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Bolivia


Cañapa Lake in Potosí Department of southeastern Bolivia
Andean flamingos at Cañapa Lake, a salt lake in the Potosí Department of southeastern Bolivia.
Image: Diego Delso


 
Location map of Bolivia. Where in South America is Bolivia?
Location map of Bolivia


Flag of Bolivia
Flag of Bolivia



Bolivia in brief


Destination Bolivia, a Nations Online Project country profile of the landlocked state in west-central South America. The region of present-day Bolivia was once part of the ancient Inca Empire.

After the War of the Pacific (1879–84), a war between Chile and a Bolivian–Peruvian alliance, Bolivia lost access to the Pacific Ocean and became one of the two landlocked states in South America. The country borders Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, and Peru.

Bolivia occupies an area of 1,098,581 km² (424,164 sq mi), it is about twice the size of Spain, or slightly less than three times the size of the U.S. state of Montana. The Andean mountain range covers about one-third of the country.

Bolivia has a population of 11,8 million people (est. 2021); indigenous people make up about two-thirds of the population. Spoken languages are Spanish (official), Aymara, Quechua, Guaraní and 34 other native languages.

Bolivia is one of the few states in the world with two capitals: La Paz (officially: Nuestra Señora de La Paz) is the seat of the government, and Sucre the legal capital and the seat of the judiciary.

 
Plurinational State of Bolivia | Estado Plurinacional de Bolivia


Background:
Bolivia is named after the independence fighter Simon Bolivar; it 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.
(Source: CIA - The World Factbook)

 

 

Country Profile




Official Name:
Estado Plurinacional de Bolivia
short form: Bolivia
int'l long form: Plurinational State of Bolivia

Bolivia changed its official name from Republic of Bolivia to Plurinational State of Bolivia in 2009.

ISO Country Code: BO, BOL

Time:
Local Time = UTC -4h
Actual Time: Sun-Mar-17  18:53

Country Calling Code: +591

...show more




Official Sites of Bolivia


Plaza Murillo is the central square in La Paz with Bolivia's National Congress building and the Government Palace, Bolivia
Plaza Murillo is the central square in La Paz with Bolivia's National Congress (left) and the Government Palace of Bolivia (popularly known as the Palacio Quemado; right). The square was one of the flashpoints for political protests in Bolivia.
Image: Mauricio Aguilar


Government

Note: Due to the political crisis in Bolivia, some websites may not work. External links will open in a new browser window.


Presidencia de la República de Bolivia
Site of the Bolivian presidency (in Spanish).

Presidencia de la Asamblea Legislativa

The Vice President of Bolivia is also the President of the Legislative Assembly.

Bolivia portal del gobierno boliviano
E-government portal of Bolivia (in Spanish).


Plurinational Legislative Assembly
Bolivia's assembly is bicameral; there is a lower house (Chamber of Deputies) and an upper house (the Senate).

Cámara de Senadores
Bolivia's senate.

Cámara de Diputados
Bolivia's Chamber of Deputies


Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores y Culto de Bolivia
Ministry of External Relations (in Spanish).


Diplomatic Missions
Misión Permanente de Bolivia ante las Naciones Unidas
Permanent Mission of Bolivia to the United Nations (in Spanish).
Consulado General de Bolivia Washington, DC
General Consulate of Bolivia in the U.S., Washington D.C. (mostly in Spanish)
Embajada de Bolivia en la República Argentina
Embassy of Bolivia in Argentina.


Statistics
INE - Instituto Nacional de Estadística
The National Institute of Statistics.

 

 


 


Maps of Bolivia



Bolivia Map detail
Map of Bolivia (click map to enlarge)
Image: © nationsonline.org


Maps


Map of Bolivia
Political Map of Bolivia.

Administrative Map of Bolivia
Map showing Bolivia's administrative divisions.


Google Earth Google Earth Bolivia
Searchable map and satellite view of Bolivia.
Google Earth Google Earth La Paz
Searchable map and satellite view of Bolivia's capital city.
Google Earth Google Earth Sucre
Searchable map and satellite view of Bolivia's legislative capital.

Map of South America
Reference Map of South America.


 

 


News of Bolivia



Newsstand

Online News from Bolivia (in Spanish)


Correo del Sur
Sucre, local and national news.
El D
Santa Cruz de la Sierra - National news.
El Diario
La Paz - National and international news.
El Mundo
Santa Cruz - National and international news.
El Nuevo Dia
Santa Cruz - National and international news.
Diario el Potosí
Potosi - National and international news.
Los Tiempos
Cochabamba - National news.
La Razon
La Paz - National and international news.
 

International News sources
The Associated Press
AP news from Bolivia.

The Guardian | Bolivia
News by The Guardian about Bolivia.

 

 


Arts & Culture of Bolivia


Andean Baroque facade of the Basílica de San Francisco in La Paz.
Facade of the Basílica de San Francisco in La Paz. The facade is an example of an architectural style known as Andean Baroque.
Image: Fernando Frazão/Agência Brasil


Arts & Culture



Ministerio de Culturas y Turismo
The Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Bolivia. (in Spanish).

Museo Nacional de Arqueologia
The National Archaeological Museum (in Spanish).

Museo de la Coca
Coca Museum site by International Coca Research Institute ICORI, background and history of a disputed plant.


Bolivian Thoughts in an Emerging World

Bolivia related blog with translated news and other information about the country.

 

 


Business & Economy of Bolivia



Two BoA Boeing 737-300s parked at Jorge Wilstermann International Airport.
Two BoA airplanes at Jorge Wilstermann International Airport Cochabamba. Boliviana de Aviación (BoA) is a state-owned company and the country's largest airline.
Image: Russland345


Bolivia is a low middle-income country. Bolivia's most lucrative products are coca, lithium, natural gas, tin, and silver.


Banco Central de Bolivia
Central Bank of Bolivia.

Bolsa Boliviana de Valores
Stock Exchange Bolivia.


Major companies

Accione
Bolivian smartphone.

Entel
Entel is a major Bolivian telecommunications company, headquartered in La Paz.

YPFB
The state-owned Yacimientos Petrolíferos Fiscales Bolivianos (YPFB) is Bolivia's largest oil and gas company.


Transportation

Airlines

Boliviana de Aviación (BoA)
BoA is the flag carrier of Bolivia, owned by the Bolivian Government. BoA has its main hub at Bolivia's largest international airport, Viru Viru International in Santa Cruz de la Sierra.

Línea Aérea Amaszonas
The airline has its hub at El Alto International Airport, La Paz.

EcoJet
Bolivian domestic airline.

Transporte Aéreo Militar (TAM)
TAM is based in La Paz; it offered flights to rural communities. TAM ceased operations in September 2019


Airports

El Alto International Airport
The international airport is located in the city of El Alto, about 8 mi (13 km) south-west of La Paz.
Viru Viru International Airport
Bolivia's largest international airport and the main gateway for international flights.

Railways
Rail transport in Bolivia
Wikipedia's comprehensive page about rail transport in Bolivia.

 

 


 


Tourism in Bolivia



The Great salt lake Salar de Uyuni
Spectacular reflections on the great salt lake of Salar de Uyuni. The world's largest salt flat is located at an elevation of 3,650 m (11,980 ft) in the Bolivian Basin, an ancient endorheic basin on the Altiplano of southwestern Bolivia.
Image: Haceme un 14



Destination Bolivia - Travel and Tour Guides


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Discover Bolivia:
accommodation, hotels, attractions, festivals, events, tourist boards, the Andes, Salar de Uyuni, Lake Titicaca, Amboró National Park, Torotoro National Park, Tiwanaku, biking, hiking, climbing, tours, and much more.



BoliviaTravelSite.com
The official website for tourism in Bolivia.

Boliviamia
Another official website for tourism in Bolivia (in Spanish.)


Bolivia Turismo
About Bolivian Tourism, with travel and tourism information (in Spanish.)

Bolivia Milenaria
Tourism operator in La Paz. Bolivia.

Bolivia Web - Travel
Somewhat outdated Bolivian community website.

Wikivoyage Logo Wikivoyage Bolivia
Wikivoyage travel guide for Bolivia.



Cities
La Paz from El Alto with Illimani mountain
La Paz from El Alto with Illimani mountain in the background.
Image: EEJCC
La Paz
La Paz, officially known as Nuestra Señora de La Paz, is the highest administrative capital in the world at more than 3,500 m, situated about 50 km east of Lake Titicaca on the Andes’ Altiplano plateau.


Sucre
The Municipality of Sucre, the constitutional capital of Bolivia, is located at an elevation of 2,810 m in the southern highlands of Bolivia. The Spanish founded the city in 1538 under the name Ciudad de la Plata de la Nueva Toledo.


 

 


 


UNESCO World Heritage Sites


Gateway of the Sun, Tiwanaku, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Bolivia
The Gateway of the Sun from the Tiwanaku civilization in Bolivia.
Image: Mhwaterkking in the country.
Image: Cleide Isabel
 

UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Bolivia
There are seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Bolivia, six cultural and one natural. In addition, five properties are included in the UNESCO Tentative List, an inventory of those properties which each State Party intends to consider for nomination. (see the List of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Bolivia).


World Heritage Site Jesuit Missions of the Chiquitos
Six Jesuit Missions situated on the former territory of the Chiquitos in Santa Cruz department in eastern Bolivia.

World Heritage Site Historic City of Sucre
Sucre was the first capital of Bolivia, founded by the Spanish in the first half of the 16th century.

World Heritage Site Fuerte de Samaipata
"El Fuerte", is a pre-Inca archaeological site in Florida Province of Bolivia.

World Heritage Site Tiwanaku: Spiritual and Political Centre of the Tiwanaku Culture
Tiwanaku is situated near the southern shores of Lake Titicaca; it was the capital of a powerful pre-Hispanic empire and the spiritual and political center of the Tiwanaku Culture.

 

 

Education in Bolivia



University Andina Simon Bolivar in Sucre, Bolivia
The facade of the University Andina Simon Bolivar in Sucre.
Image: CEUB


Universidad Andina Simon Bolivar
Post-graduate university in Sucre (since 1985), with national headquarters in Quito, Ecuador (since 1992) and regional offices of Caracas, Venezuela, Bogotá, Colombia (since 2005) and La Paz.

Universidad Católica Boliviana
Oldest private university in Bolivia situated in La Paz.

Universidad Mayor de San Andrés
UMSA in La Paz is Bolivia's leading public university, founded in 1830.

Universidad Mayor de San Simón
UMMS is a Bolivian public university located in the city of Cochabamba.

 

 


Environment & Nature



Madidi national park in the upper Amazon river basin in Bolivia
Madidi National Park in the upper Amazon river basin in Bolivia. The huge park is ranging from the glacier-covered peaks of the high Andes Mountains to the tropical rainforests of the Tuichi River.
Image: Dirk Embert / WWF - World Wide Fund for Nature 


Asociación de Organizaciones de Productores Ecológicos de Bolivia AOPEB
The Association of Ecological Producers' Organizations of Bolivia with the purpose to improve the ecological producers' level of self-sufficiency based on ecologically sustainable agriculture.

Servicio Nacional de Áreas Protegidas
Bolivia's national service is responsible for safeguarding the country's protected areas.

Fundación Amigos de la Naturaleza/ Friends of Nature Foundation
FAN is a private non profit organization, founded in 1988, dedicated to conserve Bolivian biodiversity.

Museo de Historia Natural Noel Kempff Mercado

The Noel Kempff Mercado Natural History Museum is a research center in biodiversity conservation in Bolivia.

Sustainable Bolivia
SB is a non-profit organization based in the United States with offices in Riberalta, Bolivia and initiatives in the Bolivian Amazon; it offers volunteer program in Riberalta.
 
 

 


Bolivia History



Statue of Simón Bolívar, "the Liberator" in La Paz, Bolivia
Statue of Simón Bolívar in La Paz, Bolivia. Simón Bolívar (1783–1830) was a Venezuelan patriot and statesman; known as the Liberator. He succeeded in driving the Spanish from Venezuela, Colombia, Peru, and Ecuador. Then Upper Peru was named Bolivia in his honor.


History of Bolivia
Bolivia's history from pre-colonial times to the 21st century.

World History Archives: History of Bolivia
Compilation of information on Bolivia's history.

World-Wide Web Virtual Library: History: Bolivia
Reference site.

Wikipedia W Wikipedia: History of Bolivia
Wikipedia article about the History of Bolivia.


 

 


Indigenous People of Bolivia



Aymara ceremony in Copacabana at Lake Titicaca in Bolivia
A traditional Aymara ceremony in Copacabana, the main Bolivian town on the shore of Lake Titicaca in Bolivia. The flag is kown as Wiphala, representing various native peoples of the Andes.
Image: Kilobug


Native Bolivia
Bolivia is the South American country where indigenous peoples constitute the largest ethnic group. There are 36 recognized peoples in Bolivia; 62% of Bolivia's population are indigenous.


Minority Rights Group - Bolivia
The international human rights organization about indigenous peoples in Bolivia.

Indigenous peoples in Bolivia
IWGIA - International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs about indigenous peoples in Bolivia.

Wikipedia W Indigenous peoples in Bolivia
Wikipedia entry for Indigenous peoples in Bolivia.

 

 


Additional Information



Selected country profiles of Bolivia published by international organizations.


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Amnesty International: Bolivia
Amnesty International is a non-governmental organization focused on human rights.

BBC Country Profile: Bolivia
Country profiles by the British public service broadcaster.

BTI Transformation Index Bolivia
Bolivia Country Report by Bertelsmann Stiftung.

FAO: Bolivia
UN Food and Agriculture Organization in Bolivia.

Freedom House profile Bolivia
The U.S. government-funded non-profit organization whose goal is to promote liberal democracies worldwide.

GlobalEDGE: Bolivia
Global business knowledge portal - Global Insights by country, Bolivia.

The Heritage Foundation: Bolivia
Index of Economic Freedom by The Heritage Foundation, an American conservative think tank.

Human Rights Watch: Bolivia
HRW conducts research and advocacy on human rights.

OEC: Bolivia
The Observatory of Economic Complexity provides the latest international trade data.

Reporters Without Borders: Bolivia
RSF (Reporters sans frontières) is an international NGO that defends and promotes media freedom.

Bolivia - LANIC
Latin American Network Information Center on Bolivia.

Wikipedia: Bolivia
Wikipedia's Bolivia page in many languages.

The CIA World Factbook -- Bolivia
CIA World Factbook intelligence on Bolivia.
 
 

 



 
Other Countries in South America:
Argentina | Brazil | Colombia | Ecuador | French Guiana
Guyana | Paraguay | Peru | Suriname | Uruguay | Venezuela

Major Cities in South America:
Asunción, Belo Horizonte, Bogotá, Brasilia, Buenos Aires, Caracas, Cayenne, Georgetown, Kourou, La Paz, Lima, Manaus, Montevideo, Paramaribo, Porto Alegre, Port of Spain, Quito, Recife, Rio de Janeiro, Salvador (da Bahia, Santiago, São Paulo, Sucre

Countries of Middle and Central America:
Belize | Costa Rica | El Salvador | Guatemala | Honduras | Mexico | Nicaragua | Panama