Bolivia Country statistics
area: | 1,098,580sq km (424,162sq mi) 8,274,325 |
capital (population): | La Paz (804,600), Sucre (202,700) |
government: | Multi-party republic |
ethnic groups: | Quechua 30%, Aymará 25%, Mestizo 30%, White 15% |
languages: | Spanish, Aymará, Quechua |
religions: | Roman Catholic 80%, Protestant 15%, indigenous beliefs 5% |
currency: | Boliviano = 100 centavos |
Landlocked republic in
w central South America. Bolivia can be divided into two regions. The
w is dominated by two parallel ranges of the
Andes Mountains. The w cordillera forms Bolivia's border with Chile. The
e range runs through the heart of Bolivia. Between the two, lies the Altiplano. The Altiplano is the most densely populated region of Bolivia and the site of its famous ruins, it includes the seat of government,
La Paz, close to Lake
Titicaca.
Sucre, the legal capital, lies in the Andean foothills. The
e is a relatively unexplored region of lush, tropical rainforest, inhabited mainly by Native South Americans. In the
se lies the
Gran Chaco.
Climate and Vegetation
Bolivia's climate varies greatly according to altitude: the highest Andean peaks are permanently covered in snow, while the
e plains have a humid climate. The main rainy season is between December and February. The windswept Altiplano is a grassland region. The semi-arid Gran Chaco is a vast lowland plain, drained by the River Madeira, a tributary of the
Amazon.
History and Politics
The ruins of Tiahuanaco indicate that the Altiplano was the site of one of the great pre-Colombian civilizations. Before the Spanish invasion in 1532, the
Quechua had subsumed the
Aymara into the Inca Empire. The Spanish exploited the Andean silver mines with native forced labour. In 1824 Antonio José de
Sucre, Simón
Bolívar's general, completed the liberation of the country from Spanish rule.
For the next 100 years, corruption and instability plagued the new nation and, in a succession of military reverses, Bolivia lost territory to its neighbours. War with Paraguay (1932–35) cost
c.100,000 lives and led to the loss of most of
Gran Chaco. During World War 2, the need for tin revived Bolivia's ravaged economy.
In 1941 Victor Paz Estenssoro founded the pro-miner National Revolutionary Movement
(MNR). In 1943, with MNR support, the army seized power. From 1952 Paz nationalized the mines and instituted land reforms for the Native Americans. In 1964 a military coup toppled Paz's government. Guerrilla leader Che
Guevara was killed in 1967. From 1964 to 1982, Bolivia was ruled by military dictators, most notably Colonel Hugo Banzer Suárez (1971–78). Civilian rule returned in 1982. Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada, served as president from 1992 to 1997 and from 2002 to 2003, when he resigned. He was succeeded by Carlos Mesa.
Economy
Bolivia is the poorest nation in South America (2000 GDP per capita, US$2600). It is the world's sixth-largest producer of tin, which accounts for nearly one-third of all exports. The collapse in world tin prices brought an increase in coca production, which experts believe may be its largest (unofficial) export. Agriculture employs 47% of the workforce. In 1987 the introduction of a new currency eased inflation.
Political map
Physical map
Websites
http://www.boliviaweb.com
