Bolivia

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Bolivia, named after independence fighter Simón BOLÍVAR, broke away from Spanish rule in 1825. Much of its subsequent history has consisted of a series of coups and countercoups, with the last coup occurring in 1980. Democratic civilian rule was established in 1982, but leaders have faced problems of deep-seated poverty, social unrest, and illegal drug production. <br><br>In 2005, Bolivians elected Movement Toward Socialism leader Evo MORALES as president -- by the widest margin of any leader since 1982 -- after he ran on a promise to change the country's traditional political class and empower the poor and indigenous majority. In 2009 and 2014, MORALES easily won reelection, and his party maintained control of the legislative branch. In 2016, MORALES narrowly lost a referendum to approve a constitutional amendment that would have allowed him to compete in the 2019 presidential election. A subsequent Supreme Court ruling stating that term limits violate human rights provided the justification for MORALES to run despite the referendum, but rising violence, pressure from the military, and widespread allegations of electoral fraud ultimately forced him to flee the country. An interim government, led by President Jeanine AÑEZ Chávez, held new elections in 2020, and Luis Alberto ARCE Catacora was elected president.

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Central South America, southwest of Brazil

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17 00 S, 65 00 W

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South America

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slightly less than three times the size of Montana

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0 km (landlocked)

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none (landlocked)

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varies with altitude; humid and tropical to cold and semiarid

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rugged Andes Mountains with a highland plateau (Altiplano), hills, lowland plains of the Amazon Basin

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lithium, tin, natural gas, petroleum, zinc, tungsten, antimony, silver, iron, lead, gold, timber, hydropower

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2,972 sq km (2017)

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Amazon Basin

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a high-altitude plain in the west between two cordillera of the Andes, known as the Altiplano, is the focal area for most of the population; a dense settlement pattern is also found in and around the city of Santa Cruz, located on the eastern side of the Andes

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flooding in the northeast (March to April) <br><br><strong>volcanism:</strong> volcanic activity in Andes Mountains on the border with Chile; historically active volcanoes in this region are Irruputuncu (5,163 m), which last erupted in 1995, and the Olca-Paruma volcanic complex (5,762 m to 5,167 m)

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landlocked; shares control of Lago Titicaca, world's highest navigable lake (elevation 3,805 m), with Peru

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Mestizo (mixed White and Indigenous ancestry) 68%, Indigenous 20%, White 5%, Cholo/Chola 2%, African descent 1%, other 1%, unspecified 3%; 44% other Indigenous group, predominantly Quechua or Aymara (2009 est.)

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<strong>note:</strong> results among surveys vary based on the wording of the ethnicity question and the available response choices; the 2001 national census did not provide "Mestizo" as a response choice, resulting in a much higher proportion of respondents identifying themselves as belonging to one of the available indigenous ethnicity choices; the use of "Mestizo" and "Cholo" varies among response choices in surveys, with surveys using the terms interchangeably, providing one or the other as a response choice, or providing the two as separate response choices

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Roman Catholic 65%, Protestant 19.6% (Evangelical (non-specific) 11.9%, Evangelical Baptist 2.1%, Evangelical Pentecostal 1.8%, Evangelical Methodist 0.7%, Adventist 2.8%, Protestant (non-specific) 0.3%), Believer (not belonging to the church) 0.9%, other 4.8%, atheist 1.7%, agnostic 0.6%, none 6.1%, unspecified 1.3% (2023 est.)

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1.01% (2025 est.)

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17.02 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

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5.99 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

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-0.95 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

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a high-altitude plain in the west between two cordillera of the Andes, known as the Altiplano, is the focal area for most of the population; a dense settlement pattern is also found in and around the city of Santa Cruz, located on the eastern side of the Andes

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1.936 million LA PAZ (capital), 1.820 million Santa Cruz, 1.400 million Cochabamba (2022); 278,000 Sucre (constitutional capital) (2018)

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21.1 years (2008 est.)

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<strong>note:</strong> data represents median age at first birth among women 25-49

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146 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

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2.13 children born/woman (2025 est.)

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1.04 (2025 est.)

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1.28 physicians/1,000 population (2021)

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1.4 beds/1,000 population (2021 est.)

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20.2% (2016)

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3.4% (2016 est.)

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50.2% (2022 est.)

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deforestation from agricultural clearing and international demand for timber; soil erosion from overgrazing and poor cultivation methods (including slash-and-burn agriculture); desertification; loss of biodiversity; industrial pollution of water supplies used for drinking and irrigation

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varies with altitude; humid and tropical to cold and semiarid

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24.6 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

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574 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

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presidential republic

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<strong>note:</strong> at approximately 3,630 m above sea level, La Paz's elevation makes it the highest capital city in the world

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9 departments (<em>departamentos</em>, singular - <em>departamento</em>); Beni, Chuquisaca, Cochabamba, La Paz, Oruro, Pando, Potosi, Santa Cruz, Tarija

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civil law system with influences from Roman, Spanish, canon (religious), French, and ethnic groups' pre-colonial law

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has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

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18 years of age; universal and compulsory

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<strong>note:</strong> the president is both chief of state and head of government

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Autonomy for Bolivia – Súmate or APB Súmate<br>Christian Democratic Party or PDC<br>Community Citizen Alliance or ACC<br>Freedom and Democracy or LIBRE<br>Front for Victory or FPV<br>Movement Toward Socialism or MAS<br>National Unity or UN<br>Popular Alliance or AP<br>Revolutionary Left Front or FRI<br>Revolutionary Nationalist Movement or MNR<br>Social Democrat Movement or MDS<br>Third System Movement or MTS<br>We Believe or Creemos

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<strong>note:</strong> We Believe or Creemos [Luis Fernando CAMACHO Vaca] is a coalition comprised of several opposition parties that participated in the 2020 election, which includes the Christian Democratic Party (PDC) and Solidarity Civic Unity (UCS)

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<strong>note:</strong> in September 2008, the Bolivian Government expelled the US Ambassador to Bolivia, Philip GOLDBERG, and both countries have yet to reinstate their ambassadors

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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, UNISFA, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNOOSA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

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6 August 1825 (from Spain)

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Independence Day, 6 August (1825)

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<strong>description:</strong> three equal horizontal bands of red (top), yellow, and green, with the coat of arms centered on the yellow band<br><br><strong>meaning:</strong> red stands for bravery and the blood of national heroes, yellow for the nation's mineral resources, and green for the land's fertility<br><br><strong>history: </strong>in 2009, a presidential decree made it mandatory for a <em>wiphala -</em>- a square, multi-colored flag representing the country's ethnic groups -- to be used alongside the national flag

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<strong>note:</strong> similar to the flag of Ghana, which has a large, five-pointed black star centered in the yellow band

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llama, Andean condor; two national flowers, the cantuta and the patuju

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red, yellow, green

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resource-rich economy benefits during commodity booms; has bestowed juridical rights to Mother Earth, impacting extraction industries; increasing Chinese lithium mining trade relations; hard hit by COVID-19; increased fiscal spending amid poverty increases; rampant banking and finance corruption

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<b>note:</b> data in 2021 dollars

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<b>note:</b> annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

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<b>note:</b> data in 2021 dollars

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$49.668 billion (2024 est.)

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<b>note:</b> data in current dollars at official exchange rate

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<b>note:</b> annual % change based on consumer prices

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<b>note:</b> figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

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<b>note:</b> figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

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sugarcane, soybeans, maize, potatoes, sorghum, rice, milk, chicken, plantains, beef (2023)

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<b>note:</b> top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

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mining, smelting, electricity, petroleum, food and beverages, handicrafts, clothing, jewelry

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1.1% (2023 est.)

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<b>note:</b> annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

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6.859 million (2024 est.)

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<b>note:</b> number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

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<b>note:</b> % of labor force seeking employment

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<b>note:</b> % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

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37.7% (2022 est.)

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<b>note:</b> % of population with income below national poverty line

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<b>note:</b> index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality

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<b>note:</b> % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

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<b>note:</b> personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

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<strong>note:</strong> data cover general government debt and includes debt instruments issued by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data include debt issued by subnational entities

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<b>note:</b> balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

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<b>note:</b> balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

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Brazil 15%, India 13%, China 11%, Argentina 11%, UAE 8% (2023)

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<b>note:</b> top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

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gold, natural gas, precious metal ore, zinc ore, soybean meal (2023)

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<b>note:</b> top five export commodities based on value in dollars

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<b>note:</b> balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

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China 22%, Brazil 18%, Chile 13%, USA 7%, Peru 5% (2023)

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<b>note:</b> top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

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refined petroleum, cars, pesticides, trucks, plastics (2023)

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<b>note:</b> top five import commodities based on value in dollars

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<b>note:</b> holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars

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<b>note:</b> present value of external debt in current US dollars

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large number of radio and TV stations broadcasting with private media outlets dominating; state-owned and private radio and TV stations generally operating freely, although both pro-government and anti-government groups have attacked media outlets in response to their reporting (2019)

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.bo

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CP

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201 (2025)

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3 (2025)

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Bolivian Armed Forces (Fuerzas Armadas de Bolivia or FAB): Bolivian Army (Ejercito de Boliviano), Bolivian Navy (Armada Boliviana), Bolivian Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Boliviana)<br><br>Ministry of Government: National Police (Policía Nacional de Bolivia, PNB) (2025)

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<strong>note:</strong> the PNB is part of the reserves for the Armed Forces; the police and military share responsibility for border enforcement

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approximately 30-35,000 active-duty Armed Forces (2025)

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the military is equipped with a mix of mostly older Brazilian, Chinese, European, and US armaments (2025)

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voluntary service for men and women 18-22 years of age; selective 12-month compulsory service for men, 18-22 (24 months of search and rescue service can be substituted for military service) (2025)

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<strong>note:</strong> as of 2024, women comprised about 11% of the Bolivian military's personnel

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the Bolivian Armed Forces (FAB) are responsible for territorial defense but also have some internal security duties, particularly counternarcotics and border security; the FAB shares responsibility for border enforcement with the National Police (PNB), and it may be called out to assist the PNB with maintaining public order in critical situations<br><br>land-locked Bolivia has a naval force for patrolling some 5,000 miles of navigable rivers to combat narcotics trafficking and smuggling, provide disaster relief, and deliver supplies to remote rural areas, as well as for maintaining a presence on Lake Titicaca; the Navy also exists in part to cultivate a maritime tradition and as a reminder of Bolivia’s defeat at the hands of Chile in the War of the Pacific (1879-1883), and its desire to regain access to the Pacific Ocean; every year on 23 March, the Navy participates in parades and government ceremonies commemorating the Día Del Mar (Day of the Sea) holiday that remembers the loss (2025)

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Bolivian Space Agency (la Agencia Boliviana Espacial, ABE; established 2010 as a national public company under Ministry of Public Works, Services and Housing) (2025)

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has a small space program focused on acquiring and operating satellites; operates a telecommunications satellite and ground stations; has cooperated with China and India and member states of the Latin American and Caribbean Space Agency (2025)

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2013 - first communications satellite (Túpac Katari, TKSAT-1) built and launched by China<br><br>2016 - began independently operating the TKSAT-1 satellite<br><br>2021 - signed protocols for establishment of the Latin American and Caribbean Space Agency

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Tren de Aragua (TdA)

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<strong>note:</strong> details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in the Terrorism reference guide