GeoFroggy

View Large Map

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

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

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 Luis Alberto ARCE Catacora (since 8 November 2020); Vice President David CHOQUEHUANCA Cespedes (since 8 November 2020); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government

Head of government: President Luis Alberto ARCE Catacora (since 8 November 2020); Vice President David CHOQUEHUANCA Cespedes (since 8 November 2020)

Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president

Elections appointments: president and vice president directly elected on the same ballot one of 3 ways

Election results: 2020

2018: 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%; note - MORALES resigned from office on 10 November 2019 over alleged election rigging; resignations of all his constitutionally designated successors followed, including the Vice President, President of the Senate, President of the Chamber of Deputies, and First Vice President of the Senate, leaving the Second Vice President of the Senate, Jeanine ANEZ Chavez, the highest-ranking official still in office; her appointment to the presidency was endorsed by Bolivia's Constitutional Court, and she served as interim president until the 8 November 2020 inauguration of Luis Alberto ARCE Catacora, who was winner of the 18 October 2020 presidential election

Legislative Branch

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

Elections: Chamber of Senators - last held on 18 October 2020 (next to be held in 2025)Chamber of Deputies - last held on 18 October 2020 (next to be held in 2025)

Election results: Chamber of Senators - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - MAS 21, ACC 11, Creemos 4; composition as of March 2022 - men 16, women 20, percent of women 55.6%Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - MAS 75, ACC 39, Creemos 16; composition as of March 2022 - men 70, women 60, percent of women 46.2%; note - total Plurinational Legislative Assembly percent of women as of March 2022 - 48.2%

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

Array

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

National Anthem

Lyrics music: Jose Ignacio de SANJINES/Leopoldo Benedetto VINCENTI

Note: adopted 1852

National Heritage