3 GeoFroggy

Country Name

Conventional long form: Republic of Bolivia

Conventional short form: Bolivia

Local long form: Republica de Bolivia

Local short form: Bolivia

Administrative Divisions

9 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento); Beni, Chuquisaca, Cochabamba, La Paz, Oruro, Pando, Potosi, Santa Cruz, Tarija

Independence

6 August 1825 (from Spain)

National Holiday

Independence Day, 6 August (1825)

Constitution

2 February 1967; revised in August 1994

Legal System

based on Spanish law and Napoleonic Code; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

International Law Organization Participation

Citizenship

Suffrage

18 years of age, universal and compulsory (married); 21 years of age, universal and compulsory (single)

Executive Branch

Chief of state: President Juan Evo MORALES Ayma (since 22 January 2006); Vice President Alvaro GARCIA Linera (since 22 January 2006); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government

Head of government: President Juan Evo MORALES Ayma (since 22 January 2006); Vice President Alvaro GARCIA Linera (since 22 January 2006); 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 a single five-year term; election last held 18 December 2005 (next to be held in 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%

Legislative Branch

Legislative branch: 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 in 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

Judicial Branch

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)

Political Parties and Leaders

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]; National Revolutionary Movement or MNR [Gonzalo SANCHEZ DE LOZADA]; 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]

Political Pressure Groups and Leaders

Cocalero groups; indigenous organizations; labor unions; Sole Confederation of Campesino Workers of Bolivia or CSUTCB [Roman LOAYZA]

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

National Anthem

Year

Government Type

  • Republic

Capital

  • Name
    La Paz (adminstrative capital)
  • Geographic Coordinates
    16 30 S, 68 09 W
  • Time Difference
    UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
  • Note
    Sucre (constitutional capital)

Diplomatic Representation in the US

  • Chief Of Mission
    Ambassador Gustavo GUZMAN Saldana
  • Chancery
    3014 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
  • Telephone
    [1] (202) 483-4410
  • FAX
    [1] (202) 328-3712
  • Consulate(s) General
    Houston, Miami, New York, Oklahoma City, San Francisco, Seattle, Washington, DC

Diplomatic Representation from the US

  • Chief Of Mission
    Ambassador Philip S. GOLDBERG
  • Embassy
    Avenida Arce 2780, La Paz
  • Mailing Address
    P. O. Box 425, La Paz; APO AA 34032
  • Telephone
    [591] (2) 216-8000
  • FAX
    [591] (2) 216-8111

International Organization Participation

  • CAN
  • CSN
  • FAO
  • G-77
  • IADB
  • IAEA
  • IBRD
  • ICAO
  • ICCt
  • ICRM
  • IDA
  • IFAD
  • IFC
  • IFRCS
  • ILO
  • IMF
  • IMO
  • Interpol
  • IOC
  • IOM
  • IPU
  • ISO (correspondent)
  • ITU
  • LAES
  • LAIA
  • Mercosur (associate)
  • MIGA
  • MINUSTAH
  • MONUC
  • NAM
  • OAS
  • OPANAL
  • OPCW
  • PCA
  • RG
  • UN
  • UNCTAD
  • UNESCO
  • UNIDO
  • UNMIL
  • UNMIS
  • UNMISET
  • UNOCI
  • UPU
  • WCL
  • WCO
  • WFTU
  • WHO
  • WIPO
  • WMO
  • WToO
  • WTO