Bolivia

Bolivia,officially thePlurinational State of Bolivia,is alandlocked countrylocated in centralSouth America. The country features diverse geography, including vast Amazonian plains, tropical lowlands, mountains, theGran Chaco Province, warm valleys, high-altitude Andean plateaus, and snow-capped peaks, encompassing a wide range of climates and biomes across its regions and cities. It includes part of thePantanal, the largest tropical wetland in the world, along its eastern border. It is bordered byBrazilto thenorth and east,Paraguayto the southeast,Argentinato thesouth,Chileto thesouthwest, andPeruto west.  Theseat of governmentisLa Paz, which contains the executive, legislative, and electoral branches of government, while the constitutional capital isSucre, the seat of the judiciary. The largest city and principal industrial center isSanta Cruz de la Sierra, located on theLlanos Orientales(eastern tropical lowlands), a mostly flat region in the east of the country with a diverse non-Andean culture.
Thesovereign stateof Bolivia is aconstitutionallyunitary statedivided intonine departments. Its geography varies as the elevation fluctuates, from the western snow-capped peaks of theAndesto the eastern lowlands, situated within theAmazon basin. One-third of the country is within theAndeanmountain range. With an area of 1,098,581 km(424,164 sq mi), Bolivia is the fifth-largest country in South America after Brazil, Argentina, Peru and Colombia, and, alongside Paraguay, is one of two landlocked countries in the Americas. It is the largestlandlocked countryin theSouthern Hemisphere. The country's population, estimated at 12 million,ismultiethnic, includingAmerindians,Mestizos,Asians,Arabs,Jews, and the descendants ofEuropeansandAfricans. Spanish is the official and predominant language, although 36indigenous languagesalso have official status, of which the most commonly spoken areGuaraní,Aymara, andQuechua.
Well beforeSpanish colonization, the third part of the high region of Bolivia was largely part of theTiwanaku Politywhich collapsed about 1000 AD. TheColla–Inca Warof the 1440s marked the beginning ofInca rulein western Bolivia. The eastern and northern lowlands of Bolivia were inhabited by independent non-Andean Amazonian andGuaranítribes. Spanishconquistadores, arriving fromCusco, Peru, forcibly took control of the region in the 16th century.
During the subsequentSpanish colonial period, Bolivia was administered by theReal Audiencia of Charcas. Spain built its empire in large part upon the silver that was extracted fromCerro RicoinPotosí. Following an unsuccessful rebellion inSucreon May 25, 1809, sixteen years of fighting would follow before the establishment of the Republic, named forSimón Bolívar.Over the course of the 19th and early 20th centuries, Bolivia lost control of several peripheral territories to neighboring countries, such as Brazil's of theAcreterritory, and theWar of the Pacific(1879), in which Chile seized the country's Pacific coastal region.
20th century Bolivia experienced a succession of military and civilian governments untilHugo Banzerleda US-backed coup d'étatin 1971, replacing thesocialistgovernment ofJuan José Torreswith amilitary dictatorship. Banzer's regime cracked down on left-wing and socialist opposition parties, and other perceived forms of dissent, resulting in the torturing and murders of countless Bolivian citizens. Banzer was ousted in 1978 and, twenty years later, returned as the democratically elected President of Bolivia (1997–2001). Under the 2006–2019 presidency ofEvo Morales, the country saw significanteconomic growthand political stability but was also accused ofdemocratic backsliding,and was described as acompetitive authoritarianregime.Freedom Houseclassifies Bolivia as a partly-free democracy as of 2023, with a 66/100 score.
Modern Bolivia is a member of theNon-Aligned Movement(NAM),Organization of American States(OAS),Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization(ACTO),Bank of the South,ALBA, theUnion of South American Nations(USAN), and theSouthern Common Market(Mercosur/Mercosul).Bolivia remains adeveloping country, and the second-poorest in South America, though it has slashed poverty rates and now has one of the fastest-growing economies on the continent (in terms of GDP). Its main economic resources include agriculture,forestry, fishing, mining, and goods such as textiles and clothing, refined metals, andrefined petroleum. Bolivia is verygeologically rich, with mines producingtin, silver,lithium, and copper. The country is also known for its production ofcoca plantsand refinedcocaine. In 2021, estimated coca cultivation and cocaine production was 39,700 hectares and 317 metric tons, respectively.
Bolivia is named afterSimón Bolívar, aVenezuelanleader in theSpanish American wars of independence.The leader of Venezuela,Antonio José de Sucre, had been given the option by Bolívar to either unifyCharcas(present-day Bolivia) with the newly formed Republic of Peru, to unify with theUnited Provinces of the Río de la Plata, or to formally declare its independence from Spain as a wholly independent state. Sucre opted to create a brand new state and on 6 August 1825, with local support, named it in honor ofSimón Bolívar.
The original name was Republic ofBolívar. Some days later, congressman Manuel Martín Cruz proposed: "If fromRomulus, Rome, then fromBolívar, Bolivia" (Spanish:Si de Rómulo, Roma; de Bolívar, Bolivia). The name was approved by the Republic on 3 October 1825. In 2009, anew constitutionchanged the country's official name to "Plurinational Stateof Bolivia" to reflect the multi-ethnic nature of the country and the strengthened rights of Bolivia's indigenous peoples under the new constitution.
The region now known as Bolivia had been occupied for over 2,500 years when theAymaraarrived; however, present-day Aymara associate themselves with the ancient civilization of theTiwanaku Polity, which had its capital atTiwanaku, in Western Bolivia. The capital city of Tiwanaku dates-back as early as 1500 BC, when it was a small, agriculturally-based village.
TheAymaracommunity grew to urban proportions between AD 600 and AD 800, becoming an important regional power in the southernAndesfromLa Paz. According to early estimates,the city covered approximately 6.5 square kilometers (2.5 square miles) at its peak, and had between 15,000 and 30,000 inhabitants.However, in 1996,satellite imagingwas used to map the extent of preservedsuka kollus(flooded raised fields) across the three primary valleys ofTiwanaku, with the results suggesting a population-carrying capacity of anywhere between 285,000 and 1,482,000 people.
Around AD 400, Tiwanaku went from being a locally-dominant force to a 'predatory' state, aggressively expanding its reach into theYungasand bringing its culture and ways to new peoples in Peru, Bolivia, and Chile. Nonetheless, Tiwanaku was not a violent or domineering culture; to expand its reach, the state exercised great political astuteness, created colonies, fostered local trade agreements (which made other cultures rather dependent), and instituted state cults.
As rainfall gradually decreased, the stores of food supplies decreased, and thus the elites lost power. Tiwanaku disappeared around AD 1000. The area remained uninhabited for centuries thereafter.
Between 1438 and 1527,Incan Empireexpanded from its capital atCusco, gaining control over much of what is now the Bolivian Andes, and extending its control into the fringes of the Amazon basin.
The Spanish conquest of theInca empirebegan in 1524 and was mostly completed by 1533. The territory now called Bolivia was known as Charcas, and was under the authority of Spain. Local government came from theAudiencia de Charcaslocated in Chuquisaca (La Plata—modernSucre). Founded in 1545 as a mining town,Potosísoon produced fabulous wealth, becoming the largest city in theNew Worldwith a population exceeding 150,000 people.
By the late 16th century, Bolivian silver was an important source of revenue for theSpanish Empire.A steady stream of natives served as labor force under the brutal, slave conditions of the Spanish version of the pre-Columbian draft system called themita.Charcas was transferred to theViceroyalty of the Río de la Platain 1776 and the people from Buenos Aires, the capital of the Viceroyalty, coined the term "Upper Peru" (Spanish:Alto Peru) as a popular reference to the Royal Audiencia of Charcas.Túpac Katariled the indigenous rebellion that laid siege toLa Pazin March 1781,during which 20,000 people died.As Spanish royal authority weakened during theNapoleonic Wars, sentiment against colonial rule grew.
Thestruggle for independencestarted in the city ofSucreon 25 May 1809 and theChuquisaca Revolution(Chuquisaca was then the name of the city) is known as the first cry of Freedom in Latin America. That revolution was followed by theLa Paz revolutionon 16 July 1809. The La Paz revolution marked a complete split with the Spanish government, while the Chuquisaca Revolution established a local independent junta in the name of the Spanish King deposed by Napoleon Bonaparte. Both revolutions were short-lived and defeated by the Spanish authorities in the Viceroyalty of the Rio de La Plata, but the following year theSpanish American wars of independenceraged across the continent.
Bolivia was captured and recaptured many times during the war by theroyalistsand patriots. Buenos Aires sent three military campaigns, all of which were defeated, and eventually limited itself to protecting the national borders at Salta. Bolivia was finally freed of Royalist dominion by MarshalAntonio José de Sucre, with a military campaign coming from the North in support of the campaign ofSimón Bolívar. After 16 years of war the Republic wasproclaimedon 6 August 1825.
In 1836, Bolivia, under the rule ofMarshalAndrés de Santa Cruz, invaded Peru to reinstall the deposed president, GeneralLuis José de Orbegoso. Peru and Bolivia formed thePeru-Bolivian Confederation, with de Santa Cruz as theSupreme Protector. Following tension between the Confederation and Chile, Chile declared war on 28 December 1836. Argentina separately declared war on the Confederation on 9 May 1837. The Peruvian-Bolivian forces achieved several major victories during theWar of the Confederation: the defeat of the Argentine expedition and the defeat of the first Chilean expedition on the fields ofPaucarpatanear the city ofArequipa. The Chilean army and its Peruvian rebel allies surrendered unconditionally and signed the Paucarpata Treaty. The treaty stipulated that Chile would withdraw from Peru-Bolivia, Chile would return captured Confederate ships, economic relations would be normalized, and the Confederation would pay Peruvian debt to Chile. However, the Chilean government and public rejected the peace treaty. Chile organized a second attack on the Confederation and defeated it in theBattle of Yungay. After this defeat, Santa Cruz resigned and went to exile in Ecuador and then Paris, and the Peruvian-Bolivian Confederation was dissolved.
Following the renewed independence of Peru, Peruvian president GeneralAgustín Gamarrainvaded Bolivia. On 18 November 1841, the battle de Ingavi took place, in which the Bolivian Army defeated the Peruvian troops of Gamarra (killed in the battle). After the victory, Bolivia invaded Peru on several fronts. The eviction of the Bolivian troops from the south of Peru would be achieved by the greater availability of material and human resources of Peru; the Bolivian Army did not have enough troops to maintain an occupation. In the district of Locumba – Tacna, a column of Peruvian soldiers and peasants defeated a Bolivian regiment in the so-called Battle of Los Altos de Chipe (Locumba). In the district of Sama and in Arica, the Peruvian colonel José María Lavayén organized a troop that managed to defeat the Bolivian forces of Colonel Rodríguez Magariños and threaten the port of Arica. In the battle of Tarapacá on 7 January 1842, Peruvian militias formed by the commander Juan Buendía defeated a detachment led by Bolivian colonel José María García, who died in the confrontation. Bolivian troops left Tacna, Arica and Tarapacá in February 1842, retreating towards Moquegua and Puno.The battles of Motoni and Orurillo forced the withdrawal of Bolivian forces occupying Peruvian territory and exposed Bolivia to the threat of counter-invasion. The Treaty of Puno was signed on 7 June 1842, ending the war. However, the climate of tension between Lima and La Paz would continue until 1847, when the signing of a Peace and Trade Treaty became effective.
A period of political and economic instability in the early-to-mid-19th century weakened Bolivia. In addition, during theWar of the Pacific(1879–83), Chile occupied vast territories rich innatural resourcessouth west of Bolivia, including the Boliviancoast. Chile took control of today'sChuquicamataarea, the adjoining richsalitre(saltpeter) fields, and the port ofAntofagastaamong other Bolivian territories.
Since independence, Bolivia has lost over half of its territory to neighboring countries.Through diplomatic channels in 1909, it lost the basin of the Madre de Dios River and the territory of the Purus in the Amazon, yielding 250,000 kmto Peru.It also lost thestate of Acre, in theAcre War, important because this region was known for its production of rubber. Peasants and the Bolivian army fought briefly but after a few victories, and facing the prospect of a total war against Brazil, it was forced to sign theTreaty of Petrópolisin 1903, in which Bolivia lost this rich territory. Popular myth has it that Bolivian president Mariano Melgarejo (1864–71) traded the land for what he called "a magnificent white horse" and Acre was subsequently flooded with Brazilians, which ultimately led to confrontation and fear of war with Brazil.
In the late 19th century, an increase in the world price of silver brought Bolivia relative prosperity and political stability.
During the early 20th century,tinreplaced silver as the country's most important source of wealth. A succession of governments controlled by the economic and social elite followedlaissez-fairecapitalist policies through the first 30 years of the 20th century.
Living conditions of the native people, who constitute most of the population, remained deplorable. With work opportunities limited to primitive conditions in the mines and in large estates having nearly feudal status, they had no access to education, economic opportunity, andpolitical participation. Bolivia's defeat by Paraguay in theChaco War(1932–1935), where Bolivia lost a great part of theGran Chacoregion in dispute, marked a turning-point.
On 7 April 1943, Bolivia enteredWorld War II, joining part of theAllies, which caused presidentEnrique Peñarandato declare war on theAxis powersofGermany,ItalyandJapan.
In 1945, Bolivia became a founding member of the United Nations.
TheRevolutionary Nationalist Movement(MNR), the most historic political party, emerged as a broad-based party. Denied its victory in the 1951 presidential elections, the MNR led a successful revolution in 1952. Under PresidentVíctor Paz Estenssoro, the MNR, having strong popular pressure, introduceduniversal suffrageinto his political platform and carried out a sweeping land-reform promoting rural education and nationalization of the country's largest tin mines.
Twelve years of tumultuous rule left the MNR divided. In 1964, a militaryjuntaoverthrew President Paz Estenssoro at the outset of his third term. The 1969 death of PresidentRené Barrientos, a former member of the junta who was elected president in 1966, led to a succession of weak governments. Alarmed by the rising Popular Assembly and the increase in the popularity of PresidentJuan José Torres, the military, the MNR, and others installedHugo Banzeras president in 1971. He returned to the presidency in 1997 through 2001. Torres, who had fled Bolivia, was kidnapped and assassinated in 1976 as part ofOperation Condor, the U.S.-supported campaign of political repression by South American right-wing dictators.
The United States'Central Intelligence Agency(CIA) financed and trained the Bolivian military dictatorship in the 1960s. The revolutionary leaderChe Guevarawas killed by a team of CIA officers and members of the Bolivian Army on 9 October 1967, in Bolivia.Félix Rodríguezwas a CIA officer on the team with the Bolivian Army that captured and shot Guevara.Rodriguez said that after he received a Bolivian presidential execution order, he told "the soldier who pulled the trigger to aim carefully, to remain consistent with the Bolivian government's story that Che had been killed in action during a clash with the Bolivian army." Rodriguez said the US government had wanted Che in Panama, and "I could have tried to falsify the command to the troops, and got Che to Panama as the US government said they had wanted", but that he had chosen to "let history run its course" as desired by Bolivia.
Elections in 1978 were marked by fraud and those in 1979 were inconclusive. There werecoups d'état, counter-coups, and caretaker governments. Following the 1980 election, GeneralLuis García Mezacarried out a coup d'état. TheBolivian Workers' Center, which tried to resist the putsch, was violently repressed. More than a thousand people were killed in less than a year. Cousin of one of the most important narco-trafficker of the country, García Meza favored the production of cocaine.After a military rebellion forced out García Meza in 1981, three other military governments in fourteen months struggled with Bolivia's growing economic problems. Unrest forced the military to convoke theCongresselected in 1980, and allow it to choose a new president. In October 1982,Hernán Siles Zuazoagain became president, twenty-two years after the end of his first term of office (1956–1960).
In 1993,Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozadawas electedpresidentin alliance with theTupac Katari Revolutionary Liberation Movement, which inspired indigenous-sensitive and multicultural-aware policies.Sánchez de Lozada pursued an aggressive economic and social reform agenda. The most dramatic reform was privatization under the "capitalization" program, under which investors, typically foreign, acquired 50% ownership and management control of public enterprises in return for agreed upon capital investments.In 1993, Sanchez de Lozada introduced thePlan de Todos, which led to the decentralization of government, introduction ofintercultural bilingual education, implementation ofagrarianlegislation, andprivatizationof state owned businesses. The plan explicitly stated that Bolivian citizens would own a minimum of 51% of enterprises; under the plan, moststate-owned enterprises(SOEs), though not mines, were sold.This privatization of SOEs led to aneoliberalstructuring.
The reforms and economic restructuring were strongly opposed by certain segments of society, which instigated frequent and sometimes violent protests, particularly in La Paz and the Chaparecoca-growing region, from 1994 through 1996. The indigenous population of theAndeanregion was not able to benefit from government reforms.During this time, the umbrella labor-organization of Bolivia, theCentral Obrera Boliviana(COB), became increasingly unable to effectively challenge government policy. A teachers' strike in 1995 was defeated because the COB could not marshal the support of many of its members, including construction and factory workers.
In the 1997 elections, GeneralHugo Banzer, leader of theNationalist Democratic Actionparty (ADN) and former dictator (1971–1978), won 22% of the vote, while the MNR candidate won 18%. At the outset of his government, President Banzer launched a policy of using special police-units to eradicate physically the illegal coca of the Chapare region. TheRevolutionary Left Movement(MIR) of Jaime Paz Zamora remained a coalition-partner throughout the Banzer government, supporting this policy (called the Dignity Plan).The Banzer government basically continued the free-market and privatization-policies of its predecessor. The relatively robust economic growth of the mid-1990s continued until about the third year of its term in office. After that, regional, global and domestic factors contributed to a decline in economic growth. Financial crises in Argentina and Brazil, lower world prices for export commodities, and reduced employment in the coca sector depressed the Bolivian economy. The public also perceived a significant amount of public sector corruption. These factors contributed to increasing social protests during the second half of Banzer's term.
Between January 1999 and April 2000, large-scaleprotestserupted inCochabamba, Bolivia's third largest city at the time, in response to theprivatization of waterresources by foreign companies and a subsequent doubling of water prices. On 6 August 2001, Banzer resigned from office after being diagnosed with cancer. He died less than a year later. Vice PresidentJorge Fernando Quiroga Ramírezcompleted the final year of his term.
In the June 2002 national elections, former PresidentGonzalo Sánchez de Lozada(MNR) placed first with 22.5% of the vote, followed by coca-advocate and native peasant-leaderEvo Morales(Movement Toward Socialism, MAS) with 20.9%. A July agreement between the MNR and the fourth-place MIR, which had again been led in the election by former President Jaime Paz Zamora, virtually ensured the election of Sánchez de Lozada in the congressional run-off, and on 6 August he was sworn in for the second time. The MNR platform featured three overarching objectives: economic reactivation (and job creation), anti-corruption, and social inclusion.
In 2003, theBolivian gas conflictbroke out. On 12 October 2003, the government imposed martial law in El Alto after 16 people were shot by the police and several dozen wounded in violent clashes. Faced with the option of resigning or more bloodshed, Sánchez de Lozada offered his resignation in a letter to an emergency session of Congress. After his resignation was accepted and his vice president,Carlos Mesa, invested, he left on a commercially scheduled flight for the United States.
The country's internal situation became unfavorable for such political action on the international stage. After a resurgence of gas protests in 2005, Carlos Mesa attempted to resign in January 2005, but his offer was refused by Congress. On 22 March 2005, after weeks of new street protests from organizations accusing Mesa of bowing to U.S. corporate interests, Mesa again offered his resignation to Congress, which was accepted on 10 June. The chief justice of the Supreme Court,Eduardo Rodríguez, was sworn as interim president to succeed the outgoing Carlos Mesa.
Evo Moraleswon the2005 presidential electionwith 53.7% of the votes.On 1 May 2006, Morales announced his intent tore-nationalize Bolivian hydrocarbon assetsfollowing protests which demanded this action.Fulfilling a campaign promise, on 6 August 2006, Morales opened theBolivian Constituent Assemblyto begin writing a new constitution aimed at giving more power to the indigenous majority.
2009 marked the creation of a new constitution and the renaming of the country to the Plurinational State of Bolivia. The previous constitution did not allow a consecutive reelection of a president, but the new constitution allowed for just one reelection, starting the dispute if Evo Morales was enabled to run for a second term arguing he was elected under the last constitution. This also triggered a new general election in which Evo Morales was re-elected with 61.36% of the vote. His party,Movement for Socialism, also won a two-thirds majority in both houses of theNational Congress.By 2013, after being reelected under the new constitution, Evo Morales and his party attempted a third term as President of Bolivia. The opposition argued that a third term would be unconstitutional, but the Bolivian Constitutional Court ruled that Morales' first term under the previous constitution did not count towards his term limit.This allowed Evo Morales to run for a third term in 2014, and he was re-elected with 64.22% of the vote.During his third term, Evo Morales began to plan for a fourth, and the2016 Bolivian constitutional referendumasked voters to override the constitution and allow Evo Morales to run for an additional term in office. Morales narrowly lost the referendum;however, in 2017 his party then petitioned the Bolivian Constitutional Court to override the constitution on the basis that theAmerican Convention on Human Rightsmade term limits a human rights violation.TheInter-American Court of Human Rightsdetermined that term limits are not a human rights violation in 2018;however, once again the Bolivian Constitutional Court ruled that Morales has permission to run for a fourth term in the 2019 elections, and this permission was not retracted. "[T]he country's highest court overruled the constitution, scrapping term limits altogether for every office. Morales can now run for a fourth term in 2019 – and for every election thereafter."
The revenues generated by the partialnationalizationof hydrocarbons made it possible to finance several social measures: the Renta Dignidad (or old age minimum) for people over 60 years old; the Juana Azurduy voucher (named after the revolutionary Juana Azurduy de Padilla, 1780–1862), which ensures the complete coverage of medical expenses for pregnant women and their children in order to fight infant mortality; the Juancito Pinto voucher (named after a child hero of the Pacific War, 1879–1884), an aid paid until the end of secondary school to parents whose children are in school in order to combat school dropout, and the Single Health System, which since 2018 has offered all Bolivians free medical care.
The reforms adopted made the Bolivian economic system the most successful and stable in the region. Between 2006 and 2019, GDP grew from $9 billion to over $40 billion, real wages increased, GDP per capita tripled, foreign exchange reserves rose, inflation was essentially eliminated, and extreme poverty fell from 38% to 15%, a 23-point drop.
During the 2019 elections, theTransmisión de Resultados Electorales Preliminares(TREP)(a quick count process used in Latin America as a transparency measure in electoral processes) was interrupted; at the time, Morales had a lead of 46.86 percent to Mesa's 36.72, after 95.63 percent of tally sheets were counted.Two days after the interruption, the official count showed Morales fractionally clearing the 10-point margin he needed to avoid a runoff election, with the final official tally counted as 47.08 percent to Mesa's 36.51 percent, starting a wave of protests and tension in the country.
Amidst allegations of fraud perpetrated by the Morales government, widespreadprotestswere organized to dispute the election. On 10 November, theOrganization of American States(OAS) released a preliminary report concluding several irregularities in the election,though these findings were heavily disputed.The New York Timesreported on 7 June 2020 that the OAS analysis immediately after the 20 October election was flawed yet fuelled "a chain of events that changed the South American nation's history".
After weeks of protests, Morales resigned on national television shortly after the Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces GeneralWilliams Kalimanhad urged that he do so to restore "peace and stability".Opposition SenatorJeanine Áñezdeclared herself interim president, claiming constitutional succession after the president, vice president and both head of the legislature chambers. She was confirmed as interim president by the constitutional court who declared her succession to be constitutional and automatic.International politicians, scholars and journalists are divided between describing the event as a coup or a spontaneous social uprising against an unconstitutional fourth term.Protests to reinstate Morales as president continued becoming highly violent: burning public buses and private houses, destroying public infrastructure and harming pedestrians.The protests were met with more violence by security forces against Morales supporters after Áñez exempted police and military from criminal responsibility in operations for "the restoration of order and public stability".
In April 2020, the interim government took out a loan of more than $327 million from theInternational Monetary Fundto meet the country's needs during theCOVID-19 pandemic.New elections were scheduled for 3 May 2020. In response to thecoronavirus pandemic, the Bolivian electoral body, the TSE, made an announcement postponing the election. MAS reluctantly agreed with the first delay only. A date for the new election was delayed twice more, in the face of massive protests and violence.The final proposed date for the elections was 18 October 2020.Observers from the OAS, UNIORE, and the UN all reported that they found no fraudulent actions in the 2020 elections.
Thegeneral electionhad a record voter turnout of 88.4% and ended in a landslide win for MAS which took 55.1% of the votes compared to 28.8% for centrist former president Carlos Mesa. Both Mesa and Áñez conceded defeat.
On 8 November 2020,Luis Arcewas sworn in as President of Bolivia alongside his Vice PresidentDavid Choquehuanca.In February 2021, the Arce government returned an amount of around $351 million to the IMF. This comprised a loan of $327 million taken out by the interim government in April 2020 and interest of around $24 million. The government said it returned the loan to protect Bolivia's economic sovereignty and because the conditions attached to the loan were unacceptable.
On 26 June 2024, a military coup attempt led byJuan José Zúñigaended after lasting only 5 hours. In the evening of 26 June, Bolivian police arrested Zúñiga.
Bolivia is located in the central zone of South America, between 57°26'–69°38'W and 9°38'–22°53'S. With an area of 1,098,581 square kilometers (424,164 sq mi), Bolivia is the world's 28th-largest country, and the fifth largest country in South America,extending from theCentral Andesthrough part of theGran Chaco,Pantanaland as far as theAmazon. The geographic center of the country is the so-calledPuerto Estrella("Star Port") on theRío Grande, inÑuflo de Chávez Province,Santa Cruz Department.
The geography of the country exhibits a great variety of terrain and climates. Bolivia has a high level ofbiodiversity,considered one of the greatest in the world, as well as severalecoregionswith ecological sub-units such as theAltiplano,tropical rainforests(includingAmazon rainforest), dryvalleys, and theChiquitania, which is atropical savanna.These areas feature enormous variations in altitude, from an elevation of 6,542 meters (21,463 ft) above sea level inNevado Sajamato nearly 70 meters (230 ft) along theParaguay River. Although a country of great geographic diversity, Bolivia has remained alandlocked countrysince theWar of the Pacific.Puerto Suárez,San MatíasandPuerto Quijarroare located in theBolivian Pantanal. In Boliviaforest coveris around 47% of the total land area, equivalent to 50,833,760 ha of forest in 2020, down from 57,804,720 ha in 1990. In 2020, naturally regenerating forest covered 50,771,160 ha and planted forest covered 62,600 ha. Of the naturally regenerating forest 0% was reported to beprimary forest(consisting of native tree species with no clearly visible indications of human activity) and around 24% of the forest area was found within protected areas. For the year 2015, 100% of the forest area was reported to be underpublic ownership.
Bolivia can be divided into threephysiographicregions:
Thegeology of Boliviacomprises a variety of differentlithologiesas well astectonicand sedimentary environments. On a synoptic scale, geological units coincide with topographical units. Most elementally, the country is divided into a mountainous western area affected by thesubductionprocesses in the Pacific and an eastern lowlands of stableplatformsandshields.
The climate of Bolivia varies drastically from one eco-region to the other, from the tropics in the easternllanosto apolar climatein the western Andes. The summers are warm, humid in the east and dry in the west, with rains that often modify temperatures, humidity, winds,atmospheric pressureand evaporation, yielding very different climates in different areas. When the climatological phenomenon known asEl Niñotakes place, it causes great alterations in the weather. Winters are very cold in the west, and it snows in the mountain ranges, while in the western regions, windy days are more common. The autumn is dry in the non-tropical regions.
Bolivia is especially vulnerable to the negative consequences ofclimate change. Twenty percent of the world's tropicalglaciersare located within the country,and are more sensitive to change in temperature due to the tropical climate they are located in. Temperatures in the Andes increased by 0.1 °C per decade from 1939 to 1998, and more recently the rate of increase has tripled (to 0.33 °C per decade from 1980 to 2005),causing glaciers to recede at an accelerated pace and create unforeseen water shortages in Andean agricultural towns. Farmers have taken to temporary city jobs when there is poor yield for their crops, while others have started permanently leaving the agricultural sector and are migrating to nearby towns for other forms of work;some view these migrants as the first generation ofclimate refugees.Cities that are neighbouring agricultural land, like El Alto, face the challenge of providing services to the influx of new migrants; because there is no alternative water source, the city's water source is now being constricted.
Bolivia's government and other agencies have acknowledged the need to instill new policies battling theeffects of climate change. TheWorld Bankhas provided funding through theClimate Investment Funds(CIF) and are using the Pilot Program for Climate Resilience (PPCR II) to construct newirrigationsystems, protect riverbanks and basins, and work on building water resources with the help of indigenous communities.
Bolivia, with an enormous variety oforganismsandecosystems, is part of the "Like-Minded Megadiverse Countries".
Bolivia's variable altitudes, ranging from 90–6,542 meters (295–21,463 ft) above sea level, allow for a vast biologic diversity. The territory of Bolivia comprises four types ofbiomes, 32 ecological regions, and 199 ecosystems. Within this geographic area there are several natural parks and reserves such as theNoel Kempff Mercado National Park, theMadidi National Park, theTunari National Park, theEduardo Avaroa Andean Fauna National Reserve, and theKaa-Iya del Gran Chaco National Park and Integrated Management Natural Area, among others.
Bolivia boasts over 17,000 species of seed plants, including over 1,200 species offern, 1,500 species ofmarchantiophytaandmoss, and at least 800 species of fungus. In addition, there are more than 3,000 species ofmedicinal plants. Bolivia is considered the place of origin for such species aspeppersandchili peppers, peanuts, thecommon beans,yucca, and several species of palm. Bolivia also naturally produces over 4,000 kinds of potatoes. The country had a 2018Forest Landscape Integrity Indexmean score of 8.47/10, ranking it 21st globally out of 172 countries.
Bolivia has more than 2,900 animal species, including 398 mammals, over 1,400 birds (about 14% of birds known in the world, being the sixth most diverse country in terms of bird species), 204amphibians, 277 reptiles, and 635 fish, allfresh waterfish as Bolivia is alandlocked country. In addition, there are more than 3,000 types ofbutterfly, and more than 60domestic animals.
In 2020 a new species of snake, themountain fer-de-lance viper, was discovered in Bolivia.
AMinistry of Environment and Waterwas created in 2006 after the election ofEvo Morales, who reversed theprivatizationof the water distribution sector in the 1990s by PresidentGonzalo Sánchez de Lozada. The newConstitution, approved byreferendum in 2009, makes access to water a fundamental right. In July 2010, at the initiative of Bolivia, the United Nations passed a resolution recognizing as "fundamental" the "right to safe and clean drinking water".
In 2013, theLaw of the Rights of Mother Earthwas passed, which accords nature the same rights as humans.
Bolivia has been governed by democratically elected governments since 1982; prior to that, it was governed by various dictatorships. PresidentsHernán Siles Zuazo(1982–1985) andVíctor Paz Estenssoro(1985–1989) began a tradition of ceding power peacefully which has continued, although three presidents have stepped down in the face of extraordinary circumstances:Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozadain 2003,Carlos Mesain 2005, andEvo Moralesin 2019.
Bolivia's multiparty democracy has seen a wide variety of parties in the presidency and parliament, although theRevolutionary Nationalist Movement,Nationalist Democratic Action, and theRevolutionary Left Movementpredominated from 1985 to 2005. On 11 November 2019, all senior governmental positions were vacated followingthe resignation of Evo Morales and his government. On 13 November 2019,Jeanine Áñez, a former senator representing Beni, declared herself actingPresident of Bolivia.Luis Arcewas elected on 23 October 2020; he took office as president on 8 November 2020.
Theconstitution, drafted in 2006–07 and approved in 2009, provides for balanced executive, legislative, judicial, and electoral powers, as well as several levels of autonomy. The traditionally strong executive branch tends to overshadow theCongress, whose role is generally limited to debating and approving legislation initiated by the executive. The judiciary, consisting of theSupreme Courtand departmental and lower courts, has long been riddled with corruption and inefficiency. Through revisions to the constitution in 1994, and subsequent laws, the government has initiated potentially far-reaching reforms in the judicial system as well as increasing decentralizing powers to departments, municipalities, and indigenous territories.
The executive branch is headed by a president and vice president, and consists of a variable number (currently, 20) of governmentministries. The president is elected to a five-year term bypopular vote, and governs from the Presidential Palace (popularly called the Burnt Palace,Palacio Quemado) in La Paz. In the case that no candidate receives anabsolute majorityof the popular vote or more than 40% of the vote with an advantage of more than 10% over the second-place finisher, a run-off is to be held among the two candidates most voted.
TheAsamblea Legislativa Plurinacional(Plurinational Legislative Assemblyor National Congress) hastwo chambers. TheCámara de Diputados(Chamber of Deputies) has 130 members elected to five-year terms, 63 from single-member districts (circunscripciones), 60 by proportional representation, and seven by the minority indigenous peoples of seven departments. TheCámara de Senadores(Chamber of Senators) has 36 members (four per department). Members of the Assembly are elected to five-year terms. The body has its headquarters on thePlaza Murilloin La Paz, but also holds honorary sessions elsewhere in Bolivia. The Vice President serves as titular head of the combined Assembly.
The judiciary consists of theSupreme Court of Justice, thePlurinational Constitutional Court, the Judiciary Council, Agrarian and Environmental Court, and District (departmental) and lower courts. In October 2011, Bolivia held its first judicial elections to choose members of the national courts by popular vote, a reform brought about by Evo Morales.
ThePlurinational Electoral Organis an independent branch of government which replaced theNational Electoral Courtin 2010. The branch consists of the Supreme Electoral Courts, the nine Departmental Electoral Court, Electoral Judges, the anonymously selected Juries at Election Tables, and Electoral Notaries.Wilfredo Ovando presides over the seven-member Supreme Electoral Court. Its operations are mandated by the Constitution and regulated by the Electoral Regime Law (Law 026, passed 2010). The Organ's first elections were the country's firstjudicial electionin October 2011, and five municipal special elections held in 2011.
Bolivia has its constitutionally recognized capital inSucre, whileLa Pazis the seat of government. La Plata (now Sucre) was proclaimed the provisional capital of the newly independent Alto Peru (later, Bolivia) on 1 July 1826.On 12 July 1839, PresidentJosé Miguel de Velascoproclaimed a law naming the city as the capital of Bolivia, and renaming it in honor of the revolutionary leaderAntonio José de Sucre.The Bolivian seat of government moved to La Paz at the start of the twentieth century as a consequence of Sucre's relative remoteness from economic activity after the decline ofPotosíand its silver industry and of the Liberal Party in the War of 1899.
The2009 Constitutionassigns the role of national capital to Sucre, not referring to La Paz in the text.In addition to being the constitutional capital, the Supreme Court of Bolivia is located in Sucre, making it the judicial capital. Nonetheless, thePalacio Quemado(the Presidential Palace and seat of Bolivianexecutive power) is located in La Paz, as are the National Congress and Plurinational Electoral Organ. La Paz thus continues to be the seat of government.
Despite losing its maritime coast, the so-calledLitoral Department, after theWar of the Pacific, Bolivia has historically maintained, as a state policy, a maritime claim to that part of Chile; the claim asks for sovereign access to the Pacific Ocean and its maritime space. The issue has also been presented before theOrganization of American States; in 1979, the OAS passed the426 Resolution,which declared that the Bolivian problem is a hemispheric problem. On 4 April 1884, a truce was signed with Chile, whereby Chile gave facilities of access to Bolivian products throughAntofagasta, and freed the payment of export rights in the port ofArica. In October 1904, theTreaty of Peace and Friendshipwas signed, and Chile agreed to build arailway between Arica and La Paz, to improve access of Bolivian products to the ports.
TheSpecial Economical Zone for Bolivia in Ilo(ZEEBI) is a special economic area of 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) of maritime coast, and a total extension of 358 hectares (880 acres), called Mar Bolivia ("Sea Bolivia"), where Bolivia may maintain a free port nearIlo, Peru under its administration and operationfor a period of 99 years starting in 1992; once that time has passed, all the construction and territory revert to the Peruvian government. Since 1964, Bolivia has had its own port facilities in theBolivian Free PortinRosario, Argentina. This port is located on theParaná River, which is directly connected to the Atlantic Ocean.
In 2018, Bolivia signed the UNtreaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.
The dispute with Chile was taken to theInternational Court of Justice. The court ruled in support of the Chilean position, and declared that although Chile may have held talks about a Bolivian corridor to the sea, the country was not required to negotiate one or to surrender its territory.
Bolivia is the 68th most peaceful country in the world, according to the 2024Global Peace Index.
TheBolivian militarycomprises three branches:Ejército (Army),Naval (Navy)andFuerza Aérea (Air Force).
The Bolivian army has around 31,500 men. There are six military regions (regiones militares—RMs) in the army. The army is organized into ten divisions. Although it is landlocked, Bolivia keeps a navy. TheBolivian Naval Force(Fuerza Naval Bolivianain Spanish) is a naval force about 5,000 strong in 2008.TheBolivian Air Force('Fuerza Aérea Boliviana' or "FAB") has nine air bases, located at La Paz, Cochabamba,Santa Cruz,Puerto Suárez,Tarija,Villamontes,Cobija,Riberalta, andRoboré.
There are 54prisons in Bolivia, which incarcerate around 8,700 people as of 2010. The prisons are managed by the Penitentiary Regime Directorate (Spanish:Dirección de Régimen Penitenciario). There are 17 prisons indepartmentalcapital cities and 36 provincial prisons.
Bolivia has nine departments—Pando,La Paz,Beni,Oruro,Cochabamba,Santa Cruz,Potosí,Chuquisaca,Tarija.
According to what is established by the Bolivian Political Constitution, the Law of Autonomies and Decentralization regulates the procedure for the elaboration of Statutes of Autonomy, the transfer and distribution of direct competences between the central government and the autonomous entities.
There are four levels of decentralization: 1) Departmental government is constituted by theDepartmental Assembly, with rights over the legislation of the department. The department governor is chosen by universal suffrage. 2) Municipal government is constituted by aMunicipal Councilwhich is responsible for legislation of the municipality. The municipality's mayor is chosen by universal suffrage. 3) Regional government is formed by several provinces or municipalities of geographical continuity within a department. It is constituted by aRegional Assembly. 4) Original indigenous government is constituted byself-governanceof original indigenous people on the ancient territories where they live.
While Bolivia's administrative divisions have similar status under governmental jurisprudence, each department varies in quantitative and qualitative factors. Generally speaking, Departments can be grouped either by geography or by political-cultural orientation. For example, Santa Cruz, Beni and Pando make up the low-lying "Camba" heartlands of the Amazon, Moxos and Chiquitanía. When considering political orientation, Beni, Pando, Santa Cruz, Tarija are generally grouped for regionalist autonomy movements; this region is known as the "Media Luna". Conversely, La Paz, Oruro, Potosí, Cochabamba have been traditionally associated with Andean politics and culture. Today, Chuquisaca vacillates between the Andean cultural bloc and the Camba bloc.
Driven largely by its natural resources Bolivia has become a regional leader in measures of economic growth, fiscal stability and foreign reserves,although it remains a historically poor country. Bolivia's estimated 2012 gross domestic product (GDP) totaled $27.43 billion at official exchange rate and $56.14 billion at purchasing power parity. Despite a series of mostly political setbacks, between 2006 and 2009 the Morales administration spurred growth higher than at any point in the preceding 30 years. The growth was accompanied by a moderate decrease in inequality.Under Morales, per capita GDP doubled from US$1,182 in 2006 to US$2,238 in 2012. GDP growth under Morales averaged 5 percent a year, and in 2014 only Panama and the Dominican Republic performed better in all of Latin America.Bolivia's nominal GDP increased from 11.5 billion in 2006 to 41 billion in 2019.
Bolivia in 2014, before a strong decline, boasted the highest proportional rate of financial reserves of any nation in the world, with Bolivia's rainy day fund totaling some US$15 billion or nearly two-thirds of total annual GDP, up from a fifth of GDP in 2005.
Agriculture is less relevant in the country's GDP compared to the rest of Latin America. The country produces close to 10 million tons ofsugarcaneper year and is the 10th largest producer ofsoybeanin the world. It also has considerable yields of maize, potato,sorghum, banana, rice, and wheat. The country's largest exports are based on soy (soybean meal andsoybean oil).The culture ofsoywas brought by Brazilians to the country: in 2006, almost 50% of soy producers in Bolivia were people from Brazil, or descendants of Brazilians. The first Brazilian producers began to arrive in the country in the 1990s. Before that, there was a lot of land in the country that was not used, or where only subsistence agriculture was practiced.
Bolivia's most lucrative agricultural product continues to becoca, of which Bolivia is the world's third largest cultivator.
Bolivia, while historically renowned for its vast mineral wealth, is relatively under-explored in geological and mineralogical terms. The country is rich in various mineral and natural resources, sitting at the heart of South America in the Central Andes.
Mining is a major sector of the economy, with most of the country's exports being dependent on it.In 2023, the country was the seventh largest world producer of silver;fifth largest world producer oftinandantimony;seventh largest producer ofzinc,eighth largest producer of lead,fourth largest world producer ofboron;and the sixth largest world producer oftungsten.The country also has considerable gold production, which varies close to 25 tons/year, and also hasamethystextraction.The country's gold production in 2015 is 12 metric tons.
Bolivia has the world's largest lithium reserves, second largest antimony reserves, third largest iron ore reserves, sixth largest tin reserves, ninth largest lead, silver, and copper reserves, tenth largest zinc reserves, and undisclosed but productive reserves of gold and tungsten. Additionally, there is believed to be considerable reserves of uranium and nickel present in the country's largely under-explored eastern regions. Diamond reserves may also be present in some formations of the Serranías Chiquitanas inSanta Cruz Department.
Bolivia has the second largest natural gas reserves in South America.Its natural gas exports bring in millions of dollars per day, in royalties, rents, and taxes.From 2007 to 2017, what is referred to as the "government take" on gas totaled approximately $22 billion.
The government held a binding referendum in 2005 on the Hydrocarbon Law. Among other provisions, the law requires that companies sell their production to the state hydrocarbons companyYacimientos Petroliferos Fiscales Bolivianos(YPFB) and for domestic demand to be met before exporting hydrocarbons and increased the state's royalties from natural gas.The passage of the Hydrocarbon law in opposition to then-PresidentCarlos Mesacan be understood as part of theBolivian gas conflictwhich ultimately resulted in election ofEvo Morales, Bolivia's first indigenous president.TheUS Geological Serviceestimates that Bolivia has 21 million tonnes oflithium, which represent at least 25% of world reserves – the largest in the world. However, to mine for it would involve disturbing the country's salt flats (calledSalar de Uyuni), an important natural feature which boosts tourism in the region. The government does not want to destroy this unique natural landscape to meet the rising world demand for lithium.On the other hand, sustainable extraction of lithium is attempted by the government. This project is carried out by the public company "Recursos Evaporíticos" subsidiary ofCOMIBOL.
The income from tourism has become increasingly important.Bolivia's tourist industryhas placed an emphasis on attracting ethnic diversity.The most visited places includeNevado Sajama,Torotoro National Park,Madidi National Park,Tiwanakuand the city ofLa Paz.
The best known of the various festivals found in the country is the "Carnaval de Oruro", which was among the first 19 "Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity", as proclaimed by UNESCO in May 2001.
Bolivia'sYungas Roadwas called the "world's most dangerous road" by theInter-American Development Bank, called (El Camino de la Muerte) in Spanish.The northern portion of the road, much of it unpaved and without guardrails, was cut into theCordillera Oriental Mountainin the 1930s. The fall from the narrow 12 feet (3.7 m) path is as much as 2,000 feet (610 m) in some places and due to the humid weather from theAmazonthere are often poor conditions like mudslides and falling rocks.Each year over 25,000 bikers cycle along the 40 miles (64 km) road. In 2018, an Israeli woman was killed by a falling rock while cycling on the road.
TheApoloroad goes deep intoLa Paz. Roads in this area were originally built to allow access to mines located nearCharazani. Other noteworthy roads run toCoroico,Sorata, theZongo Valley(Illimanimountain), and along theCochabambahighway (carretera).According to researchers with theCenter for International Forestry Research(CIFOR), Bolivia's road network was still underdeveloped as of 2014. In lowland areas of Bolivia there is less than 2,000 kilometers (2,000,000 m) of paved road. There have been some recent investments;animal husbandryhas expanded inGuayaramerín, which might be due to a new road connecting Guayaramerín withTrinidad.The country only opened its firstduplicated highwayin 2015: a 203 km stretch between the capital La Paz and Oruro.
The General Directorate of Civil Aeronautics (Dirección General de Aeronáutica Civil—DGAC) formerly part of the FAB, administers a civil aeronautics school called the National Institute of Civil Aeronautics (Instituto Nacional de Aeronáutica Civil—INAC), and two commercial air transport services TAM and TAB.
TAM – Transporte Aéreo Militar(the Bolivian Military Airline) was an airline based in La Paz, Bolivia. It was the civilian wing of the 'Fuerza Aérea Boliviana' (the Bolivian Air Force), operating passenger services to remote towns and communities in the North and Northeast of Bolivia. TAM (a.k.a. TAM Group 71) has been a part of the FAB since 1945. The airline suspended its operations since September 2019.
Boliviana de Aviación, often referred to as simply BoA, is the flag carrier airline of Bolivia and is wholly owned by the country's government.
A private airline serving regional destinations isLínea Aérea Amaszonas,with services including some international destinations.
Although a civil transport airline,TAB – Transportes Aéreos Bolivianos, was created as a subsidiary company of the FAB in 1977. It is subordinate to the Air Transport Management (Gerencia de Transportes Aéreos) and is headed by an FAB general. TAB, a charter heavy cargo airline, links Bolivia with most countries of theWestern Hemisphere; its inventory includes a fleet of Hercules C130 aircraft. TAB is headquartered adjacent toEl Alto International Airport. TAB flies to Miami andHouston, with a stop in Panama.
The three largest, and main international airports in Bolivia areEl Alto International Airportin La Paz,Viru Viru International Airportin Santa Cruz, andJorge Wilstermann International Airportin Cochabamba. There are regional airports in other cities that connect to these three hubs.
Bolivia owns acommunications satellitewhich wasoffshored/outsourcedand launched by China, namedTúpac Katari 1.In 2015, it was announced that electrical power advancements include a planned $300 million nuclear reactor developed by the Russian nuclear companyRosatom.Bolivia was ranked 100th in theGlobal Innovation Indexin 2024.
Bolivia's drinking water andsanitationcoverage has greatly improved since 1990 due to a considerable increase in sectoral investment. However, the country has the continent's lowest coverage levels and services are of low quality. Political and institutional instability have contributed to the weakening of the sector's institutions at the national and local levels.
Two concessions to foreign private companies in two of the three largest cities –CochabambaandLa Paz/El Alto– were prematurely ended in 2000 and 2006 respectively. The country's second largest city,Santa Cruz de la Sierra, manages its own water and sanitation system relatively successfully by way of cooperatives. The government ofEvo Moralesintends to strengthen citizen participation within the sector. Increasing coverage requires a substantial increase of investment financing.
According to the government the main problems in the sector are low access to sanitation throughout the country; low access to water in rural areas; insufficient and ineffective investments; a low visibility of community service providers; a lack of respect of indigenous customs; "technical and institutional difficulties in the design and implementation of projects"; a lack of capacity to operate and maintain infrastructure; an institutional framework that is "not consistent with the political change in the country"; "ambiguities in the social participation schemes"; a reduction in the quantity and 
quality of water due to climate change; pollution and a lack of integrated water resources management; and the lack of policies and programs for the reuse of wastewater.
Only 27% of the population has access toimproved sanitation, 80 to 88% has access toimproved water sources. Coverage in urban areas is bigger than in rural ones.
The agrarian reform promised by Evo Morales – and approved in a referendum by nearly 80 per cent of the population – has never been implemented. Intended to abolishlatifundismby reducing the maximum size of properties that do not have an "economic and social function" to 5,000 hectares, with the remainder to be distributed among small agricultural workers and landless indigenous people, it was strongly opposed by the Bolivian oligarchy. In 2009, the government gave in to the agribusiness sector, which in return committed to end the pressure it was exerting and jeopardizing until the new constitution was in place.
However, a series of economic reforms and projects have improved the condition of modest peasant families. They received farm machinery, tractors, fertilizers, seeds and breeding stock, while the state built irrigation systems, roads and bridges to make it easier for them to sell their produce in the markets. The situation of many indigenous people and small farmers was regularized through the granting of land titles for the land they were using.
In 2007, the government created a "Bank for Productive Development" through which small workers and agricultural producers can borrow easily, at low rates and with repayment terms adapted to agricultural cycles. As a result of improved banking supervision, borrowing rates have been reduced by a factor of three between 2014 and 2019 across all banking institutions for small and medium-sized agricultural producers. In addition, the law now requires banks to devote at least 60% of their resources to productive credits or to the construction of social housing.
With the creation of the Food Production Support Enterprise (Emapa), the government sought to stabilize the domestic market for agricultural products by buying the best prices for the production of small and medium-sized farmers, thus forcing agribusinesses to offer them fairer remuneration. According to Vice PresidentÀlvaro García Linera, "by setting the rules of the game, the State establishes a new balance of power that gives more power to small producers. Wealth is better redistributed to balance the power of the agribusiness sector. This generates stability, which allows the economy to flourish and benefits everyone.
According to the last two censuses carried out by the Bolivian National Statistics Institute(Instituto Nacional de Estadística, INE), the population increased from 8,274,325 (from which 4,123,850 were men and 4,150,475 were women) in 2001 to 10,059,856 in 2012.
In the last fifty years the Bolivian population has tripled, reaching a population growth rate of 2.25%. The growth of the population in the inter-census periods (1950–1976 and 1976–1992) was approximately 2.05%, while between the last period, 1992–2001, it reached 2.74% annually.
Some 67.49% of Bolivians live in urban areas, while the remaining 32.51% in rural areas. The most part of the population (70%) is concentrated in the departments ofLa Paz,Santa CruzandCochabamba. In theAndeanAltiplanoregion the departments of La Paz andOrurohold the largest percentage of population, in the valley region the largest percentage is held by the departments of Cochabamba andChuquisaca, while in the Llanos region by Santa Cruz andBeni. At national level, the population density is 8.49, with variations marked between 0.8 (Pando Department) and 26.2 (Cochabamba Department).
The largest population center is located in the so-called "central axis" and in the Llanos region. Bolivia has a young population. According to the 2011 census, 59% of the population is between 15 and 59 years old, 39% is less than 15 years old. Almost 60% of the population is younger than 25 years of age.
The vast majority of Bolivians aremestizo(with the indigenous component higher than the European one), although the government has not included the cultural self-identification "mestizo" in the November 2012 census.There are approximately three dozen native groups totaling approximately half of the Bolivian population – the largest proportion of indigenous people in the Americas. A 2018 estimate of racial classification put mestizo (mixed White and Amerindian) at 68%, indigenous at 20%, white at 5%,choloat 2%, black at 1%, other at 4%, while 2% were unspecified; 44% attributed themselves to some indigenous group, predominantly the linguistic categories ofQuechuasorAymaras.White Bolivianscomprised about 14% of the population in 2006, and are usually concentrated in the largest cities:La Paz,Santa Cruz de la SierraandCochabamba, but as well in some minor cities likeTarijaandSucre. The ancestry of whites and the white ancestry of mestizos lies within Europe and the Middle East, most notably Spain, Italy, Germany, Croatia, Lebanon and Syria. In theSanta Cruz Department, there are several dozen colonies of German-speakingMennonites from Russiatotaling around 40,000 inhabitants (as of 2012).
Afro-Bolivians, descendants ofAfrican slaveswho arrived in the time of theSpanish Empire, inhabit thedepartment of La Paz, and are located mainly in the provinces ofNor YungasandSud Yungas. Slavery was abolished in Bolivia in 1831.There are also important communities ofJapanese(14,000) and Lebanese (12,900).
Indigenous peoples, also called"originarios"("native" or "original") and less frequently,Amerindians, could be categorized by geographic area, such asAndean, like theAymarasandQuechuas(who formed the ancientInca Empire), who are concentrated in the western departments ofLa Paz,Potosí,Oruro,CochabambaandChuquisaca. There also are ethnic populations in the east, composed of theChiquitano,Chané,GuaraníandMoxos, among others, who inhabit the departments ofSanta Cruz,Beni,TarijaandPando.
There are small numbers of European citizens from Germany, France, Italy and Portugal, as well as from other countries of the Americas, as Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, the United States, Paraguay, Peru, Mexico and Venezuela, among others. There are important Peruvian colonies inLa Paz,El AltoandSanta Cruz de la Sierra.
There are around 140,000Mennonites in Boliviaof Friesian, Flemish and German ethnic origins.
Bolivia has great linguistic diversity as a result of itsmulticulturalism. TheConstitution of Boliviarecognizes 36 official languages besides Spanish:Aymara,Araona,Baure,Bésiro,Canichana,Cavineño,Cayubaba,Chácobo,Chimán,Ese Ejja,Guaraní,Guarasu'we,Guarayu,Itonama,Leco,Machajuyai-Kallawaya,Machineri,Maropa,Mojeño-Ignaciano,Mojeño-Trinitario,Moré,Mosetén,Movima,Pacawara,Puquina,Quechua,Sirionó,Tacana,Tapieté,Toromona,Uru-Chipaya,Weenhayek,Yaminawa,Yuki,Yuracaré, andZamuco.
Spanish is the most spoken official language in the country, according to the 2001 census; as it is spoken by two-thirds of the population. All legal and official documents issued by the State, including the Constitution, the main private and public institutions, the media, and commercial activities, are in Spanish.
The main indigenous languages are:Quechua(21.2% of the population in the 2001 census),Aymara(14.6%),Guarani(0.6%) and others (0.4%) including theMoxosin the department of Beni.
Plautdietsch, aGerman dialect, is spoken by about 70,000MennonitesinSanta Cruz. Portuguese is spoken mainly in the areas close to Brazil.
Bolivia is a constitutionallysecular statethat guarantees thefreedom of religionand the independence of government from religion.
According to the 2001 census conducted by theNational Institute of Statistics of Bolivia, 78% of the population isRoman Catholic, followed by 19% that areProtestant, as well as a small number of Bolivians that areOrthodox, and 3% non-religious.
TheAssociation of Religion Data Archives(relying on the World Christian Database) records that in 2010, 92.5% of Bolivians identified as Christian (of any denomination), 3.1% identified with indigenous religion, 2.2% identified asBaháʼí, 1.9% identified as agnostic, and all other groups constituted 0.1% or less.
Much of the indigenous population adheres to different traditional beliefs marked byinculturationorsyncretismwith Christianity. The cult ofPachamama,or "Mother Earth", is notable. The veneration of theVirgin of Copacabana, Virgin of Urkupiña and Virgin of Socavón, is also an important feature ofChristian pilgrimage. There also are importantAymaran communitiesnearLake Titicacathat have a strong devotion toJames the Apostle.Deities worshiped in Bolivia includeEkeko, the Aymaran god of abundance and prosperity, whose day is celebrated every 24 January, andTupá, a god of theGuaraní people.
Approximately 67% of Bolivians live in urban areas,among the lowest proportion in South America. Nevertheless, the rate of urbanization is growing steadily, at around 2.5% annually. According to the 2012 census, there are total of 3,158,691 households in Bolivia – an increase of 887,960 from 2001.In 2009, 75.4% of homes were classified as a house, hut, or Pahuichi; 3.3% were apartments; 21.1% were rental residences; and 0.1% weremobile homes.Most of the country's largest cities are located in the highlands of the west and central regions.
Bolivian culture has been heavily influenced by the Spanish, the Aymara, the Quechua, as well as the popular cultures of Latin America as a whole.
The cultural development is divided into three distinct periods: precolumbian, colonial, and republican. Importantarchaeologicalruins, gold and silver ornaments, stone monuments,ceramics, andweavingsremain from several important pre-Columbian cultures. Major ruins includeTiwanaku,El Fuerte de Samaipata,InkallaqtaandIskanwaya. The country abounds in other sites that are difficult to reach and have seen little archaeological exploration.
The Spanish brought their own tradition of religious art which, in the hands of local native, mestizo and somecriollobuilders andartisans, developed into a rich and distinctive style of architecture, painting, and sculpture known asAndean Baroque. The colonial period produced not only the paintings of Pérez de Holguín, Flores, Bitti, and others but also the works of skilled but unknown stonecutters, woodcarvers, goldsmiths, and silversmiths. An important body of Native Baroque religious music of the colonial period was recovered and has been performed internationally to wide acclaim since 1994.
Bolivian artists of stature in the 20th century includeMaría Luisa Pacheco,Roberto Mamani Mamani,Alejandro Mario Yllanes,Alfredo Da Silva, andMarina Núñez del Prado.
Bolivia has a richfolklore. Its regionalfolk musicis distinctive and varied. The "devil dances" at the annual carnival of Oruro are one of the great folkloric events of South America, as is the lesser known carnival atTarabuco.
In 2008, followingUNESCOstandards, Bolivia was declared free ofilliteracy, making it the fourth country in South America to attain this status.
Bolivia has public and private universities. Among them:Universidad Mayor, Real y Pontificia de San Francisco Xavier de ChuquisacaUSFX – Sucre, founded in 1624;Universidad Mayor de San AndrésUMSA – La Paz, founded in 1830;Universidad Mayor de San SimonUMSS – Cochabamba, founded in 1832;Universidad Autónoma Gabriel René MorenoUAGRM – Santa Cruz de la Sierra, founded in 1880;Universidad Técnica de OruroUTO – Oruro, founded in 1892; Universidad Evangélica Boliviana UEB – Santa Cruz de la Sierra, founded in 1980; andUniversidad Autónoma Tomás FríasUATF – Potosi, founded in 1892.
According to UNICEF under-five mortality rate in 2006 was 52.7 per 1000 and was reduced to 26 per 1000 by 2019.The infant mortality rate was 40.7 per 1000 in 2006 and was reduced to 21.2 per 1000 in 2019.Before Morales took office, nearly half of all infants were not vaccinated; now nearly all are vaccinated. Morales also put into place several supplemental nutrition programs, including an effort to supply free food in public health and social security offices, and his desnutrición cero (zero malnutrition) program provides free school lunches.
Between 2006 and 2016, extreme poverty in Bolivia fell from 38.2% to 16.8%. Chronic malnutrition in children under five years of age also went down by 14% and the child mortality rate was reduced by more than 50%, according toWorld Health Organization.In 2019 the Bolivian government created a universal healthcare system which has been cited as a model for all by the World Health Organization.
Bolivia has one of the highest rates of femicide and gender-based violence in Latin America.In 2013, the Comprehensive Law to Guarantee Women a Life Free from Violence was passed, which codified sixteen types of gender-based violence and implemented measures for prevention of violence, protection for victims, and the punishment of aggressors.
As of 2022, 46% of parliamentary seats are held by women.A 1997 law established quotas whereby candidates for public office fielded by political parties must be at least 30% women.
Footballis popular. The national team is theBolivia national football team.
Racquetballis the second most popular sport in Bolivia as for the results in theOdesur 2018 Gamesheld in Cochabamba.Bolivia has won 18 medals at the Pan American Gamesand 15 of them came from racquetball events, including their only gold medals, won in theMen's Team event in 2019and2023, plus aMen's Singles Gold in 2023by world championConrrado Moscoso.
Basketball is especially popular and influential in thePotosí Department.
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