| 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, continuing the
privatization program, and waging an anti-corruption
campaign. |
| Location: |
Central South
America, southwest of Brazil |
| Geographic
coordinates: |
17 00 S, 65 00 W |
| Map
references: |
South America |
| Area: |
total:
1,098,580 sq km
land: 1,084,390 sq km
water: 14,190 sq km |
| Area
- comparative: |
slightly less
than three times the size of Montana |
| Land
boundaries: |
total:
6,743 km
border countries: 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
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:
2%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 24%
forests and woodland: 53%
other: 21% (1993 est.) |
| Irrigated
land: |
1,750 sq km (1993
est.) |
| Natural
hazards: |
flooding in the
northeast (March-April) |
| 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 |
| Environment
- 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
signed, but not ratified: Environmental
Modification, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation,
Ozone Layer Protection |
| Geography
- note: |
landlocked;
shares control of Lago Titicaca, world's highest navigable
lake (elevation 3,805 m), with Peru |
| Population: |
8,300,463 (July
2001 est.) |
| Age
structure: |
0-14 years:
38.46% (male 1,626,698; female 1,565,748)
15-64 years: 57.07% (male 2,315,098; female
2,421,987)
65 years and over: 4.47% (male 166,986; female
203,946) (2001 est.) |
| Population
growth rate: |
1.76% (2001 est.) |
| Birth
rate: |
27.27
births/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
| Death
rate: |
8.2 deaths/1,000
population (2001 est.) |
| Net
migration rate: |
-1.45 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2001 est.) |
| Sex
ratio: |
at birth:
1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.82 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2001
est.) |
| Infant
mortality rate: |
58.98
deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) |
| Life
expectancy at birth: |
total
population: 64.06 years
male: 61.53 years
female: 66.72 years (2001 est.) |
| Total
fertility rate: |
3.51 children
born/woman (2001 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- adult prevalence rate: |
0.1% (1999 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- people living with HIV/AIDS: |
4,200 (1999 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- deaths: |
380 (1999 est.) |
| Nationality: |
noun:
Bolivian(s)
adjective: Bolivian |
| Ethnic
groups: |
Quechua 30%,
Aymara 25%, mestizo (mixed white and Amerindian ancestry)
30%, white 15% |
| Religions: |
Roman Catholic
95%, Protestant (Evangelical Methodist) |
| Languages: |
Spanish
(official), Quechua (official), Aymara (official) |
| Literacy: |
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 83.1%
male: 90.5%
female: 76% (1995 est.) |
| Country
name: |
conventional
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 |
| 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 Hugo BANZER Suarez (since 6
August 1997); Vice President Jorge Fernando QUIROGA Ramirez
(since 6 August 1997); note - the president is both the
chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Hugo BANZER
Suarez (since 6 August 1997); Vice President Jorge Fernando
QUIROGA Ramirez (since 6 August 1997); 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 1 June 1997 (next to be held May or June
2002)
election results: Hugo BANZER Suarez elected
president; percent of vote - Hugo BANZER Suarez (ADN) 22%;
Jaime PAZ Zamora (MIR) 17%, Juan Carlos DURAN (MNR) 18%, Ivo
KULJIS (UCS) 16%, Remedios LOZA (CONDEPA) 17%; no candidate
received a majority of the popular vote; Hugo BANZER Suarez
won a congressional runoff election on 5 August 1997 after
forming a "megacoalition" with MIR, UCS, CONDEPA,
NFR, and PDC |
| Legislative
branch: |
bicameral
National Congress or Congreso Nacional consists of Chamber
of Senators or Camara de Senadores (27 seats; members are
directly elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
and Chamber of Deputies or Camara de Diputados (130 seats;
members are directly elected by popular vote to serve
five-year terms; note - some members are drawn from party
lists, thus not directly elected)
elections: Chamber of Senators and Chamber of
Deputies - last held 1 June 1997 (next to be held NA June
2002)
election results: Chamber of Senators - percent
of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - ADN 11, MIR 7, MNR
4, CONDEPA 3, UCS 2; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote
by party - NA%; seats by party - ADN 32, MNR 26, MIR 23, UCS
21, CONDEPA 19, MBL 5, IU 4 |
| 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: |
Christian
Democratic Party or PDC [leader NA]; Civic Solidarity Union
or UCS [Johnny FERNANDEZ]; Conscience of the Fatherland or
CONDEPA [Remedios LOZA Alvarado]; Free Bolivia Movement or
MBL [Antonio ARANIBAR]; Movement of the Revolutionary Left
or MIR [Jaime PAZ Zamora]; Nationalist Democratic Action or
ADN [Hugo BANZER Suarez]; Nationalist Revolutionary Movement
or MNR [Gonzalo SANCHEZ DE LOZADA]; New Republican Force or
NFR [leader NA]; Pachacuti Indigenous Movement [Filipe
QUISPE]; United Left or IU [Marcos DOMIC]
note: the ADN, MIR, and UCS comprise the ruling
coalition |
| Political
pressure groups and leaders: |
Cocalero Groups;
indigenous organizations; labor unions |
| International
organization participation: |
CAN, CCC, ECLAC,
FAO, G-11, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD,
IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU,
LAES, LAIA, Mercosur (associate), MONUC, NAM, OAS, OPANAL,
OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIK, UNTAET, UPU,
WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO |
| Diplomatic
representation in the US: |
chief of
mission: Ambassador Marlene FERNANDEZ del Granado
chancery: 3014 Massachusetts Avenue NW,
Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 483-4410
FAX: [1] (202) 328-3712
consulate(s) general: Los Angeles, Miami, New
York, and San Francisco |
| Diplomatic
representation from the US: |
chief of
mission: Ambassador V. Manuel ROCHA
embassy: Avenida Arce 2780, San Jorge, La Paz
mailing address: P. O. Box 425, La Paz; APO AA
34032
telephone: [591] (2) 432254
FAX: [591] (2) 433854 |
| 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,
has made considerable progress 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 joining the Southern Cone Common
Market (Mercosur), as well as the privatization of the state
airline, telephone company, railroad, electric power
company, and oil company. His successor, Hugo BANZER Suarez
has tried to further improve the country's investment
climate with an anticorruption campaign. 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 in April, and again in September and
October, held down overall growth to 2.5%. |
| GDP: |
purchasing power
parity - $20.9 billion (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- real growth rate: |
2.5% (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- per capita: |
purchasing power
parity - $2,600 (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- composition by sector: |
agriculture:
16%
industry: 31%
services: 53% (1999 est.) |
| Population
below poverty line: |
70% (1999 est.) |
| Household
income or consumption by percentage share: |
lowest 10%:
2.3%
highest 10%: 31.7% (1990) |
| Inflation
rate (consumer prices): |
4.4% (2000 est.) |
| Labor
force - by occupation: |
agriculture NA%,
industry NA%, services NA% |
| Unemployment
rate: |
11.4% (1997)
note: widespread underemployment |
| Budget: |
revenues:
$2.7 billion
expenditures: $2.7 billion, including capital
expenditures of $NA (1998) |
| Industries: |
mining, smelting,
petroleum, food and beverages, tobacco, handicrafts,
clothing |
| Industrial
production growth rate: |
4% (1995 est.) |
| Electricity
- production: |
3.625 billion kWh
(1999) |
| Electricity
- production by source: |
fossil fuel:
56.61%
hydro: 41.6%
nuclear: 0%
other: 1.79% (1999) |
| Electricity
- consumption: |
3.377 billion kWh
(1999) |
| Electricity
- exports: |
4 million kWh
(1999) |
| Electricity
- imports: |
10 million kWh
(1999) |
| Agriculture
- products: |
soybeans, coffee,
coca, cotton, corn, sugarcane, rice, potatoes; timber |
| Exports: |
$1.26 billion
(f.o.b., 2000 est.) |
| Exports
- commodities: |
soybeans, natural
gas, zinc, gold, wood |
| Exports
- partners: |
UK 16%, US 12%,
Peru 11%, Argentina 10%, Colombia 7% (1998) |
| Imports: |
$1.86 billion
(f.o.b., 2000 est.) |
| Imports
- commodities: |
capital goods,
raw materials and semi-manufactures, chemicals, petroleum,
food |
| Imports
- partners: |
US 32%, Japan
24%, Brazil 12%, Argentina 12%, Chile 7%, Peru 4%, Germany
3%, other 6% (1998) |
| Debt
- external: |
$6.6 billion
(2000) |
| Economic
aid - recipient: |
$588 million
(1997) |
| Currency: |
boliviano (BOB) |
| Exchange
rates: |
bolivianos per US
dollar - 6.4071 (January 2001), 6.1835 (2000), 5.8124
(1999), 5.5101 (1998), 5.2543 (1997), 5.0746 (1996) |
| Fiscal
year: |
calendar year |
| Telephones
- main lines in use: |
327,600 (1996) |
| Telephones
- 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) |
| Radio
broadcast stations: |
AM 171, FM 73,
shortwave 77 (1999) |
| Radios: |
5.25 million
(1997) |
| Television
broadcast stations: |
48 (1997) |
| Televisions: |
900,000 (1997) |
| Internet
country code: |
.bo |
| Internet
Service Providers (ISPs): |
9 (2000) |
| Internet
users: |
35,000 (2000) |
| Railways: |
total:
3,691 km (single track)
narrow gauge: 3,652 km 1.000-m gauge; 39 km
0.760-m gauge (13 km electrified) (1995) |
| Highways: |
total:
49,400 km
paved: 2,500 km (including 30 km of
expressways)
unpaved: 46,900 km (1996) |
| Waterways: |
10,000 km
(commercially navigable) |
| Pipelines: |
crude oil 1,800
km; petroleum products 580 km; natural gas 1,495 km |
| Ports
and harbors: |
none; however,
Bolivia has free port privileges in maritime ports in
Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Paraguay |
| Merchant
marine: |
total:
42 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 141,017 GRT/211,058
DWT
ships by type: bulk 5, cargo 20, chemical
tanker 3, container 1, petroleum tanker 10, roll on/roll off
3 (2000 est.) |
| Airports: |
1,093 (2000 est.) |
| Airports
- with paved runways: |
total:
13
over 3,047 m: 4
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2000 est.) |
| Airports
- with unpaved runways: |
total:
1,080
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 65
914 to 1,523 m: 212
under 914 m: 800 (2000 est.) |
| Military
branches: |
Army (Ejercito
Boliviano), Navy (Fuerza Naval Boliviana, includes Marines),
Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Boliviana), National Police Force (Policia
Nacional de Bolivia) |
| Military
manpower - military age: |
19 years of age |
| Military
manpower - availability: |
males age
15-49: 2,005,660 (2001 est.) |
| Military
manpower - fit for military service: |
males age
15-49: 1,306,452 (2001 est.) |
| Military
manpower - reaching military age annually: |
males:
90,120 (2001 est.) |
| Military
expenditures - dollar figure: |
$147 million
(FY99) |
| Military
expenditures - percent of GDP: |
1.8% (FY99) |
| 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
third-largest cultivator of coca (after Colombia and Peru, a
distant second) with an estimated 14,600 hectares under
cultivation in 2000, a 33% decrease in overall cultivation
of coca from 1999 levels; 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 have slashed
illicit coca cultivation during the BANZER administration
beginning in 1997 |
|
