Bolivia

Republic of BoliviaRepublica de Bolivia

republicIndependence 6 August 1825 (from Spain)

Bolivia as the 2004 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 127 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalLa Paz (seat of government)
Position17 00 S, 65 00 W
Area1,098,580 sq km
LocationCentral South America, southwest of Brazil
2004

Every edition of Bolivia

Populationas each edition published it
8.72 million July 2004 est. · 6.71m in 1990
Population growth% a year
1.56% 2004 est. · 2.31% in 1993
Median ageyears
21.1 years 2004 est. · 20.8 yrs in 2003
Life expectancyyears at birth
65.14 years 2004 est. · 62.77 yrs in 1993
Fertility ratechildren per woman
3.08 children per woman 2004 est. · 4.7 in 1990
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
54.58 deaths per 1,000 live births 2004 est. · 125 in 1990
GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars
$2,400 2003 est. · $670 in 1993
GDP real growth% a year
2.5% 2003 est. · 3.8% in 1993

Introduction

1 field

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 1982, 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, and waging an anticorruption campaign.

Geography

Central South America, southwest of Brazil

18 fields

Land useshare of 1,098,580 sq km

arable land 2.67%permanent crops 0.19%other 97.54% (2001)irrigated 1,280 sq km (1998 est.)
Area
1,098,580sq km
land: 1,084,390 sq kmwater: 14,190 sq kmslightly less than three times the size of Montana
Coastline
0km
(landlocked)Maritime claims: none (landlocked)
Highest point
6,542m
Nevado Sajamalowest point: Rio Paraguay 90 m
Land boundaries
6,743km
border countries: Argentina 832 km, Brazil 3,400 km, Chile 861 km, Paraguay 750 km, Peru 900 km

Location

Central South America, southwest of Brazil

Geographic coordinates

17 00 S, 65 00 W

Map references

South America

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

Natural resources

tin, natural gas, petroleum, zinc, tungsten, antimony, silver, iron, lead, gold, timber, hydropower

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, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified:
Environmental Modification, 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

People

19 fields
Population
8,724,156
(July 2004 est.)growth rate: 1.56% (2004 est.)

Per 1,000 population(2004 est.)

Birth
24.65Death
7.77Net migration
-1.32

Male · female

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years (2004 est.)65.14
62.54 · 67.86Infant mortality deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)54.58
58.23 · 50.75
TotalMale · femaleLiteracy (2003 est.)87.2%
93.1% · 81.6%Median age years (2004 est.)21.1
20.4 · 21.8
MaleFemaleLiteracy definition: age 15 and over can read and write

Ethnic groups

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

Age structure

0-14 years:
36.4% (male 1,619,950; female 1,557,883)
15-64 years:
59.1% (male 2,522,086; female 2,631,944)
65 years and over:
4.5% (male 175,193; female 217,100) (2004 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:
0.81 male(s)/female
total population:
0.98 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate

3.08 children born/woman (2004 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

less than 500 (2003 est.)

Nationality

noun:
Bolivian(s)
adjective:
Bolivian

Religions

Roman Catholic 95%, Protestant (Evangelical Methodist)

Languages

Spanish (official), Quechua (official), Aymara (official)

Government

Republic; President Carlos Diego MESA Gisbert (since 17 October 2003); President Carlos Diego MESA Gisbert (since 17 October 2003)

18 fields

Chamber of Senators, 130 seatsone dot, one seat

MNR 36MAS 27MIR 26NFR 25others 16

Country name

conventional long form:
Republic of Bolivia
conventional short form:
Bolivia
local long form:
Republica de Bolivia
local short form:
Bolivia

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

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

bicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional consists of Chamber of Senators or Camara de Senadores (27 seats; members are elected by proportional representation from party lists to serve five-year terms) and Chamber of Deputies or Camara de Diputados (130 seats; 68 are directly elected from their districts and 62 are elected by proportional representation from party lists to serve five-year terms)

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

  • Bolivian Socialist Falange or FSB [Romel PANTOJA];
  • Civic Solidarity Union or UCS [Johnny FERNANDEZ];
  • Free Bolivia Movement or MBL [Franz BARRIOS];
  • Marshal of Ayacucho Institutional Vanguard or VIMA [Freddy ZABALA];
  • Movement of the Revolutionary Left or MIR [Jaime PAZ Zamora];
  • Movement Toward Socialism or MAS [Evo MORALES];
  • Movement Without Fear or MSM [Juan DEL GRANADO];
  • Nationalist Democratic Action or ADN [Jorge Fernando QUIROGA Ramirez];
  • Nationalist Revolutionary Movement or MNR [leader NA];
  • New Republican Force or NFR [Manfred REYES-VILLA];
  • Pachakuti Indigenous Movement or MIP [Felipe QUISPE];
  • Socialist Party or PS [Jeres JUSTINIANO]

Political pressure groups and leaders

  • Cocalero Groups;
  • indigenous organizations;
  • labor unions;
  • Sole Confederation of Campesino Workers of Bolivia or CSUTCB [Roman LOAYZA]

International organization participation

CAN, 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), MIGA, MINUSTAH, MONUC, NAM, OAS, ONUB, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIK, UNMIL, UNMISET, UNOCI, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission:
Ambassador Jaime APARICIO Otero
chancery:
3014 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:
[1] (202) 483-4410
FAX:
[1] (202) 328-3712
consulate(s) general:
Miami, New York, and San Francisco
consulate(s):
Washington, DC

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission:
Ambassador David N. GREENLEE
embassy:
Avenida Arce 2780, San Jorge, La Paz
mailing address:
P. O. Box 425, La Paz; APO AA 34032
telephone:
[591] (2) 2430120, 2430251
FAX:
[591] (2) 2433900

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

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.

45 fields
Real growth rate
2.5%
(2003 est.)industrial production growth: 3.9% (1998)
Unemployment rate
11.7%
note: widespread underemployment (2003)

GDP - composition by sector(2003 est.)

agriculture 15%industry 33.2%services 51.9% (2003 est.)

Trading partnersexports left, imports right

37%
Brazil
25.2%
Argentina
22.3%
12.9%
Venezuela
11.5%
US
12%
11.9%
Colombia
Chile
9.3%
5.1%
Peru
5.8%
Exports $1.495 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)Imports $1.505 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)(2003)

Budget

Revenues
$2.346 billionExpenditures
$2.957 billion (2003)
expenditures including capital expenditures of $NA

Electricity

Electricity production
3.901 billion (2001)Electricity consumption
3.634 billion (2001)Electricity exports
3 million (2001)Electricity imports
9 million (2001)

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.

GDP

purchasing power parity - $21.01 billion (2003 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $2,400 (2003 est.)

Investment (gross fixed)

12.4% of GDP (2003)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%:
1.3%
highest 10%:
32% (1999)

Labor force

4.1 million (2003)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture NA, industry NA, services NA

Agriculture - products

soybeans, coffee, coca, cotton, corn, sugarcane, rice, potatoes; timber

Industries

mining, smelting, petroleum, food and beverages, tobacco, handicrafts, clothing

Oil - production

44,340 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - consumption

49,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports

NA (2001)

Oil - imports

NA (2001)

Oil - proved reserves

458.8 million bbl (1 January 2002)

Natural gas - production

4.05 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - consumption

1.15 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - exports

2.9 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

727.2 billion cu m (1 January 2002)

Current account balance

$50 million (2003)

Exports

$1.495 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Exports - commodities

soybeans, natural gas, zinc, gold, wood (2000)

Imports

$1.505 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Imports - commodities

capital goods, raw materials and semi-manufactures, chemicals, petroleum, food

Debt - external

$5.332 billion (2003 est.)

Economic aid - recipient

$588 million (1997)

Currency

boliviano (BOB)

Exchange rates

bolivianos per US dollar - 7.6592 (2003), 7.17 (2002), 6.6069 (2001), 6.1835 (2000), 5.8124 (1999)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

8 fields
Mobile cellular
1,401,500
(2003)
Internet users
7,080
(2003)
Fixed lines
600,100
(2003) · country code .bo

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:
country code - 591; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 171, FM 73, shortwave 77 (1999)

Internet users

270,000 (2002)

Transportation

9 fields

Airports by runway lengthpaved left, unpaved right

4
over 3,047 m
1
4
2,438 to 3,047 m
3
5
1,524 to 2,437 m
60
3
914 to 1,523 m
207
under 914 m
778
Paved 16Unpaved 1,049

Networkskm

Highways
53,790Railways
3,519Waterways
10,000 (2004)
Highways: paved: 3,496 km (including 13 km of expressways) · unpaved: 50,294 km (2000 est.) · Railways: narrow gauge: 3,519 km 1.000-m gauge (2003) · Waterways: (commercially navigable)

Railways

total:
3,519 km
narrow gauge:
3,519 km 1.000-m gauge (2003)

Highways

total:
53,790 km
paved:
3,496 km (including 13 km of expressways)
unpaved:
50,294 km (2000 est.)

Waterways

10,000 km (commercially navigable) (2004)

Pipelines

  • gas 4,860 km;
  • liquid petroleum gas 47 km;
  • oil 2,457 km;
  • refined products 1,589 km;
  • unknown (oil/water) 247 km (2004)

Ports and harbors

  • Puerto Aguirre (on the Paraguay/Parana waterway, at the Bolivia/Brazil border);
  • also, Bolivia has free port privileges in maritime ports in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Paraguay

Merchant marine

total:
56 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 413,407 GRT/699,901 DWT
by type:
bulk 3, cargo 26, chemical tanker 4, container 3, livestock carrier 1, multi-functional large load carrier 1, petroleum tanker 10, refrigerated cargo 2, roll on/roll off 1, short-sea/passenger 3, specialized tanker 2
foreign-owned:
Argentina 1, British Virgin Islands 1, Cambodia 1, China 1, Cyprus 1, Egypt 1, Eritrea 1, Germany 2, Greece 1, Hong Kong 1, Indonesia 1, Iran 1, Italy 2, Latvia 2, Panama 3, Romania 1, Russia 1, Saint Kitts and Nevis 1, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1, Saudi Arabia 2, Singapore 3, Syria 1, Turkey 1, United Kingdom 1, United States 3, Yemen 2
registered in other countries:
1 (2004 est.)

Airports

1,067 (2003 est.)

Military

Army (Ejercito Boliviano), Navy (Fuerza Naval, includes Marines), Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Boliviana)

7 fields

Military branches

Army (Ejercito Boliviano), Navy (Fuerza Naval, includes Marines), Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Boliviana)

Military manpower - military age and obligation

  • 18 years of age for voluntary military service;
  • when annual number of volunteers falls short of goal, compulsory recruitment is effected, including conscription of boys as young as 14;
  • one estimate holds that 40% of the armed forces are under the age of 18, with 50% of those under the age of 16;
  • conscript tour of duty - 12 months (2002)

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49: 2,175,384 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males age 15-49: 1,417,804 (2004 est.)

Transnational Issues

2 fields

Disputes - international

has reactivated its claim to restore the Atacama corridor, ceded to Chile in 1884, to secure sovereign maritime access for Bolivian natural gas

Illicit drugs

  • world's third-largest cultivator of coca (after Colombia and Peru) with an estimated 28,450 hectares under cultivation in June 2003, a 23% increase from June 2002;
  • intermediate coca products and cocaine exported mostly to or through Brazil, Argentina, and Chile to European and US drug markets;
  • eradication and alternative crop programs under the MESA administration have been unable to keep pace with farmers' attempts to increase cultivation;
  • money-laundering activity related to narcotics trade, especially along the borders with Brazil and Paraguay

Central Intelligence Agency. “Bolivia.” The World Factbook 2004. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/bolivia/2004.

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