
Land: 1,084,390 km²
Comparative: slightly less than three times the size of Montana

Land boundaries
Total: 6,743 km
Border countries: (5) Argentina 832 km; , Brazil 3,400 km; , Chile 861 km; , Paraguay 750 km; , Peru 900 km

Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims: none (landlocked)

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

Elevation
Extremes lowest point: Rio Paraguay 90 m
Extremes highest point: Nevado Sajama 6,542 m

Natural resources: tin natural gas petroleum zinc tungsten antimony silver iron lead gold timber hydropower

Land use
Arable land: 1.73%
Permanent crops: 0.21%
Other: 98.06% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land: 1280 km² (1998 est.)

Natural hazards: flooding in the northeast (March-April)

Geography
Note: landlocked; shares control of Lago Titicaca world's highest navigable lake (elevation 3,805 m) with Peru

Population: 8,586,443 (July 2003 est.)
Growth rate: 1.63% (2003 est.)
Below poverty line: 70% (1999 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Bolivian
Adjective: Bolivian

Ethnic groups: Quechua 30% mestizo (mixed white and Amerindian ancestry) 30% Aymara 25% white 15%

Languages: Spanish (official) Quechua (official) Aymara (official)

Religions: Roman Catholic 95% Protestant (Evangelical Methodist)

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.)

Median age
Total: 20.8 years
Male: 20.1 years
Female: 21.5 years (2002)

Population growth rate: 1.63% (2003 est.)

Birth rate: 25.53 births/1000 population (2003 est.)

Death rate: 7.91 deaths/1000 population (2003 est.)

Net migration rate: -1.37 migrant(s)/1000 population (2003 est.)

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
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
International agreements signed but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.04 male/female
15-64 years: 0.96 male/female
65 years and over: 0.81 male/female
Total population: 0.98 male/female (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 56.05 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 52.16 deaths/1000 live births (2003 est.)
Male: 59.75 deaths/1000 live births

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 64.78 years
Male: 62.2 years
Female: 67.48 years (2003 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3.23 children born/woman (2003 est.)

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.1% - note: no country specific models provided (2001 est.)
People living with hivaids: 4,600 (2001 est.)
Deaths: 290 (2001 est.)

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 87.2%
Male: 93.1%
Female: 81.6% (2003 est.)

Country name
Conventional long form: Republic of Bolivia
Conventional short form: Bolivia
Local short form: Bolivia
Local long form: Republica de 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

Independence: 6 August 1825 (from Spain)

National holiday: Independence Day 6 August (1825)

Constitution: 2 February 1967; revised in August 1994

Legal system: based on Spanish law and Napoleonic Code; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage: 18 years of age universal and compulsory (married); 21 years of age universal and compulsory (single)

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Carlos Diego MESA Gisbert (since 17 October 2003); Vice President (vacant); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
Head of government: President Carlos Diego MESA Gisbert (since 17 October 2003); Vice President (vacant); 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: as a result of no candidate winning a majority in the 30 June 2002 election, Gonzalo SANCHEZ DE LOZADA Bustamante was chosen president by Congress; Congressional votes - Gonzalo SANCHEZ DE LOZADA Bustamante 84, Evo MORALES 43; note - following the resignation of the elected president on 17 October 2003, Vice President Carlos Diego MESA Gisbert assumed the presidency

Legislative branch
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

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)

Political parties and leaders
Note: the MNR, MIR, and UCS comprise the ruling coalition

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

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Jaime APARICIO Otero
In the us chancery: 3,014 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20,008
In the us consulates general: Miami, New York, and San Francisco
In the us consulates: Washington, DC
In the us fax: [1] (202) 328-3,712
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 483-4,410
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador David N. GREENLEE
From the us embassy: Avenida Arce 2,780, San Jorge, La Paz
From the us mailing address: P. O. Box 425, La Paz; APO AA 34,032
From the us telephone: [591] (2) 2,430,120, 2,430,251
From the us fax: [591] (2) 2,433,900

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: 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.

Real gdp growth rate: 2.8% (2002 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $2,500 (2002 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 20%
Industry: 20%
Services: 60% (2002 est.)

Agriculture products: soybeans coffee coca cotton corn sugarcane rice potatoes; timber

Industries: mining smelting petroleum food and beverages tobacco handicrafts clothing

Industrial production growth rate: 3.9% (1998)

Labor force: 2.5 million
By occupation agriculture: NA%
By occupation industry: NA%
By occupation services: NA%

Unemployment rate
Note: widespread underemployment (2000)

Population below poverty line: 70% (1999 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 1.3%
Highest 10: 32% (1999)

Distribution of family income gini index: 58.9 (1997)

Budget
Revenues: $4 billion
Expenditures: $4 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2002 est.)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 2% (2001 est.)

Exports: $1.3 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Commodities: soybeans natural gas zinc gold wood (2000)
Partners: Brazil 24.3% Switzerland 15.7% US 14.1% Venezuela 12.8% Colombia 10.2% Peru 5.4% (2002)

Imports: $1.6 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Commodities: capital goods raw materials and semi-manufactures chemicals petroleum food
Partners: Brazil 22% Argentina 17.4% US 15.6% Chile 7% Japan 5.5% Peru 5.4% China 4.8% (2002)

Debt external: $5.9 billion (2002 est.)

Exchange rates: bolivianos per US dollar - 7.17 (2002) 6.61 (2001) 6.18 (2000) 5.81 (1999) 5.51 (1998)

Electricity
Production: 3.901 billion kWh (2001)
Production by source fossil fuel: 44.4%
Production by source hydro: 54%
Production by source other: 1.5% (2001)
Production by source nuclear: 0%
Consumption: 3.634 billion kWh (2001)
Exports: 3 million kWh (2001)
Imports: 9 million kWh (2001)

Natural gas
Production: 4.05 billion m³ (2001 est.)
Consumption: 1.15 billion m³ (2001 est.)
Exports: 2.9 billion m³ (2001 est.)
Imports: 0 m³ (2001 est.)
Proven reserves: 727.2 billion m³ (37,257)

Telephones
Main lines in use: 327,600 (1996)
Mobile cellular: 116,000 (1997)

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)

Internet
Country code: .bo
Service providers isps: 9 (2000)
Users: 78,000 (2000)

Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $147 million (FY99)
Percent of gdp: 1.8% (FY99)

Airports: 1081 (2002)
With paved runways total: 12
With paved runways over 3047 m: 4
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 2
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 5
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1 (2002)
With unpaved runways total: 1,069
With unpaved runways over 3047 m: 1
With unpaved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 3
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 64
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 225
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 776 (2002)

Pipelines: gas 4,860 km; liquid petroleum gas 47 km; oil 2,460 km; refined products 1589 km; unknown (oil/water) 247 km (2003)

Railways
Total: 3,519 km
Narrow gauge: 3,519 km 1.000-m gauge (2002)

Waterways: 10,000 km (commercially navigable)

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.)

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

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