Republic of Bolivia

COUNTRY NAME

• Conventional long form: Republic of Bolivia
• Conventional short form: Bolivia
• Local long form: Republica de Bolivia
• Local short form: Bolivia

BOLIVIA CAPITAL CITY

• Sucre is the constitutional capital of Bolivia.
• La Paz is the administrative capital of Bolivia.

BOLIVIA CURRENCY

•  Boliviano is the official currency of Bolivia.

BOLIVIA ETYMOLOGY

• Bolivia was named after its liberator, Simón Bolívar.

HISTORY of BOLIVIA

• The Incas were the original inhabitants of the region.
• The Incan Kingdom was conquered by the Spaniards in the 16th century.
• The Spanish rulers established colonies in the region in order to exploit the natural resources.
• The Spaniards dominated the native Indians and forced them into slavery.
• The country gained independence in 1825.
• Due to political instability in the nation, Bolivia lost large parts of its mineral rich lands to neighboring countries.
• In 1965, a guerrilla movement led by Maj. Ernesto (Ché) Guevara began a revolutionary war.
• The Bolivian army fought against the guerillas with help from the U.S military.
• Che Guevara was captured and killed on Oct. 8, 1967.
• Civilian rule was established in 1982 after a series of military coups.
• Internal strife made Bolivia the poorest nation in the world.
• Hugo Bánzer became president in 1997.
• Bánzer made considerable progress in wiping out illicit coca production and drug trafficking.
• The eradication of coca drove many farmers to poverty.
• In Aug. 2002, Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada became president for the second time.
• Rising inflation and fuel prices led to mass protests by farmers and miners in 2005.
• Bolivian Indian activist Evo Morales of the Movement Toward Socialism (MAS) became the country's first indigenous president.
• He nationalized Bolivia's energy industry and formed a constituent assembly to rewrite the constitution.
• Morales has referred to himself as the “United States' biggest nightmare.”

BOLIVIA DEMOGRAPHICS

• More than half of Bolivia’s population consists of Amerindians.
• 30% of Amerindians are Quechua-speaking and 25% are Aymara-speaking.
• The Quechuas are the largest among all the native groups.
• Other groups include Aymaras, Chiquitano and Guaraní.
• 30% of the population is mixed Amerindian and European.
• 15% of the population is White.
• Descendants of the Spanish colonial rulers form the larger part of the white population.
• They form majority of the aristocracy since independence.
• Other whites constitute of Germans, Italian, American, Basque, Croatian, Russian and Polish.
• The Afro-Bolivian community forms more than 0.5% of the population.
• Almost two-thirds of the population survives on subsistence farming.
• Majority of Bolivians are Roman Catholic which is also the official religion.
• A large number of people are Protestants.
• Minority religious communities include Muslims, Jews and Baha’i Faith.
• There are colonies of Mennonites in the department of Santa Cruz.
• About 80% of the people speak Spanish as their first language.

BOLIVIA GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS

• Bolivia is ruled by a republican government.
• Administrative divisions consist of nine departments namely: Beni, Chuquisaca, Cochabamba, La Paz, Oruro, Pando, Potosi, Santa Cruz and Tarija.
• Independence Day (6 August, 1825) is observed as a national holiday.
• The legal system is based on Spanish law and Napoleonic Code.
• Bolivia has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction.
• The president is the chief of state and head of government.
• Cabinet ministers are appointed by the president.
• President and vice president decided on the same ticket by popular vote for a single five-year term.
• The legislative branch is represented by a bicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional consisting of Chamber of Senators or Camara de Senadores and Chamber of Deputies or Camara de Diputados.
• The judicial branch is represented by Supreme Court, District Courts, Constitutional Tribunal and National Electoral Court.

BOLIVIA CULTURE

• Bolivian culture is a blend of Quechua and Aymara tradition as well as Latin American cultures.
• The cultural development of Bolivia can be divided into three periods: pre-Columbian, colonial, and republican.
• The country is rich in traditional Spanish art forms, architecture and sculptors known as “Mestizo Baroque”.
• Baroque religious music has been appreciated by international audiences.
• Bolivian culture is rich in folklore and folk music.
• Annual folk carnivals are an important part of Bolivian tradition.
• The best known of the various festivals found in the Nation is the "Carnaval de Oruro".
• Football and table football are popular among the youth.

BOLIVIA ECONOMY

• Bolivia is one of the most under-developed countries in Latin America.
• Political instability, racial conflicts and social disturbances hindered economic growth for many years.
• In 2005, the state energy company was given the exclusive rights to produce and export natural gas.
• Earnings from hydrocarbon exports and higher tax rates have helped the country reduce its debt burdens in recent years.
• The GDP (purchasing power parity) as calculated in 2007 was $39.44 billion.
• 7.5% of the urban population is unemployed.
• 60% of the population is below poverty line.
• Agricultural produce contains soybeans, coffee, coca, , corn, cotton, sugarcane, rice, potatoes and timber.
• Major industries are mining, smelting, petroleum, food and beverages, tobacco, clothing and handicrafts.
• Export commodities include soybean, soy products, crude petroleum, natural gas, zinc ore and tin.
• Import commodities include plastics, paper, aircraft and aircraft parts, prepared foods, petroleum products, automobiles, insecticides and soybeans.

BOLIVIA INFRASTRUCTURE

• Telecommunication services have improved since their privatization in 1995.
• Telephone lines are mostly concentrated in and around major cities.
• The use of mobile cellular phone is rapidly increasing.
• There are 171 AM, 73 FM and 77 shortwave radio broadcast stations.
• There are 48 television broadcast stations.
• Internet facilities are readily available.
• The country has 1,061 airports of which 16 have paved runways.
• Railway lines span over a distance of 3,504 km.
• Roadways cover a distance of 62,479 km.
• Waterways are 10,000 km long and commercially navigable.
• The merchant marines are equipped with 25 ships.
• Major ports and terminals are located in Puerto Aguirre.
• Bolivia has free port benefits in maritime ports in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Paraguay.

BOLIVIA EDUCATION

• There is a large difference between literacy levels in rural and urban areas.
• Literacy levels in rural areas are extremely low.
• Children from poor families are often made to work and earn for the household.
• Males are given preference over females in matters of education.
• The female literacy rate is 80.7% while that for males is 93.1%.
• The country’s literacy level as a whole is 86.7%.
• Bolivia devotes 23% of its annual budget to educational expenditures.
• A comprehensive, seven-year plan of education reform was implemented in 1994.
• The plan decentralized educational funding to meet diverse local needs, improved teacher training and curricula, and change the school grade system.

BOLIVIA NEIGHBOUR COUNTRIES

Bolivia is surrounded by:

• Brazil (north and east)
• Paraguay (south)
• Argentina (south)
• Chile (west)
• Peru (west)

 BOLIVIA GEOGRAPHICAL SETTINGS

• Bolivia is located in Central South America.
• Its geographical coordinates are 17 00 S, 65 00 W.
• The country covers a total area of 1,098,580 sq km.
• Bolivia is a landlocked country.
• The climate largely varies with the altitude, ranging from tropical to semi-arid.
• The terrain comprises of rugged Andes Mountains with a highland plateau (Altiplano), hills and lowland plains of the Amazon Basin.
• The highest point is Nevado Sajama standing at 6,542 m.
• Natural resources include tin, petroleum, natural gas, zinc, tungsten, antimony, silver, iron, lead, gold, timber and hydropower.
• 2.78% of the land is arable.
• Flooding in the northeastern region is common during March-April.
• Deforestation and industrial pollution are the major environmental issues.
• Bolivia shares control of Lago Titicaca (world’s highest navigable lake) with Peru.

BOLIVIA FREEDOM

• Bolivia gained complete independence from Spain on 6 August, 1825.

NOTABLE PEOPLE FROM THE BOLIVIA COUNTRY

• Painters: Pérez de Holguín, Flores and Bitti.
• Artists: Arturo Borda, Guzmán de Rojas, María Luisa Pacheco, and Marina Núñez del Prado.

BOLIVIA COUNTRY FAMOUS FOR

• The country has several ruins of several important pre-Columbian cultures like Tiwanaku, Samaipata, Incallajta, and Iskanawaya.
• Bolivia is also rich in a distinctive style of architecture, painting, and sculpture known as "Mestizo Baroque".
• Devil Dances, at the annual carnival of Oruro are one of the great folkloric events of South America.

BOLIVIA TOTAL POPULATION

• According to a 2008 census, the total population of Bolivia was estimated to be 9,247,816.
• The population growth rate is 1.383% (2008 est.)
• Birth rate: 22.31 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)
• Death rate: 7.35 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

PREVIOUS RECORDS MEDALS for BOLIVIA

• Bolivia first participated at the Olympic Games in 1936.
• The nation has participated in every Summer Olympic Games since 1964, except in 1980.
• Bolivia has also participated in a few Winter Olympic Games since 1956.
• As of 2008, Bolivia has never won an Olympic medal.