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

Etymology: the country is named after Simon BOLIVAR, a 19th-century leader in the South American wars for independence

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

History: many previous; latest drafted 6 August 2006 to 9 December 2008, approved by referendum 25 January 2009, effective 7 February 2009; note - in late 2017, the Constitutional Tribunal declared inapplicable provisions of the constitution that prohibit elected officials, including the president, from serving more than 2 consecutive terms (2018)

Amendments: proposed through public petition by at least 20% of voters or by the Plurinational Legislative Assembly; passage requires approval by at least two-thirds majority vote of the total membership of the Assembly and approval in a referendum; amended 2013 (2018)

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

Citizenship by birth: yes

Citizenship by descent only: yes

Dual citizenship recognized: yes

Residency requirement for naturalization: 3 years

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 (MAS) 61%; Samuel DORIA MEDINA Arana (UN) 24.5%; Jorge QUIROGA Ramirez (POC) 9.1%; other 5.4%

Legislative Branch

Description: bicameral Plurinational Legislative Assembly or Asamblea Legislativa Plurinacional consists of

Elections: Chamber of Senators - last held on 12 October 2014 (next to be held in 2019) 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 courts: Supreme Court or Tribunal Supremo de Justicia (consists of 12 judges or ministros organized into civil, penal, social, and administrative chambers); Plurinational Constitutional Tribunal (consists of 7 primary and 7 alternate magistrates); Plurinational Electoral Organ (consists of 7 members and 6 alternates); National Agro-Environment Court (consists of 5 primary and 5 alternate judges; Council of the Judiciary (consists of 3 primary and 3 alternate judges)

Judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court, Plurinational Constitutional Tribunal, National Agro-Environmental Court, and Council of the Judiciary candidates pre-selected by the Plurinational Legislative Assembly and elected by direct popular vote; judges elected for 6-year terms; Plurinational Electoral Organ judges appointed - 6 by the Legislative Assembly and 1 by the president of the republic; members serve single 6-year terms

Subordinate courts: National Electoral Court; District Courts (in each of the 9 administrative departments); agro-environmental lower courts

Political Parties and Leaders

Christian Democratic Party or PDC [Jorge Fernando QUIROGA Ramirez]; Movement Toward Socialism or MAS [Juan Evo MORALES Ayma]; National Unity or UN [Samuel DORIA MEDINA Arana];

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 colors: red, yellow, green

National Anthem

Lyrics:

Note: adopted 1852

Year

Government Type

  • Presidential republic

Capital

  • Name
    La Paz (administrative capital); Sucre (constitutional [legislative and judicial] capital)
  • Geographic Coordinates
    16 30 S, 68 09 W
  • Time Difference
    UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
  • Note
    at approximately 3,630 m above sea level, La Paz's elevation makes it the highest capital city in the world

Diplomatic Representation in the US

  • Chief Of Mission
    Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Rafael Pablo CANEDO Daroca (since July 2017)
  • 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
    in September 2008, the US expelled the Bolivian ambassador to the US in reciprocity for Bolivia expelling the US ambassador to Bolivia

Diplomatic Representation from the US

  • Chief Of Mission
    Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Bruce WILLIAMSON (since December 2017)
  • Embassy
    Avenida Arce 2780, Casilla 425, La Paz
  • Mailing Address
    3220 La Paz Place, Dulles, VA, 20189-3220
  • Telephone
    [591] (2) 216-8000
  • FAX
    [591] (2) 216-8111
  • Note
    in September 2008, the Bolivian Government expelled the US Ambassador to Bolivia, Philip GOLDBERG, and both countries have yet to reinstate their 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
  • UN Security Council (temporary)
  • UNAMID
  • UNASUR
  • UNCTAD
  • UNESCO
  • UNIDO
  • Union Latina
  • UNMIL
  • UNMISS
  • UNOCI
  • UNWTO
  • UPU
  • WCO
  • WFTU (NGOs)
  • WHO
  • WIPO
  • WMO
  • WTO