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This article is about the country of Bolivia. Alternate uses: Bolivia (disambiguation)
The Republic of Bolivia is a landlocked country in western South America. It is bordered by Brazil in the north and east,
Paraguay and Argentina in the
south, and Chile and Peru in the west.
República de Bolivia
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| National motto: None |
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| Official language |
Spanish, Quechua,
Aymara, Guarani |
| Capital |
La Paz, Sucreš |
| Largest City |
La Paz |
| President |
Carlos Mesa |
Area
- Total
- % water |
Ranked 27th
1,098,580 km˛
1.4% |
| Population
- Total (July 2000)
- Density |
Ranked 85th
8,586,443
8/km˛ |
Independence
- Date |
From Spain
August 6, 1825 |
| Currency |
Boliviano |
| Time zone |
UTC -4 |
| National anthem |
Bolivianos, el hado propicio |
| Internet TLD |
.BO |
| Calling Code |
591 |
(1) La Paz is the seat of government,
Sucre the legal capital. |
History
Main article: History of Bolivia
Bolivia has long been inhabited by advanced cultures, the most important being the civilization of Tiahuanaco. It became part of the Inca empire in the 15th century. When the Spanish arrived in
the 16th century, Bolivia, rich in silver deposits, was incorporated in the Viceroyalty
of Peru, and later that of La Plata.
Struggle for independence began in 1809, but it remained part of Spain until 1825, when it was liberated by Simón
Bolívar, for whom the nation was later named. After briefly being part of a union with Peru, Bolivia became fully independent. In following years, Bolivia lost a lot of ground through war and sales.
Faced with racial and cultural troubles, Bolivia has known revolution and military coups. A military junta was overthrown in the early 1980s to reinstate democracy.
Politics
Main article: Politics of Bolivia
The president, elected every five years, is head of state and head of
government, and appoints a cabinet of ministers. The Bolivian parliament
consists of two chambers, the Camara de Senadores, or Senator's Chamber, has 27 seats, and the Camara de
Diputados, or Deputies' Chamber has 130.
Departments
Main article: Departments of Bolivia
Bolivia is divided into nine departments, or departamentos:
Geography
Main article: Geography of Bolivia
Bolivia is a landlocked nation. The west of Bolivia is situated in the Andes mountain
range, with the highest peak, Nevado Sajama at 6,542 m. The centre of the country is formed by a highland plateau, the Altiplano,
where most of the Bolivians live. The east of the country is lowland, and covered by the Amazonian rainforests. Lake Titicaca is located on the
border between Bolivia and Peru. In the west, in the department of Potosi, lies the
Salar De Uyuni, the world’s largest salt flats.
Major cities are La Paz, Sucre, Santa Cruz de la Sierra and Cochabamba.
Economy
Main article: Economy of Bolivia
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 Sánchez 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
privatisation 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 in April, and again in September and October, held down overall growth to 2.5%. Bolivia's GDP failed to grow in 2001 due to the global slowdown and laggard domestic activity. Growth is expected to pick up in 2002, but the fiscal deficit and debt burden will remain high.
Demographics
Main article: Demographics of Bolivia
Many of the Bolivians are still of Indian ancestry, although a large group has mixed with the Europeans; they are called
mestizos (about 30% of the population). Of the three official languages in
Bolivia, two are indigenous: Quechua (the language of the Inca), and Aymará, a pre-Inca language. Spanish is the third language, spoken by about three-quarters of the population, mostly as a second
language.
Virtually all Bolivians are Roman Catholic, although many elements
of the indigenous religions have been incorporated.
Culture
Main article: Culture of Bolivia
Bolivian culture has many Incan and other Indian influences in religion, music and clothing, such as the well known bowler
hats.
See also:
Miscellaneous topics
Much of the material in these articles comes from the CIA
World Factbook 2000 and the 2003 U.S. Department of State website.
External links
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