Bolivia

Bolivia 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.

Bolivia Information

• Population: 8,724,156 (July 2004 est.)
• Nationality: noun: Bolivian(s) adjective: Bolivian
• Location:: Central South America, southwest of Brazil
• Religions:: Roman Catholic 95%, Protestant (Evangelical Methodist)
• Ethnic Groups:: Quechua 30%, mestizo (mixed white and Amerindian ancestry) 30%, Aymara 25%, white 15%
• Land Boundaries:: total: 6,743 km border countries: Argentina 832 km, Brazil 3,400 km, Chile 861 km, Paraguay 750 km, Peru 900 km
• Area: total: 1,098,580 sq km water: 14,190 sq km land: 1,084,390 sq km
• Coast Line: 0 km (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
• Maritime Claims: none (landlocked)
• Land Use: arable land: 2.67% permanent crops: 0.19% other: 97.54% (2001)
• Environmental 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
• Natural Resources: tin, natural gas, petroleum, zinc, tungsten, antimony, silver, iron, lead, gold, timber, hydropower
• Highways: total: 53,790 km paved: 3,496 km (including 13 km of expressways) unpaved: 50,294 km (2000 est.)
• Railways: total: 3,519 km narrow gauge: 3,519 km 1.000-m gauge (2003)
• Ports & Harbours: 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
• Airports: 1,067 (2003 est.)