Bolivia

Broadcast media

large number of radio and television broadcasting stations with private media outlets dominating; state-owned and private radio and television stations generally operating freely, although both pro-government and anti-government groups have attacked media outlets in response to their reporting (2010)

Internet country code

.bo

Internet hosts

125,462 (2010) country comparison to the world: 74

Internet users

1.103 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 95

Telephone system

general assessment: Bolivian National Telecommunications Company (ENTEL) was privatized in 1995 but re-nationalized in 2007; the primary trunk system is being expanded and employs digital microwave radio relay; some areas are served by fiber-optic cable; system operations, reliability, and coverage have steadily improved. domestic: most telephones are concentrated in La Paz, Santa Cruz, and other capital cities; mobile-cellular telephone use expanding rapidly and, in 2010, teledensity reached about 75 per 100 persons international: country code - 591; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2010)

Telephones - main lines in use

848,200 (2010) country comparison to the world: 86

Telephones - mobile cellular

7.179 million (2010) country comparison to the world: 88

Agriculture - products

soybeans, coffee, coca, cotton, corn, sugarcane, rice, potatoes; timber

Budget

revenues: $8.623 billion expenditures: $8.239 billion (2010 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

2% of GDP (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 24

Central bank discount rate

3% (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 99 3% (31 December 2009 est.)

Commercial bank prime lending rate

9.911% (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 79 12.36% (31 December 2009 est.)

Current account balance

$902.1 million (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 48 $813.2 million (2009 est.)

Debt - external

$6.164 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 105 $5.812 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Distribution of family income - Gini index

58.2 (2009) country comparison to the world: 10 57.9 (1999)

Economy - overview

Bolivia is one of the poorest and least developed countries in Latin America. Following a disastrous economic crisis during the early 1980s, reforms spurred private investment, stimulated economic growth, and cut poverty rates in the 1990s. The period 2003-05 was characterized by political instability, racial tensions, and violent protests against plans - subsequently abandoned - to export Bolivia's newly discovered natural gas reserves to large northern hemisphere markets. In 2005, the government passed a controversial hydrocarbons law that imposed significantly higher royalties and required foreign firms then operating under risk-sharing contracts to surrender all production to the state energy company in exchange for a predetermined service fee. After higher prices for mining and hydrocarbons exports produced a fiscal surplus in 2008, the global recession in 2009 slowed growth. Nevertheless, Bolivia recorded the highest growth rate in South America that year. During 2010 an increase in world commodity prices resulted in the biggest trade surplus in history. However, a lack of foreign investment in the key sectors of mining and hydrocarbons and higher food prices pose challenges for the Bolivian economy.

Electricity - consumption

5.814 billion kWh (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 108

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2009 est.)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2010 est.)

Electricity - production

6.085 billion kWh (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 108

Exchange rates

bolivianos (BOB) per US dollar - 7.04 (2010) 7.07 (2009) 7.253 (2008) 7.8616 (2007) 8.0159 (2006)

Exports

$6.179 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 104 $4.918 billion (2009 est.)

Exports - commodities

natural gas, soybeans and soy products, crude petroleum, zinc ore, tin

Exports - partners

Brazil 43.5%, US 12.3%, Peru 6.8%, Colombia 5.5%, Japan 5.1%, Argentina 4.8% (2010)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$19.37 billion (2010 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$47.88 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 93 $45.96 billion (2009 est.) $44.47 billion (2008 est.) note: data are in 2010 US dollars

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 12% industry: 38% services: 50% (2010 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$4,800 (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 151 $4,700 (2009 est.) $4,600 (2008 est.) note: data are in 2010 US dollars

GDP - real growth rate

4.2% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 89 3.4% (2009 est.) 6.1% (2008 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 1% highest 10%: 45.4% (2007)

Imports

$4.922 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 115 $4.144 billion (2009 est.)

Imports - commodities

petroleum products, plastics, paper, aircraft and aircraft parts, prepared foods, automobiles, insecticides, soybeans

Imports - partners

Brazil 27.4%, Argentina 17.3%, US 11.9%, Peru 9.6%, Chile 7.8%, China 4.1% (2010)

Industrial production growth rate

4% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 103

Industries

mining, smelting, petroleum, food and beverages, tobacco, handicrafts, clothing

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

2.5% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 83 3.3% (2009 est.)

Investment (gross fixed)

16.6% of GDP (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 154

Labor force

4.614 million (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 80

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture: 40% industry: 17% services: 43% (2006 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares

$3.388 billion (31 December 2010) country comparison to the world: 89 $2.792 billion (31 December 2009) $2.672 billion (31 December 2008)

Natural gas - consumption

3.01 billion cu m (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 73

Natural gas - exports

11.72 billion cu m (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 18

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 89

Natural gas - production

14.73 billion cu m (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 34

Natural gas - proved reserves

750.4 billion cu m (1 January 2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 30

Oil - consumption

62,000 bbl/day (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 93

Oil - exports

5,621 bbl/day (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 103

Oil - imports

17,330 bbl/day (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 121

Oil - production

53,740 bbl/day (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 61

Oil - proved reserves

465 million bbl (1 January 2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 51

Population below poverty line

30.3% note: based on percent of population living on less than the international standard of $2/day (2009 est.)

Public debt

38.1% of GDP (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 75 42.5% of GDP (2009 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$9.73 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 71 $8.581 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of broad money

$13.75 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 93 $12.16 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad

$21 million (31 December 2010) country comparison to the world: 85 $63.8 million (31 December 2008)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home

$7.257 billion (31 December 2010) country comparison to the world: 84 $6.876 billion (31 December 2009)

Stock of domestic credit

$6.05 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 107 $5.695 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of narrow money

$4.511 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 94 $3.524 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

44.5% of GDP (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 28

Unemployment rate

7.8% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 85 7.9% (2009 est.) note: data are for urban areas; widespread underemployment

Area

total: 1,098,581 sq km country comparison to the world: 28 land: 1,083,301 sq km water: 15,280 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly less than three times the size of Montana

Climate

varies with altitude; humid and tropical to cold and semiarid

Coastline

0 km (landlocked)

Elevation extremes

lowest point: Rio Paraguay 90 m highest point: Nevado Sajama 6,542 m

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, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Marine Life Conservation

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

total: 1.44 cu km/yr (13%/7%/81%) per capita: 157 cu m/yr (2000)

Geographic coordinates

17 00 S, 65 00 W

Geography - note

landlocked; shares control of Lago Titicaca, world's highest navigable lake (elevation 3,805 m), with Peru

Irrigated land

1,500 sq km (2008)

Land boundaries

total: 6,940 km border countries: Argentina 832 km, Brazil 3,423 km, Chile 860 km, Paraguay 750 km, Peru 1,075 km

Land use

arable land: 2.78% permanent crops: 0.19% other: 97.03% (2005)

Location

Central South America, southwest of Brazil

Map references

South America

Maritime claims

none (landlocked)

Natural hazards

flooding in the northeast (March-April) volcanism: Bolivia experiences volcanic activity in Andes Mountains on the border with Chile; historically active volcanoes in this region are Irruputuncu (elev. 5,163 m), which last erupted in 1995 and Olca-Paruma

Natural resources

tin, natural gas, petroleum, zinc, tungsten, antimony, silver, iron, lead, gold, timber, hydropower

Terrain

rugged Andes Mountains with a highland plateau (Altiplano), hills, lowland plains of the Amazon Basin

Total renewable water resources

622.5 cu km (2000)

Administrative divisions

9 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento); Beni, Chuquisaca, Cochabamba, La Paz, Oruro, Pando, Potosi, Santa Cruz, Tarija

Capital

name: La Paz (administrative capital) geographic coordinates: 16 30 S, 68 09 W time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) note: Sucre (constitutional capital)

Constitution

7 February 2009

Country name

conventional long form: Plurinational State of Bolivia conventional short form: Bolivia local long form: Estado Plurinacional de Bolivia local short form: Bolivia

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires John CREAMER embassy: Avenida Arce 2780, Casilla 425, La Paz mailing address: P. O. Box 425, La Paz; APO AA 34032 telephone: [591] (2) 216-8000 FAX: [591] (2) 216-8111 note: in September 2008, the Bolivian Government expelled the US Ambassador to Bolivia, and the countries have yet to reinstate ambassadors

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Freddy BERSATTI Tudela chancery: 3014 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 483-4410 FAX: [1] (202) 328-3712 consulate(s) general: Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco note: as of September 2008, the US has expelled the Bolivian ambassador to the US

Executive branch

chief of state: President Juan Evo MORALES Ayma (since 22 January 2006); Vice President Alvaro GARCIA Linera (since 22 January 2006); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government head of government: President Juan Evo MORALES Ayma (since 22 January 2006); Vice President Alvaro GARCIA Linera (since 22 January 2006) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president (For more information visit theWorld Leaders website) elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for a five-year term and are eligible for re-election; election last held on 6 December 2009 (next to be held in 2014) election results: Juan Evo MORALES Ayma reelected president; percent of vote - Juan Evo MORALES Ayma 64%; Manfred REYES VILLA 26%; Samuel DORIA MEDINA Arana 6%; Rene JOAQUINO 2%; other 2%

Flag description

three equal horizontal bands of red (top), yellow, and green with the coat of arms centered on the yellow band; red stands for bravery and the blood of national heroes, yellow for the nation's mineral resources, and green for the fertility of the land note: similar to the flag of Ghana, which has a large black five-pointed star centered in the yellow band; in 2009, a presidential decree made it mandatory for a so-called wiphala - a square, multi-colored flag representing the country's indigenous peoples - to be used alongside the traditional flag

Government type

republic; note - the new constitution defines Bolivia as a "Social Unitarian State"

Independence

6 August 1825 (from Spain)

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International organization participation

CAN, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur (associate), MIGA, MINUSTAH, MONUSCO, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNASUR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNMIL, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

Supreme Court or Tribunal Supremo de Justicia (judges elected by popular vote from list of candidates pre-selected by Assembly for six-year terms); District Courts (one in each department); Plurinational Constitutional Tribunal (seven primary or titulares and seven alternate or suplente magistrates elected by popular vote from list of candidates pre-selected by Assembly for six-year terms; to rule on constitutional issues (at least two candidates must be indigenous)); Plurinational Electoral Organ (seven members elected by the Assembly and the president; one member must be of indigenous origin to six-year terms); Agro-Environmental Court (judges elected by popular vote from list of candidates pre-selected by Assembly for six-year terms; to run on agro-environmental issues); provincial and local courts (to try minor cases)

Legal system

civil law system with influences from Roman, Spanish, canon (religious), French, and indigenous law

Legislative branch

bicameral Plurinational Legislative Assembly or Asamblea Legislativa Plurinacional consists of Chamber of Senators or Camara de Senadores (36 seats; members are elected by proportional representation from party lists to serve five-year terms) and Chamber of Deputies or Camara de Diputados (130 seats total; 70 uninominal deputies directly elected from a single district, 7 "special" indigenous deputies directly elected from non-contiguous indigenous districts, and 53 plurinominal deputies elected by proportional representation from party lists; all deputies serve five-year terms) elections: Chamber of Senators and Chamber of Deputies - last held on 6 December 2009 (next to be held in 2014) election results: Chamber of Senators - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - MAS 26, PPB-CN 10; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - MAS 89, PPB-CN 36, UN 3, AS 2

National anthem

name: "Cancion Patriotica" (Patriotic Song) lyrics/music: Jose Ignacio de SANJINES/Leopoldo Benedetto VINCENTI note: adopted 1852

National holiday

Independence Day, 6 August (1825)

National symbol(s)

llama; Andean condor

Political parties and leaders

Bolivia-National Convergence or PPB-CN [Manfred REYES VILLA]; Fearless Movement or MSM [Juan DE GRANADO Cosio]; Movement Toward Socialism or MAS [Juan Evo MORALES Ayma]; National Unity or UN [Samuel DORIA MEDINA Arana]; People or Gente [Roman LOAYZA]; Social Alliance or AS [Rene JOAQUINO]

Political pressure groups and leaders

Bolivian Workers Central or COR; Federation of Neighborhood Councils of El Alto or FEJUVE; Landless Movement or MST; National Coordinator for Change or CONALCAM; Sole Confederation of Campesino Workers of Bolivia or CSUTCB other: Cocalero groups; indigenous organizations (including Confederation of Indigenous Peoples of Eastern Bolivia or CIDOB and National Council of Ayullus and Markas of Quollasuyu or CONAMAQ); labor unions (including the Central Bolivian Workers' Union or COB and Cooperative Miners Federation or FENCOMIN)

Suffrage

18 years of age, universal and compulsory

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 countercoups. Democratic civilian rule was established in 1982, but leaders have faced difficult problems of deep-seated poverty, social unrest, and illegal drug production. In December 2005, Bolivians elected Movement Toward Socialism leader Evo MORALES president - by the widest margin of any leader since the restoration of civilian rule in 1982 - after he ran on a promise to change the country's traditional political class and empower the nation's poor, indigenous majority. However, since taking office, his controversial strategies have exacerbated racial and economic tensions between the Amerindian populations of the Andean west and the non-indigenous communities of the eastern lowlands. In December 2009, President MORALES easily won reelection, and his party took control of the legislative branch of the government, which will allow him to continue his process of change.

Manpower available for military service

males age 16-49: 2,472,490 females age 16-49: 2,535,768 (2010 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

males age 16-49: 1,762,260 females age 16-49: 2,013,281 (2010 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

male: 108,334 female: 104,945 (2010 est.)

Military branches

Bolivian Armed Forces: Bolivian Army (Ejercito Boliviano, EB), Bolivian Navy (Fuerza Naval Boliviana, FNB; includes marines), Bolivian Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Boliviana, FAB) (2011)

Military expenditures

1.3% of GDP (2009) country comparison to the world: 115

Military service age and obligation

18-49 years of age for 12-month compulsory male and female military service; when annual number of volunteers falls short of goal, compulsory recruitment is effected, including conscription of boys as young as 14; 15-19 years of age for voluntary premilitary service, provides exemption from further military service (2011)

Age structure

0-14 years: 34.6% (male 1,785,453/female 1,719,173) 15-64 years: 60.7% (male 3,014,419/female 3,129,942) 65 years and over: 4.6% (male 207,792/female 261,904) (2011 est.)

Birth rate

24.71 births/1,000 population (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 63

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

4.3% (2008) country comparison to the world: 89

Death rate

6.85 deaths/1,000 population (July 2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 142

Drinking water source

improved: urban: 96% of population rural: 67% of population total: 86% of population unimproved: urban: 4% of population rural: 33% of population total: 14% of population (2008)

Education expenditures

6.3% of GDP (2006) country comparison to the world: 25

Ethnic groups

Quechua 30%, mestizo (mixed white and Amerindian ancestry) 30%, Aymara 25%, white 15%

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.2% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 100

HIV/AIDS - deaths

fewer than 1,000 (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 71

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

12,000 (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 91

Health expenditures

4.8% of GDP (2009) country comparison to the world: 143

Hospital bed density

1.1 beds/1,000 population (2009) country comparison to the world: 141

Infant mortality rate

total: 42.16 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 61 male: 45.95 deaths/1,000 live births female: 38.18 deaths/1,000 live births (2011 est.)

Languages

Spanish (official) 60.7%, Quechua (official) 21.2%, Aymara (official) 14.6%, foreign languages 2.4%, other 1.2% (2001 census)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 67.57 years country comparison to the world: 156 male: 64.84 years female: 70.42 years (2011 est.)

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 86.7% male: 93.1% female: 80.7% (2001 census)

Major cities - population

LA PAZ (capital) 1.642 million; Santa Cruz 1.584 million; Sucre 281,000 (2009)

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk: high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne diseases: dengue fever, malaria, and yellow fever water contact disease: leptospirosis (2009)

Maternal mortality rate

180 deaths/100,000 live births (2008) country comparison to the world: 60

Median age

total: 22.5 years male: 21.8 years female: 23.2 years (2011 est.)

Nationality

noun: Bolivian(s) adjective: Bolivian

Net migration rate

-0.92 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 150

Physicians density

1.22 physicians/1,000 population (2001) country comparison to the world: 91

Population

10,118,683 (July 2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 83

Population growth rate

1.694% (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 67

Religions

Roman Catholic 95%, Protestant (Evangelical Methodist) 5%

Sanitation facility access

improved: urban: 34% of population rural: 9% of population total: 25% of population unimproved: urban: 66% of population rural: 91% of population total: 75% of population (2008)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 14 years male: 14 years female: 14 years (2007)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2011 est.)

Total fertility rate

3 children born/woman (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 64

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

total: 9.2% country comparison to the world: 108 male: 7.3% female: 11.8% (2002)

Urbanization

urban population: 67% of total population (2010) rate of urbanization: 2.2% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Disputes - international

Chile and Peru rebuff Bolivia's reactivated claim to restore the Atacama corridor, ceded to Chile in 1884, but Chile offers instead unrestricted but not sovereign maritime access through Chile for Bolivian natural gas; contraband smuggling, human trafficking, and illegal narcotic trafficking are problems in the porous areas of the border with Argentina

Illicit drugs

world's third-largest cultivator of coca (after Colombia and Peru) with an estimated 35,000 hectares under cultivation in 2009, an increase of ten percent over 2008; third largest producer of cocaine, estimated at 195 metric tons potential pure cocaine in 2009, a 70 percent increase over 2006; transit country for Peruvian and Colombian cocaine destined for Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, and Europe; weak border controls; some money-laundering activity related to narcotics trade; major cocaine consumption (2011)

Airports

881 (2010) country comparison to the world: 8

Airports - with paved runways

total: 16 over 3,047 m: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 4 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 5 (2010)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 865 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 4 1,524 to 2,437 m: 58 914 to 1,523 m: 187 under 914 m: 615 (2010)

Merchant marine

total: 22 country comparison to the world: 99 by type: bulk carrier 3, cargo 11, carrier 1, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 2, roll on/roll off 3, specialized tanker 1 foreign-owned: 7 (Bahamas 1, Ecuador 1, Iran 1, Syria 4) (2010)

Pipelines

gas 5,330 km; liquid petroleum gas 51 km; oil 2,510 km; refined products 1,627 km (2010)

Ports and terminals

Puerto Aguirre (inland port on the Paraguay/Parana waterway at the Bolivia/Brazil border); Bolivia has free port privileges in maritime ports in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Paraguay

Railways

total: 3,652 km country comparison to the world: 46 narrow gauge: 3,652 km 1.000-m gauge (2010)

Roadways

total: 13,602 km (does not include urban roads) country comparison to the world: 127 paved: 4,990 km unpaved: 8,612 km (2004)

Waterways

10,000 km (commercially navigable almost exclusively in the northern and eastern parts of the country) (2010) country comparison to the world: 13