3 GeoFroggy

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:

Election results: Juan Evo MORALES Ayma reelected president; percent of vote - Juan Evo MORALES Ayma 61%; Samuel DORIA MEDINA Arana 24.5%; Jorge QUIROGA 9.1%; other 5.4%

Legislative Branch

Description: bicameral Plurinational Legislative Assembly or Asamblea Legislativa Plurinacional consists of the Chamber of Senators or Camara de Senadores (36 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote; members serve 5-year terms) and the Chamber of Deputies or Camara de Diputados (130 seats; 70 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote, 53 indirectly elected in single-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote, and 7 - apportioned to non-contiguous, rural areas in 7 of the 9 states - directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote; members serve 5-year terms)

Elections: Chamber of Senators and Chamber of Deputies - last held on 12 October 2014 (next to be held in 2019)

Election results: Chamber of Senators - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - MAS 25, UD 9, PDC 2; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - MAS 88, UD 32, PDC 10

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)

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; note - the 2009 constitution reformed the procedure for selecting judicial officials for the Supreme Court, Constitutional Tribunal, and the Plurinational Electoral Organ by direct national vote, which occurred in October 2011

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

Political Parties and Leaders

United Democrats or UD [Samuel DORIA MEDINA Arana]

Political Pressure Groups and Leaders

Sole Confederation of Campesino Workers of Bolivia or CSUTCB

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

National Symbols

Llama, Andean condor; national colors: red, yellow, green

National Anthem

Lyrics:

Note: adopted 1852

: undefined

Year

Government Type

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

Capital

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

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) 328-4155
  • FAX
    [1] (202) 328-3712
  • Consulate(s) General
    Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Washington,DC
  • Note
    as of September 2008, the US expelled the Bolivian ambassador to the US

Diplomatic Representation from the US

  • Chief Of Mission
    Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Peter Brennan (since June 2014
  • 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)
  • ICCt
  • 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
  • UNAMID
  • UNASUR
  • UNCTAD
  • UNESCO
  • UNIDO
  • Union Latina
  • UNMIL
  • UNMISS
  • UNOCI
  • UNWTO
  • UPU
  • WCO
  • WFTU (NGOs)
  • WHO
  • WIPO
  • WMO
  • WTO