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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

Many previous; latest drafted 6 August 2006 - 9 December 2008, approved by referendum 25 January 2009, effective 7 February 2009; amended 2013 (2013)

Legal System

civil law system with influences from Roman, Spanish, canon (religious), French, and indigenous law

International Law Organization Participation

Has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Citizenship

Suffrage

18 years of age, universal and compulsory

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 five-year term and are eligible for re-election once; election last held on 6 December 2009 (next to be held in 2014)

Election results: Juan Evo MORALES Ayma reelected president; percent of vote - Juan Evo MORALES Ayma 64%; Manfred REYES VILLA 26%; Samuel DORIA MEDINA Arana 6%; Rene JOAQUINO 2%; other 2%

Legislative Branch

Bicameral Plurinational Legislative Assembly or Asamblea Legislativa Plurinacional consists of Chamber of Senators or Camara de Senadores (36 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 total; 70 uninominal deputies directly elected from a single district, 7 "special" indigenous deputies directly elected from non-contiguous indigenous districts, and 53 plurinominal deputies elected by proportional representation from party lists; all deputies serve five-year terms) elections: Chamber of Senators and Chamber of Deputies - last held on 6 December 2009 (next to be held in 2014) election results: Chamber of Senators - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - MAS 26, PPB-CN 10; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - MAS 89, PPB-CN 36, UN 3, AS 2; note - as of 15 February 2013, the current composition of the Chamber of Deputies is: MAS 88, PPB-CN 37, UN 3, AS 2

Judicial Branch

Highest court(s): Supreme Court or Tribunal Supremo de Justicia (consists of 12 judges); Plurinational Constitutional Tribunal (consists of 7 primary and 7 alternate magistrates); Plurinational Electoral Organ (consists of 7 members)

Note - the 2009 constitution reformed the procedure for selecting judicial officials for the Supreme: undefined

Judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court and Plurinational Constitutional Tribunal judges elected by popular vote from list of candidates pre-selected by Plurinational Legislative Assembly for 6-year terms); Plurinational Electoral Organ members - 6 judges elected by the Assembly and 1 appointed by the president; judges and members serve 6-year terms

Subordinate courts: Agro-Environmental Court; Council of the Judiciary; District Courts (in each of the 9 administrative departments)

Political Parties and Leaders

Bacada Indigena or BIBolivia-National Convergence or PPB-CN [Adrian OLIVA Fearless Movement or MSM [Juan DE GRANADO Cosio Movement Toward Socialism or MAS [Juan Evo MORALES Ayma National Unity or UN [Samuel DORIA MEDINA Arana People or Gente [Roman LOAYZA Social Alliance or AS [Rene JOAQUINO

Political Pressure Groups and Leaders

Bolivian Workers Central or COBFederation of Neighborhood Councils of El Alto or FEJUVE Landless Movement or MST National Coordinator for Change or CONALCAM Sole Confederation of Campesino Workers of Bolivia or CSUTCB other: Cocalero groups; indigenous organizations (including Confederation of Indigenous Peoples of Eastern Bolivia or CIDOB and National Council of Ayullus and Markas of Quollasuyu or CONAMAQ); Interculturales union or CSCIB; labor unions (including the Central Bolivian Workers' Union or COB and Cooperative Miners Federation or FENCOMIN)

Flag Description

Three equal horizontal bands of red (top), yellow, and green with the coat of arms centered on the yellow band; red stands for bravery and the blood of national heroes, yellow for the nation's mineral resources, and green for the fertility of the land 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 Symbols

Llama; Andean condor

National Anthem

Lyrics:

Note: adopted 1852

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 Freddy BERSATTI Tudela
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
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 Larry L. MEMMOTT (since 14 July 2012)
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
in September 2008, the Bolivian Government expelled the US Ambassador to Bolivia, and the countries have yet to reinstate ambassadors

International Organization Participation

CAN
CD
CELAC
FAO
G-77
IADB
IAEA
IBRD
ICAO
ICC (national committees)
ICRM
IDA
IFAD
IFC
IFRCS
ILO
IMF
IMO
Interpol
IOC
IOM
IPU
ISO (correspondent)
ITSO
ITU
LAES
LAIA
Mercosur (associate)

MIGA
MINUSTAH
MONUSCO
NAM
OAS
OPANAL
OPCW
PCA
UN
UNASUR
UNCTAD
UNESCO
UNFICYP
UNIDO
Union Latina
UNISFA
UNMIL
UNMISS
UNOCI
UNWTO
UPU
WCO
WFTU (NGOs)
WHO
WIPO
WMO
WTO

Bolivia