GeoFroggy

View Large Map

Background

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 coups and countercoups, with the last coup occurring in 1978. Democratic civilian rule was established in 1982, but leaders have faced 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 and indigenous majority. In December 2009 and October 2014, President MORALES easily won reelection. His party maintained control of the legislative branch of the government, which has allowed him to continue his "process of change." In February 2016, MORALES narrowly lost a referendum to approve a constitutional amendment that would have allowed him to compete in the 2019 presidential election. However, a 2017 Supreme Court ruling stating that term limits violate human rights provided the justification for MORALES to be chosen by his party to run again in 2019. MORALES attempted to claim victory in the October 2019 election, but widespread allegations of electoral fraud, rising violence, and pressure from the military ultimately forced him to flee the country. An interim government, led by President Jeanine ANEZ Chavez, prepared new elections that took place in October 2020; President Luis Alberto ARCE Catacora took office the following month.

Location

Central South America, southwest of Brazil

Area Comparative

Slightly less than three times the size of Montana

Maritime Claims

none (landlocked)

Climate

Varies with altitude; humid and tropical to cold and semiarid

Population Distribution

A high altitude plain in the west between two cordillera of the Andes, known as the Altiplano, is the focal area for most of the population; a dense settlement pattern is also found in and around the city of Santa Cruz, located on the eastern side of the Andes

Natural Hazards

Flooding in the northeast (March to April)volcanism: volcanic activity in Andes Mountains on the border with Chile; historically active volcanoes in this region are Irruputuncu (5,163 m), which last erupted in 1995, and the Olca-Paruma volcanic complex (5,762 m to 5,167 m)

Geography Note

Note 1: landlocked; shares control of Lago Titicaca, world's highest navigable lake (elevation 3,805 m), with Peru

Note 2: the southern regions of Peru and the extreme northwestern part of Bolivia are considered to be the place of origin for the common potato, while southeast Bolivia and northwest Argentina seem to be the original development site for peanuts

Year	2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000

Map Reference

South America

Irrigated Land 2017

2,972 sq km

Area 2023

Total

1,098,581 sq km
Land

1,083,301 sq km
Water

15,280 sq km

Coastline

0 km

Geographical Coordinates

17 00 S, 65 00 W

Land use 2023

Agricultural Land
34.3%
Arable Land
3.6%
Permanent Crops
0.2%
Permanent Pasture
30.5%
Forest
52.5%
Other
13.2%

Terrain

Rugged Andes Mountains with a highland plateau (Altiplano)
Hills
Lowland plains of the Amazon Basin

Elevation

Highest Point: Nevado Sajama 6,542 m
Lowest Point: Rio Paraguay 90 m
Mean Elevation: 1,192 m

Land Boundaries

Total
7,252 km
Argentina
942 km
; Brazil
3,403 km
; Chile
942 km
; Paraguay
753 km
; Peru
1,212 km

Natural Resources

Lithium
Tin
Natural gas
Petroleum
Zinc
Tungsten
Antimony

Silver
Iron
Lead
Gold
Timber
Hydropower

Bolivia