The 1999 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency

in Nepal

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      @Bolivia———

      Introduction

      Background: Bolivia broke away from Spanish rule in 1825. Its subsequent history has been marked by a seemingly endless series of coups, counter-coups, and abrupt changes in leaders and policies. Comparatively democratic civilian rule was established in the 1980s, but the leaders have faced difficult problems of deep-seated poverty, social unrest, strikes, and drug dealing. Current issues include encouraging and negotiating the terms for foreign investment; strengthening the educational system; continuing the privatization program; pursuing judicial reform and an anti-corruption campaign.

      Geography

      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

      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: cold, thin air of high plateau is obstacle to efficient fuel combustion, as well as to physical activity by those unaccustomed to it from birth; 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, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94 signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, 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

      People

      Population: 7,982,850 (July 1999 est.)

      Age structure:

       0–14 years: 39% (male 1,573,391; female 1,540,123)

       15–64 years: 56% (male 2,199,077; female 2,307,490)

       65 years and over: 5% (male 164,213; female 198,556) (1999 est.)

      Population growth rate: 1.96% (1999 est.)

      Birth rate: 30.72 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)

      Death rate: 9.61 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)

      Net migration rate: −1.5 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)

      Sex ratio:

       at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

       under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female

       15–64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female

       65 years and over: 0.83 male(s)/female

       total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (1999 est.)

      Infant mortality rate: 62.02 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)

      Life expectancy at birth: total population: 61.43 years male: 58.51 years female: 64.51 years (1999 est.)

      Total fertility rate: 3.93 children born/woman (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.)

      Government

      Country name:

       conventional long form: Republic of Bolivia

       conventional short form: Bolivia

       local long form: Republica de Bolivia

       local short form: Bolivia

      Data code: BL

      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 from a panel of

       candidates proposed by the Senate

       elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket

       by popular vote for five-year terms; election