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Country Name

Conventional long form: Plurinational State of Bolivia

Conventional short form: Bolivia

Local long form: Estado Plurinacional 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; voters approved a new constitution on 25 January 2009

Legal System

based on Spanish law and Napoleonic Code; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; the 2009 Constitution incorporates indigenous community justice into Bolivia's judicial system

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)

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 December 2009)

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

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; 70 members are directly elected from their districts and 60 are elected by proportional representation from party lists to serve five-year terms); note - under representational rules established by the 2009 Constitution, the National Congress will become the Plurinational Legislative Assembly or Asamblea Legislativa Plurinacional; the number of Deputies will remain at 130, but the number of Senators will rise to 36 elections: Chamber of Senators and Chamber of Deputies - last held 18 December 2005 (next to be held in December 2009) 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); Constitutional Tribunal (five primary or titulares and five alternate or suplente magistrates appointed by Congress; to rule on constitutional issues); National Electoral Court (six members elected by Congress, Supreme Court, the president, and the political party with the highest vote in the last election for four-year terms); note - under the 2009 Constitution, all Constitutional and Supreme Court judges will be elected by popular vote

Political Parties and Leaders

Free Bolivia Movement or MBL [Franz BARRIOS]; Movement Toward Socialism or MAS [Juan Evo MORALES Ayma]; Movement Without Fear or MSM [Juan DEL GRANADO]; National Revolutionary Movement or MNR [Mirta QUEVEDO]; National Unity [Samuel DORIA MEDINA Arana]; Poder Democratico Nacional or PODEMOS [Jorge Fernando QUIROGA Ramirez]; Social Alliance [Rene JOAQUINO]

Political Pressure Groups and Leaders

Sole Confederation of Campesino Workers of Bolivia or CSUTCB other: Cocalero groups; indigenous organizations; labor unions

Flag Description

Three equal horizontal bands of red (top), yellow, and green with the coat of arms centered on the yellow band note: similar to the flag of Ghana, which has a large black five-pointed star centered in the yellow band; in 2009, a presidential decree made it mandatory for a so-called wiphala - a square, multi-colored flag representing the country's indigenous peoples - to be used alongside the traditional flag

National Anthem

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

Government Type

Republic; note - the new constitution defines Bolivia as a "Social Unitarian State"

Capital

Name
La Paz (administrative 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 (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Erika Angela DUENAS Loayza
Chancery
3014 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
Telephone
[1] (202) 483-4410
FAX
[1] (202) 328-3712
Consulate(s) General
Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco
Note
as of September 2008, the US has expelled the Bolivian ambassador to the US

Diplomatic Representation from the US

Chief Of Mission
Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Krishna URS
Embassy
Avenida Arce 2780, Casilla 425, La Paz
Mailing Address
P. O. Box 425, La Paz; APO AA 34032
Telephone
[591] (2) 216-8000
FAX
[591] (2) 216-8111
Note
as of September 2008, the Bolivian Government has expelled the US Ambassador to Bolivia

International Organization Participation

CAN
FAO
G-77
IADB
IAEA
IBRD
ICAO
ICCt
ICRM
IDA
IFAD
IFC
IFRCS
ILO
IMF
IMO
Interpol
IOC
IOM
IPU
ISO (correspondent)
ITSO
ITU
LAES
LAIA
Mercosur (associate)
MIGA
MINURCAT

MINUSTAH
MONUC
NAM
OAS
OPANAL
OPCW
PCA
RG
UN
UNASUR
UNCTAD
UNESCO
UNFICYP
UNIDO
Union Latina
UNMIL
UNMIS
UNOCI
UNWTO
UPU
WCL
WCO
WFTU
WHO
WIPO
WMO
WTO

Bolivia