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Communications

Internet users (Internet Service Providers (ISPs)) [time series]

5 (1999)

Broadcast media (Radio broadcast stations) [time series]

AM 171, FM 73, shortwave 77 (1999)

Radios [time series]

5.25 million (1997)

Telecommunication systems (Telephone system) [time series]

new subscribers face bureaucratic difficulties; most telephones are concentrated in La Paz and other cities domestic: primary trunk system, which is being expanded, employs digital microwave radio relay; some areas are served by fiber-optic cable; mobile cellular systems are being expanded international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Telephones - fixed lines (Telephones - main lines in use) [time series]

368,874 (1996)

Telephones - mobile cellular [time series]

7,229 (1995)

Broadcast media (Television broadcast stations) [time series]

48 (1997)

Televisions [time series]

900,000 (1997)

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture - products) [time series]

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

Budget [time series]

revenues: $2.7 billion expenditures: $2.7 billion including capital expenditures of $NA (1998)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

1 boliviano ($B) = 100 centavos

Debt - external [time series]

$5.7 billion (1999)

Economic aid (Economic aid - recipient) [time series]

$588 million (1997)

Economic overview (Economy - overview) [time series]

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 SANCHEZ DE LOZADA (1993-1997) included the signing of a free trade agreement with Mexico and the Southern Cone Common Market (Mercosur) as well as the privatization of the state airline, telephone company, railroad, electric power company, and oil company. His successor, Hugo BANZER Suarez has tried to further improve the country's investment climate with an anticorruption campaign. 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. Growth should rebound to perhaps 4% in 2000 given reasonably favorable world commodity prices.

Electricity - consumption [time series]

2.412 billion kWh (1998)

Electricity - exports [time series]

4 million kWh (1998)

Electricity - imports [time series]

20 million kWh (1998)

Electricity - production [time series]

2.576 billion kWh (1998)

Electricity - production by source [time series]

fossil fuel: 42.43% hydro: 55.75% nuclear: 0% other: 1.82% (1998)

Exchange rates [time series]

bolivianos ($B) per US$1 - 6.0065 (January 2000), 5.8124 (1999), 5.5101 (1998), 5.2543 (1997), 5.0746 (1996), 4.8003 (1995)

Exports [time series]

$1.1 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.)

Exports - commodities [time series]

soybeans, natural gas, zinc, gold, wood

Exports - partners [time series]

UK 16%, US 12%, Peru 11%, Argentina 10%, Colombia 7% (1998)

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP) [time series]

purchasing power parity - $24.2 billion (1999 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin (GDP - composition by sector) [time series]

agriculture: 16.6% industry: 35.5% services: 47.9% (1998 est.)

Real GDP per capita (GDP - per capita) [time series]

purchasing power parity - $3,000 (1999 est.)

Real GDP growth rate (GDP - real growth rate) [time series]

2% (1999 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share [time series]

lowest 10%: 2.3% highest 10%: 31.7% (1990)

Imports [time series]

$1.6 billion (c.i.f., 1999 est.)

Imports - commodities [time series]

capital goods, raw materials and semi-manufactures, chemicals, petroleum, food

Imports - partners [time series]

US 32%, Japan 24%, Brazil 12%, Argentina 12%, Chile 7%, Peru 4%, Germany 3% (1998)

Industrial production growth rate [time series]

4% (1995 est.)

Industries [time series]

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

2.1% (1999 est.)

Labor force [time series]

2.5 million

Labor force - by occupation [time series]

agriculture NA%, industry NA%, services NA%

Population below poverty line [time series]

70% (1999 est.)

Unemployment rate [time series]

11.4% (1997) with widespread underemployment

Geography

Area [time series]

total: 1,098,580 sq km land: 1,084,390 sq km water: 14,190 sq km

Area - comparative [time series]

slightly less than three times the size of Montana

Climate [time series]

varies with altitude; humid and tropical to cold and semiarid

Coastline [time series]

0 km (landlocked)

Elevation (Elevation extremes) [time series]

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

Environment - current issues [time series]

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

International environmental agreements (Environment - international agreements) [time series]

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

Geographic coordinates [time series]

17 00 S, 65 00 W

Geography - note [time series]

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

Irrigated land [time series]

1,750 sq km (1993 est.)

Land boundaries [time series]

total: 6,743 km border countries: Argentina 832 km, Brazil 3,400 km, Chile 861 km, Paraguay 750 km, Peru 900 km

Land use [time series]

arable land: 2% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 24% forests and woodland: 53% other: 21% (1993 est.)

Location [time series]

Central South America, southwest of Brazil

Map references [time series]

South America

Maritime claims [time series]

none (landlocked)

Natural hazards [time series]

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)

Natural resources [time series]

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

Terrain [time series]

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

Government

Administrative divisions [time series]

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

Capital [time series]

La Paz (seat of government); Sucre (legal capital and seat of judiciary)

Constitution [time series]

2 February 1967; revised in August 1994

Country name [time series]

conventional long form: Republic of Bolivia conventional short form: Bolivia local long form: Republica de Bolivia local short form: Bolivia

Data code [time series]

Diplomatic representation from the US [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador Donna Jean HRINAK embassy: Avenida Arce 2780, San Jorge, La Paz mailing address: P. O. Box 425, La Paz; APO AA 34032 telephone: [591] (2) 430251 FAX: [591] (2) 433900

Diplomatic representation in the US [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador Marlene FERNANDEZ del Granado 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, and San Francisco

Executive branch [time series]

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 elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for five-year terms; election last held 1 June 1997 (next to be held June 2002) election results: Hugo BANZER Suarez elected president; percent of vote - Hugo BANZER Suarez (ADN) 22%; Jaime PAZ Zamora (MIR) 17%, Juan Carlos DURAN (MNR) 18%, Ivo KULJIS (UCS) 16%, Remedios LOZA (CONDEPA) 17%; no candidate received a majority of the popular vote; Hugo BANZER Suarez won a congressional runoff election on 5 August 1997 after forming a "megacoalition" with MIR, UCS, CONDEPA, NFR and PDC

Flag (Flag description) [time series]

three equal horizontal bands of red (top), yellow, and green with the coat of arms centered on the yellow band; similar to the flag of Ghana, which has a large black five-pointed star centered in the yellow band

Government type [time series]

republic

Independence [time series]

6 August 1825 (from Spain)

International organization participation [time series]

CAN, ECLAC, FAO, G-11, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur (associate), MONUC, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIK, UNTAET, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Judicial branch [time series]

Supreme Court (Corte Suprema), judges appointed for 10-year terms by National Congress

Legal system [time series]

based on Spanish law and Napoleonic Code; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Legislative branch [time series]

bicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional consists of Chamber of Senators or Camara de Senadores (27 seats; members are directly elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) and Chamber of Deputies or Camara de Diputados (130 seats; members are directly elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: Chamber of Senators and Chamber of Deputies - last held 1 June 1997 (next to be held June 2002) election results: Chamber of Senators - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - ADN 11, MIR 7, MNR 4, CONDEPA 3, UCS 2; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - ADN 32, MNR 26, MIR 23, UCS 21, CONDEPA 19, MBL 5, IU 4

National holiday [time series]

Independence Day, 6 August (1825)

Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]

Alternative of Democratic Socialism or ASD [Jerjes JUSTINIANO]; April 9 Revolutionary Vanguard or VR-9 [Carlos SERRATE]; Bolivian Communist Party or PCB [Marcos DOMIC]; Bolivian Renovating Alliance or ARBOL [Marcelo FERNANDEZ, Hugo VILLEGAS]; Bolivian Socialist Falange or FSB [leader NA]; Christian Democrat or PDC [Benjamin MIGUEL]; Civic Solidarity Union or UCS [Johnny FERNANDEZ]; Conscience of the Fatherland or CONDEPA [Remedios LOZA Alvarado]; Free Bolivia Movement or MBL [Antonio ARANIBAR]; Front of Katarista Unity or FULKA [Genaro FLORES]; Front of National Salvation or FSN [Manual MORALES Davila]; Katarismo National Unity or KND [Filepe KITTELSON]; Movement of the Revolutionary Left or MIR [Oscar EID]; Movement Towards Socialism-Popular Instrument for Solidarity with the People or MAS-IPSP [leader Evo MORALES]; Nationalist Democratic Action or ADN [Enrique TORO]; Nationalist Katarista Movement or MKN [Fernando UNTOJA]; Nationalist Revolutionary Movement or MNR [Gonzalo SANCHEZ DE LOZADA]; New Republican Force or NFR [Manfred REYES VILLA]; New Youth Force [Alfonso SAAVEDRA Bruno]; Patriotic Axis of Convergence or EJE-P [Ramiro BARRANECHEA]; Popular Patriotic Movement or MPP [Julio MANTILLA]; Revolutionary Front of the Left or FRI [Oscar ZAMORA]; Socialist Party One or PS-1 [leader NA]; Solidarity and Democracy or SYD [leader NA]; Tupac Katari Revolutionary Liberation Movement or MRTK-L [Victor Hugo CARDENAS Conde]; United Left or IU [Marcos DOMIC]; Unity and Progress Movement or MUP [Ivo KULJIS] note: political blocs include: left - MBL, EJE-P, VR-9, ASD, FRI, PCB, IU, FSN, PS-1, FSB, and MAS; center left - MIR, PDC, and New Youth Force; center - MNR; center right - ADN and NFR; populist - UCS, CONDEPA, SYD, MUP, and MPP; evangelical - ARBOL; indigenous - MRTK-L, MKN, and KND

Political parties (Political pressure groups and leaders) [time series]

Cocalero Group

Suffrage [time series]

18 years of age, universal and compulsory (married); 21 years of age, universal and compulsory (single)

Introduction

Background [time series]

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 the 1980s, but leaders have faced difficult problems of deep-seated poverty, social unrest, and drug production. Current goals include attracting foreign investment, strengthening the educational system, continuing the privatization program, and waging an anti-corruption campaign.

Military

Military and security forces (Military branches) [time series]

Army (Ejercito Boliviano), Navy (Fuerza Naval Boliviana, includes Marines), Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Boliviana), National Police Force (Policia Nacional de Bolivia)

Military expenditures - dollar figure [time series]

$147 million (FY99)

Military expenditures (Military expenditures - percent of GDP) [time series]

1.8% (FY99)

Military manpower - availability [time series]

males age 15-49: 1,949,267 (2000 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service [time series]

males age 15-49: 1,269,228 (2000 est.)

Military manpower - military age [time series]

19 years of age

Military manpower - reaching military age annually [time series]

males: 86,863 (2000 est.)

People

Age structure [time series]

0-14 years: 39.11% (male 1,624,404; female 1,564,057) 15-64 years: 56.42% (male 2,247,013; female 2,352,824) 65 years and over: 4.47% (male 164,473; female 199,849) (2000 est.)

Birth rate [time series]

28.15 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate [time series]

8.36 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Ethnic groups [time series]

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

Infant mortality rate [time series]

60.44 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)

Languages [time series]

Spanish (official), Quechua (official), Aymara (official)

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 63.7 years male: 61.19 years female: 66.34 years (2000 est.)

Literacy [time series]

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 83.1% male: 90.5% female: 76% (1995 est.)

Nationality [time series]

noun: Bolivian(s) adjective: Bolivian

Net migration rate [time series]

-1.47 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Population [time series]

8,152,620 (July 2000 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

1.83% (2000 est.)

Religions [time series]

Roman Catholic 95%, Protestant (Evangelical Methodist)

Sex ratio [time series]

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: 0.82 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2000 est.)

Total fertility rate [time series]

3.66 children born/woman (2000 est.)

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international [time series]

has wanted a sovereign corridor to the South Pacific Ocean since the Atacama area was lost to Chile in 1884; dispute with Chile over Rio Lauca water rights

Illicit drugs [time series]

world's third-largest cultivator of coca (after Peru and Colombia) with an estimated 21,800 hectares under cultivation in 1999, a 45% decrease in overall cultivation of coca from 1998 levels; intermediate coca products and cocaine exported to or through Colombia, Brazil, Argentina, and Chile to the US and other international drug markets; alternative crop program aims to reduce illicit coca cultivation [Country Listing] [ The World Factbook Home]

Transportation

Airports [time series]

1,109 (1999 est.)

Airports - with paved runways [time series]

total: 13 over 3,047 m: 4 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 2 (1999 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways [time series]

total: 1,096 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 67 914 to 1,523 m: 219 under 914 m: 807 (1999 est.)

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

total: 52,216 km paved: 2,872 km (including 27 km of expressways) unpaved: 49,344 km (1995 est.)

Merchant marine [time series]

total: 32 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 116,373 GRT/182,283 DWT ships by type: bulk 3, cargo 17, chemical tanker 3, container 1, petroleum tanker 6, roll-on/roll-off 2 (1999 est.)

Pipelines [time series]

crude oil 1,800 km; petroleum products 580 km; natural gas 1,495 km

Ports (Ports and harbors) [time series]

none; however, Bolivia has free port privileges in the maritime ports of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Paraguay

Railways [time series]

total: 3,691 km (single track) narrow gauge: 3,652 km 1.000-m gauge; 39 km 0.760-m gauge (13 km electrified) (1995)

Waterways [time series]

10,000 km of commercially navigable waterways