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National Map
Of |
Bolivia |
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National Flag
Of |
Bolivia |
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Flag Description:
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
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National Emblem(Coat Of Arms)
Of |
Bolivia |
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National Anthem
Of |
Bolivia |
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Categories National Symbol Of |
Bolivia |
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Background:
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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. 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 majority.
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Location:
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Central
South America, southwest of Brazil |
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Geographic coordinates:
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17 00 S,
65 00 W |
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Map references:
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South
America |
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Area:
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total:
1,098,580 sq km
land: 1,084,390 sq km
water: 14,190 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly
less than three times the size of Montana |
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Land boundaries:
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total:
6,743 km
border countries: Argentina 832 km, Brazil 3,400
km, Chile 861 km, Paraguay 750 km, Peru 900 km |
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Coastline:
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0 km
(landlocked) |
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Maritime claims:
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none
(landlocked) |
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Climate:
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varies
with altitude; humid and tropical to cold and semiarid
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Terrain:
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rugged
Andes Mountains with a highland plateau (Altiplano),
hills, lowland plains of the Amazon Basin |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest
point: Rio Paraguay 90 m
highest point: Nevado Sajama 6,542 m |
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Natural resources:
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tin,
natural gas, petroleum, zinc, tungsten, antimony,
silver, iron, lead, gold, timber, hydropower |
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Land use:
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arable
land: 2.67%
permanent crops: 0.19%
other: 97.14% (2001) |
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Irrigated land:
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1,280 sq
km (1998 est.) |
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Natural hazards:
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flooding
in the northeast (March-April) |
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Environment - current issues:
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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 |
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Environment - international agreements:
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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, Ozone Layer
Protection |
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Geography - note:
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landlocked; shares control of Lago Titicaca, world's
highest navigable lake (elevation 3,805 m), with Peru
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Population:
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8,857,870
(July 2005 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14
years: 35.7% (male 1,613,049/female 1,551,023)
15-64 years: 59.8% (male 2,591,328/female
2,701,892)
65 years and over: 4.5% (male 178,486/female
222,092) (2005 est.) |
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Median age:
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total:
21.47 years
male: 20.79 years
female: 22.17 years (2005 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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1.49%
(2005 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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23.76
births/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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Death rate:
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7.64
deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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-1.27
migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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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: 0.8 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
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Infant mortality rate:
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total:
53.11 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 56.7 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 49.33 deaths/1,000 live births (2005
est.) |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total
population: 65.5 years
male: 62.89 years
female: 68.25 years (2005 est.) |
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Total fertility rate:
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2.94
children born/woman (2005 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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0.1%
(2003 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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4,900
(2003 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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less than
500 (2003 est.) |
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Nationality:
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noun:
Bolivian(s)
adjective: Bolivian |
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Ethnic groups:
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Quechua
30%, mestizo (mixed white and Amerindian ancestry) 30%,
Aymara 25%, white 15% |
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Religions:
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Roman
Catholic 95%, Protestant (Evangelical Methodist) 5% |
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Languages:
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Spanish
(official), Quechua (official), Aymara (official) |
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 87.2%
male: 93.1%
female: 81.6% (2003 est.) |
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Country name:
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conventional long form: Republic of Bolivia
conventional short form: Bolivia
local long form: Republica de Bolivia
local short form: Bolivia |
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Government type:
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republic
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Capital:
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La Paz
(seat of government); Sucre (legal capital and seat of
judiciary) |
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Administrative divisions:
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9
departments (departamentos, singular - departamento);
Chuquisaca, Cochabamba, Beni, La Paz, Oruro, Pando,
Potosi, Santa Cruz, Tarija |
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Independence:
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6 August
1825 (from Spain) |
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National holiday:
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Independence Day, 6 August (1825) |
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Constitution:
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2
February 1967; revised in August 1994 |
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Legal system:
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based on
Spanish law and Napoleonic Code; has not accepted
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
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Suffrage:
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18 years
of age, universal and compulsory (married); 21 years of
age, universal and compulsory (single) |
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Executive branch:
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chief
of state: President Eduardo RODRIGUEZ Veltze (since
9 June 2005); Vice President (vacant); note - the
president is both chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Eduardo RODRIGUEZ
Veltze (since 9 June 2005); Vice President (vacant);
note - the president is both 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 18 December 2005 (next to be held NA
2010)
election results: Juan Evo MORALES Ayma elected
president; percent of vote - Juan Evo MORALES Ayma
53.7%; Jorge Fernando QUIROGA Ramirez 28.6%; Samuel
DORIA MEDINA Arana 7.8%; Michiaki NAGATANI Morishit
6.5%; Felipe QUISPE Huanca 2.2% Guildo ANGULA Cabrera
0.7%; Eliseo RODRIGUEZ 0.3%; Nestor GARCIA Rojas 0.3%;
note - Juan Evo MORALES Ayma will assume the presidency
on 22 January 2006 |
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Legislative branch:
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bicameral
National Congress or Congreso Nacional consists of
Chamber of Senators or Camara de Senadores (27 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; 69 are
directly elected from their districts and 61 are elected
by proportional representation from party lists to serve
five-year terms)
elections: Chamber of Senators and Chamber of
Deputies - last held 18 December 2005 (next to be held
NA 2010)
election results: Chamber of Senators - percent
of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PODEMOS 13, MAS
12, UN 1, MNR 1; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote
by party - NA%; seats by party - MAS 73, PODEMOS 43, UN
8, MNR 6 |
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Judicial branch:
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Supreme
Court or Corte Suprema (judges appointed for 10-year
terms by National Congress); District Courts (one in
each department); provincial and local courts (to try
minor cases) |
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Political parties and leaders:
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Bolivian
Socialist Falange or FSB [Romel PANTOJA]; Civic
Solidarity Union or UCS [Johnny FERNANDEZ]; Free Bolivia
Movement or MBL [Franz BARRIOS]; Marshal of Ayacucho
Institutional Vanguard or VIMA [Freddy ZABALA]; Movement
of the Revolutionary Left or MIR [Jaime PAZ Zamora];
Movement Toward Socialism or MAS [Juan Evo MORALES Ayma];
Movement Without Fear or MSM [Juan DEL GRANADO]; Poder
Democratico Nacional or PODEMOS [Jorge Fernando QUIROGA
Ramirez]; New Republican Force or NFR [Manfred
REYES-VILLA]; Pachakuti Indigenous Movement or MIP
[Felipe QUISPE Huanca]; Poder Democratico Nacional or
PODEMOS [Jorge Fernando QUIROGA Ramirez]; Socialist
Party or PS [Jeres JUSTINIANO] |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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Cocalero
groups; indigenous organizations; labor unions; Sole
Confederation of Campesino Workers of Bolivia or CSUTCB
[Roman LOAYZA] |
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International organization participation:
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CAN, CSN,
FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD,
IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO
(correspondent), ITU, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur (associate),
MIGA, MINUSTAH, MONUC, NAM, OAS, ONUB, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA,
RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMISET, UNOCI,
UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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chief
of mission: Ambassador Jaime APARICIO Otero
chancery: 3014 Massachusetts Avenue NW,
Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 483-4410
FAX: [1] (202) 328-3712
consulate(s) general: Miami, New York, and San
Francisco |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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chief
of mission: Ambassador David N. GREENLEE
embassy: Avenida Arce 2780, San Jorge, La Paz
mailing address: P. O. Box 425, La Paz; APO AA
34032
telephone: [591] (2) 216-8000
FAX: [591] (2) 216-8111 |
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Flag description:
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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 |
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Economy - overview:
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Bolivia,
long one of the poorest and least developed Latin
American countries, reformed its economy after suffering
a disastrous economic crisis in the early 1980s. The
reforms spurred real GDP growth, which averaged 4
percent in the 1990s, and poverty rates fell. Economic
growth, however, lagged again beginning in 1999 because
of a global slowdown and homegrown factors such as
political turmoil, civil unrest, and soaring fiscal
deficits, all of which hurt investor confidence. In
2003, violent protests against the pro-foreign
investment economic policies of President SANCHEZ DE
LOZADA led to his resignation and the cancellation of
plans to export Bolivia's newly discovered natural gas
reserves to large northern hemisphere markets. Foreign
investment dried up as companies adopted a wait-and-see
attitude regarding new President Carlos MESA's
willingness to protect investor rights in the face of
increased demands by radical groups that the government
expropriate foreign-owned assets. Real GDP growth in
2003-05 - helped by increased demand for natural gas in
neighboring Brazil - was positive, but still below the
levels seen during the 1990s. Bolivia remains dependent
on foreign aid from multilateral lenders and foreign
governments. |
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GDP (purchasing power parity):
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$23.59
billion (2005 est.) |
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GDP (official exchange rate):
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$10.06
billion (2005 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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3% (2005
est.) |
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing power parity - $2,700 (2005 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture: 12.6%
industry: 35%
services: 52.4% (2005 est.) |
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Labor force:
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4.22
million (2005 est.) |
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Labor force - by occupation:
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agriculture NA%, industry NA%, services NA% |
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Unemployment rate:
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8% in
urban areas
note: widespread underemployment (2005 est.) |
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Population below poverty line:
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64% (2004
est.) |
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Household income or consumption by percentage share:
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lowest
10%: 1.3%
highest 10%: 32% (1999) |
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Distribution of family income - Gini index:
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44.7
(1999) |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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5.4%
(2005 est.) |
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Investment (gross fixed):
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12.5% of
GDP (2005 est.) |
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Budget:
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revenues: $2.931 billion
expenditures: $3.453 billion, including capital
expenditures of $741 million (2005 est.) |
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Agriculture - products:
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soybeans,
coffee, coca, cotton, corn, sugarcane, rice, potatoes;
timber |
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Industries:
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mining,
smelting, petroleum, food and beverages, tobacco,
handicrafts, clothing |
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Industrial production growth rate:
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5.7%
(2004 est.) |
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Electricity - production:
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4.25
billion kWh (2003) |
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Electricity - consumption:
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3.963
billion kWh (2003) |
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Electricity - exports:
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0 kWh
(2003) |
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Electricity - imports:
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10
million kWh (2003) |
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Oil - production:
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42,000
bbl/day (2005 est.) |
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Oil - consumption:
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48,000
bbl/day (2003 est.) |
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Oil - exports:
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NA (2001)
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Oil - imports:
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NA (2001)
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Oil - proved reserves:
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458.8
million bbl (1 January 2002) |
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Natural gas - production:
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8.44
billion cu m (2004 est.) |
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Natural gas - consumption:
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1.15
billion cu m (2001 est.) |
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Natural gas - exports:
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2.9
billion cu m (2001 est.) |
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Natural gas - imports:
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0 cu m
(2001 est.) |
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Natural gas - proved reserves:
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727.2
billion cu m (1 January 2002) |
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Current account balance:
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$376
million (2005 est.) |
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Exports:
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$2.371
billion f.o.b. (2005 est.) |
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Exports - partners:
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Brazil
40%, US 13.9%, Colombia 8.7%, Peru 6.3%, Japan 4.5%
(2004) |
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Imports:
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$1.845
billion f.o.b. (2005 est.) |
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Imports - partners:
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Brazil
29.7%, Argentina 17.6%, US 10.8%, Chile 7.7%, Peru 7.3%
(2004) |
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Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
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$1.342
billion (2005 est.) |
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Debt - external:
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$6.43
billion (2005 est.) |
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Economic aid - recipient:
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$681
million (2002) |
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Currency (code):
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boliviano
(BOB) |
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Exchange rates:
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bolivianos per US dollar - 8.11 (2005), 7.9363 (2004),
7.6592 (2003), 7.17 (2002), 6.6069 (2001) |
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Fiscal year:
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calendar
year |
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Telephones - main lines in use:
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600,100
(2003) |
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Telephones - mobile cellular:
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1,401,500
(2003) |
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Telephone system:
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general assessment: new subscribers face
bureaucratic difficulties; most telephones are
concentrated in La Paz and other cities; mobile cellular
telephone use expanding rapidly
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: country code - 591; satellite
earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) |
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Radio broadcast stations:
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AM 171,
FM 73, shortwave 77 (1999) |
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Television broadcast stations:
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48 (1997)
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Internet country code:
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.bo |
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Internet hosts:
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7,080
(2003) |
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Internet users:
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270,000
(2002) |
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Airports:
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1,065
(2004 est.) |
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Airports - with paved runways:
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total:
16
over 3,047 m: 4
2,438 to 3,047 m: 4
1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2005 est.) |
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Airports - with unpaved runways:
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total:
1,051
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 60
914 to 1,523 m: 207
under 914 m: 780 (2005 est.) |
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Pipelines:
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gas 4,860
km; liquid petroleum gas 47 km; oil 2,457 km; refined
products 1,589 km; unknown (oil/water) 247 km (2004)
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Railways:
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total:
3,519 km
narrow gauge: 3,519 km 1.000-m gauge (2004) |
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Roadways:
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total:
60,762 km
paved: 4,314 km (including 11 km of expressways)
unpaved: 56,448 km (2003) |
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Waterways:
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10,000 km
(commercially navigable) (2004) |
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Merchant marine:
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total:
32 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 413,407 GRT/699,901 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 2, cargo 16, chemical
tanker 1, container 1, passenger/cargo 2, petroleum
tanker 9, refrigerated cargo 1
foreign-owned: 11 (Argentina 1, Egypt 2, Eritrea
1, Germany 1, Iran 1, Singapore 2, United Kingdom 1,
United States 2) (2005) |
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Ports and terminals:
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Puerto
Aguirre (on the Paraguay/Parana waterway, at the
Bolivia/Brazil border); also, Bolivia has free port
privileges in maritime ports in Argentina, Brazil,
Chile, and Paraguay |
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Military branches:
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Army (Ejercito
Boliviano), Navy (Fuerza Naval; includes Marines), Air
Force (Fuerza Aerea Boliviana) (2004) |
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Military service age and obligation:
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18 years
of age for voluntary military service; when annual
number of volunteers falls short of goal, compulsory
recruitment is effected, including conscription of boys
as young as 14; one estimate holds that 40% of the armed
forces are under the age of 18, with 50% of those under
the age of 16; conscript tour of duty - 12 months (2002)
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Manpower available for military service:
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males
age 18-49: 1,923,234 (2005 est.) |
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Manpower fit for military service:
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males
age 18-49: 1,311,414 (2005 est.) |
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Manpower reaching military service age annually:
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males:
101,101 (2005 est.) |
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Military expenditures - dollar figure:
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$132.2
million (2004) |
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Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
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1.6%
(2004) |
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Disputes - international:
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Chile
rebuffs Bolivia's reactivated claim to restore the
Atacama corridor, ceded to Chile in 1884, offering
instead unrestricted but not sovereign maritime access
through Chile for Bolivian natural gas and other
commodities |
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Illicit drugs:
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world's
third-largest cultivator of coca (after Colombia and
Peru) with an estimated 28,450 hectares under
cultivation in June 2003, a 23% increase from June 2002;
intermediate coca products and cocaine exported mostly
to or through Brazil, Argentina, and Chile to European
and US drug markets; eradication and alternative crop
programs under the MESA administration have been unable
to keep pace with farmers' attempts to increase
cultivation; money-laundering activity related to
narcotics trade, especially along the borders with
Brazil and Paraguay |
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