Bolivia
Country Guide

Explore Bolivia

Bolivia with its capital Sucre is located in South America (Central South America, southwest of Brazil). It covers some 1,098,581 square kilometers (slightly less than three times the size of Montana) with a population of 11,138,200. Spanish, Quechua and Aymara are some of the languages spoken by the majority in Bolivia (consider regional differences). Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay and Peru are bordering countries.

Please consult medical advice prior to entering this country, since in August 2010 a suspicious plague was detected.

Bolivia is a beautiful, geographically diverse, multiethnic, and democratic country in the heart of South America. Sometimes referred to as the Tibet of the Americas, Bolivia is one of the most remote countries in the western hemisphere. Bolivia's climate varies drastically with altitude and from one climatic zone to another. It ranges from humid and tropical to cold and semiarid. Bolivia, named after independence fighter Simon Bolivar, broke away from Spanish rule in 1825. Transportation strikes (bloqueos) are a common occurrence in Bolivia, so try to keep tuned to local news. Strikes often affect local taxis as well as long-distance buses; airlines are generally unaffected. Bolivia has 37 official languages -of which Spanish (often called Castellano), Quechua, and Aymara are the main ones. The others are In rural areas, many people do not speak Spanish. Bolivia's traditional alcoholic drink is chicha, a whitish, sour brew made from fermented corn and drunk from a hemispherical bowl fashioned from a hollowed gourd. Offering a favorable exchange for Western tourists, lodging can be found at very reasonable prices throughout the country, from hostels to luxury hotels.

Popular Destinations in Bolivia

Administrative regions of Bolivia

• Departamento de Chuquisaca
• Departamento de Cochabamba
• Departamento de La Paz
• Departamento de Pando
• Departamento de Potosi
• Departamento de Santa Cruz
• Departamento de Tarija
• El Beni
• Oruro

About the country

The terrain is rugged Andes Mountains with a highland plateau (Altiplano), hills, lowland plains of the Amazon Basin. The average density of population is about 10 per km². The climate in Bolivia can be described as varying with altitude with humid and tropical to cold and semiarid. Possible natural disasters include flooding in the northeast (March to April) volcanic activity in Andes Mountains on the border with Chile; historically active volcanoes in this region are Irruputuncu (5,163 m), which last erupted in 1995, and the Olca-Paruma volcanic complex (5,762 m to 5,167 m)

To reach someone Bolivia dial +591 prior to a number. The local cellular networks are operated on 850 MHz, 1900 MHz, 3G, 4G. Websites typically end with the top level domain ".bo". If you want to bring electric appliances (e.g. battery chaarger), keep in min the local 230 V - 50 Hz (plugs: A, C). The sign for the locally used currency Boliviano is BOB.

Three equal horizontal bands of red (top), yellow, and green with the coat of arms centered on the yellow band; red stands for bravery and the blood of national heroes, yellow for the nation's mineral resources, and green for the fertility of the land.

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 coups and countercoups, with the last coup occurring in 1978. Democratic civilian rule was established in 1982, but leaders have faced difficult problems of deep-seated poverty, social unrest, and illegal drug production. In December 2005, Bolivians elected Movement Toward Socialism leader Evo MORALES president - by the widest margin of any leader since the restoration of civilian rule in 1982 - after he ran on a promise to change the country's traditional political class and empower the nation's poor, indigenous majority. In December 2009 and October 2014, President MORALES easily won reelection. His party maintained control of the legislative branch of the government, which has allowed him to continue his process of change. In February 2016, MORALES narrowly lost a referendum to approve a constitutional amendment that would have allowed him to compete in the 2019 presidential election. Despite the loss, MORALES has already been chosen by his party to run again in 2019, via a still-undetermined method for him to appear on the ballot.

Geography

Area
Total (World Rank: 29)	1,098,580	sq km
Land (World Rank: 26)	1,083,300	sq km
Water (World Rank: 35)	15,280	sq km
Forest (World Rank: 55)	30.50	%
Comparative	slightly less than three times the size of Montana
Landborder
7252
Elevation
Lowest point (World Rank: 28)	90	m
Highest point (World Rank: 13)	6,542	m
Agricultural land
Total (World Rank: 123)	34.30	%
Arable (World Rank: 162)	3.60	%
Permanent crops (World Rank: 169)	0.20	%
Permanent pastures (World Rank: 55)	30.50	%
Irrigated land (World Rank: 69)	3,000	sq km
Map reference
South America
Environment
Issues	- desertification - industrial pollution of water supplies used for drinking and irrigation - loss of biodiversity - soil erosion from overgrazing and poor cultivation methods (including slash-and-burn agriculture) - the clearing of land for agricultural purposes and the international demand for tropical timber are contributing to deforestation
Agreement party	- Biodiversity - Climate Change - Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol - Desertification - Endangered Species - Hazardous Wastes - Law of the Sea - Marine Dumping - Ozone Layer Protection - Ship Pollution - Tropical Timber 83 - Tropical Timber 94 - Wetlands
Agreement signed	- Environmental Modification - Marine Life Conservation
Hazzards	- flooding in the northeast (March to April) - volcanic activity in Andes Mountains on the border with Chile; historically active volcanoes in this region are Irruputuncu (5,163 m), which last erupted in 1995, and the Olca-Paruma volcanic complex (5,762 m to 5,167 m)
Location
Central South America, southwest of Brazil
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

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People

Population
Total (World Rank: 81)	11,138,200
Deathrate (World Rank: 147)	0.64	%
Birthrate (World Rank: 72)	2.20	%
Growthrate (World Rank: 77)	1.51	%
Migration rate (World Rank: 94)	-0.05	%
Fertility rate (World Rank: 73)	2.63	%
Median age
Male (World Rank: 161)	23.60
Female (World Rank: 159)	25.00
Age structure
0 14 male (World Rank: 78)	1,807,740
0 14 female (World Rank: 78)	1,739,760
15 24 male (World Rank: 79)	1,098,100
15 24 female (World Rank: 79)	1,069,950
25 54 male (World Rank: 85)	2,041,870
25 54 female (World Rank: 81)	2,133,060
55 64 male (World Rank: 91)	303,409
55 64 female (World Rank: 88)	353,598
65 x male (World Rank: 91)	260,424
65 x female (World Rank: 95)	330,327
Health
Infant mortality rate (World Rank: 52)	3.53	%
Life expectancy total (World Rank: 158)	70	years
Life expectancy female (World Rank: 157)	72	years
Life expectancy male (World Rank: 158)	67	years
Physicians per 1000 (World Rank: 128)	0.47
Hospital bed per 1000 (World Rank: 146)	1.10
Sanitation access total (World Rank: 160)	50.30	%
Obesity adult (World Rank: 101)	20.20	%
Drinking water access (World Rank: 140)	90.00	%

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Energy

Electricity
Production (World Rank: 109)	8,147,000,000	kWh
Consumption (World Rank: 106)	7,332,000,000	kWh
Source fossil (World Rank: 101)	71.90	%
Source nuclear (World Rank: 84)	21.00	%
Source renew (World Rank: 76)	8.00	%
Crude oil
Production (World Rank: 49)	59,330	bbl / day
Proved reserves (World Rank: 56)	211,500,000	bbl
Refined products
Production (World Rank: 79)	59,050	bbl / day
Consumption (World Rank: 86)	86,000	bbl / day
Export (World Rank: 84)	8,642	bbl / day
Import (World Rank: 111)	22,340	bbl / day
Natural gas
Production (World Rank: 30)	21,100,000,000	m³
Consumption (World Rank: 61)	5,366,000,000	m³
Export (World Rank: 15)	15,730,000,000	m³
Carbon footprint
16000000

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Nation

Budget
Education (World Rank: 16)	7	% of GDP
Military (World Rank: 64)	2	% of GDP
Health (World Rank: 100)	6	% of GDP
Surplus (World Rank: 168)	-6	% of GDP
National symbol
llama
National colours
yellow
Adjective
Bolivian
Noun
Bolivian(s)
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 coups and countercoups, with the last coup occurring in 1978. Democratic civilian rule was established in 1982, but leaders have faced difficult problems of deep-seated poverty, social unrest, and illegal drug production. In December 2005, Bolivians elected Movement Toward Socialism leader Evo MORALES president - by the widest margin of any leader since the restoration of civilian rule in 1982 - after he ran on a promise to change the country's traditional political class and empower the nation's poor, indigenous majority. In December 2009 and October 2014, President MORALES easily won reelection. His party maintained control of the legislative branch of the government, which has allowed him to continue his process of change. In February 2016, MORALES narrowly lost a referendum to approve a constitutional amendment that would have allowed him to compete in the 2019 presidential election. Despite the loss, MORALES has already been chosen by his party to run again in 2019, via a still-undetermined method for him to appear on the ballot.
Flag description
three equal horizontal bands of red (top), yellow, and green with the coat of arms centered on the yellow band; red stands for bravery and the blood of national heroes, yellow for the nation's mineral resources, and green for the fertility of the land

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Economy

Gdp
Purchasing power parity (World Rank: 92)	78,770,000,000	USD
Real growth rate (World Rank: 55)	4.30	%
Per capita purchasing power parity (World Rank: 151)	7,200	USD
Source agriculture (World Rank: 72)	13.40	%
Source industry (World Rank: 30)	38.50	%
Source service (World Rank: 158)	53.80	%
Labourforce
Total (World Rank: 82)	4,992,000
In poverty (World Rank: 41)	38.60	%
Products
Industries	- beverages - clothing - food - handicrafts - jewelry - mining - petroleum - smelting - tobacco
Agriculture	- Brazil nuts - chia - coca - coffee - corn - potatoes - quinoa - rice - soybeans - sugarcane
Exports	- gold - lead - natural gas - quinoa - silver - soy products - soybeans - tin - zinc
Imports	- iron - machinery - petroleum products - plastics - steel - vehicles

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Communication

Phone
Landline total (World Rank: 79)	867,302
Landline per 100 (World Rank: 138)	8.00
Mobile per 100 (World Rank: 142)	93.00
Assessment	0
Internet
Users (World Rank: 83)	4,354,680
Population (World Rank: 139)	39.70	%

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Transport

Air
Airports paved (World Rank: 78)	21.00
Airports unpaved (World Rank: 6)	834
Rail
Total length (World Rank: 54)	3,504
Road
Total length (World Rank: 54)	90,568
Paved length (World Rank: 76)	9,792
Unpaved length (World Rank: 23)	80,776
Water
Total length (World Rank: 13)	10,000

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