Bolivia ( Republica de Bolivia) is a country in Central South America, southwest of Brazil. Bolivia geographic coordinates 17 00 S, 65 00 W; area 1,084,390 sq km; area comparative slightly less than three times the size of Montana; land boundaries 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 Basi; elevation extremes Nevado Sajama 6,542 m; natural resources tin, natural gas, petroleum, zinc, tungsten, antimony, silver, iron, lead, gold, timber, hydropower; land use 97.14% (2001); irrigated land 1,280 sq km (1998 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 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;

introduction

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 illegal 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. government type republic; capital La Paz (seat of government); Sucre (legal capital and seat of ju; 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;

people

Bolivia population 8,857,870 (July 2005 est.); age structure 4.5% (male 178,486/female 222,092) (2005 est.); median age 22.17 years (2005 est.); population growth rate 1.49% (2005 est.); birth rate 23.76 births/1,000 population (2005 est.); death rate 7.64 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.); net migration rate -1.27 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.); sex ratio 0.98 male(s)/female (2005 est.); infant mortality rate 56.7 deaths/1,000 live births; life expectancy at birth 68.25 years (2005 est.); total fertility rate 2.94 children born/woman (2005 est.); hiv adult rate 0.1% (2003 est.); hiv people with aids 4,900 (2003 est.); hiv deaths less than 500 (2003 est.); nationality Bolivian; ethnic groups Quechua 30%, mestizo (mixed white and Amerindian ancestry) 30%, Aymara 25%, white 15%; religions Roman Catholic 95%, Protestant (Evangelical Methodist) 5%; languages Spanish (official), Quechua (official), Aymara (official); literacy 81.6% (2003 est.);

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