NAVIGATION
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NAVIGATION
Republic of Bolivia
Republica de Bolivia
INTRODUCTION
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Background:
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Bolivia, named after independence fighter Simon BOLIVAR, broke away from Spanish rule in 1825; much of its subsequent history has consisted of a series of nearly 200 coups and counter-coups. Comparatively democratic civilian rule was established in the 1980s, but leaders have faced difficult problems of deep-seated poverty, social unrest, and drug production. Current goals include attracting foreign investment, strengthening the educational system, continuing the privatization program, and waging an anticorruption campaign. |
GEOGRAPHY
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Location:
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Central South America, southwest of Brazil |
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Geographic coordinates:
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17 00 S, 65 00 W |
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Map references:
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South America |
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Area:
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total: 1,098,580 sq km
water: 14,190 sq km land: 1,084,390 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly less than three times the size of Montana |
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Land boundaries:
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total: 6,743 km
border countries: Argentina 832 km, Brazil 3,400 km, Chile 861 km, Paraguay 750 km, Peru 900 km |
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Coastline:
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0 km (landlocked) |
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Maritime claims:
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none (landlocked) |
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Climate:
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varies with altitude; humid and tropical to cold and semiarid |
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Terrain:
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rugged Andes Mountains with a highland plateau (Altiplano), hills, lowland plains of the Amazon Basin |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Rio Paraguay 90 m
highest point: Nevado Sajama 6,542 m |
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Natural resources:
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tin, natural gas, petroleum, zinc, tungsten, antimony, silver, iron, lead, gold, timber, hydropower |
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Land use:
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arable land: 1.73%
permanent crops: 0.21% other: 98.06% (1998 est.) |
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Irrigated land:
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1,280 sq km (1998 est.) |
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Natural hazards:
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flooding in the northeast (March-April) |
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Environment - current issues:
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the clearing of land for agricultural purposes and the international demand for tropical timber are contributing to deforestation; 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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Environment - international agreements:
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party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection |
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Geography - note:
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landlocked; shares control of Lago Titicaca, world's highest navigable lake (elevation 3,805 m), with Peru |
PEOPLE
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Population:
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8,445,134 (July 2002 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 37.8% (male 1,626,596; female 1,565,124)
15-64 years: 57.7% (male 2,383,852; female 2,491,823) 65 years and over: 4.5% (male 169,583; female 208,156) (2002 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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1.69% (2002 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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26.41 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
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Death rate:
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8.05 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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-1.42 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.82 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2002 est.) |
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Infant mortality rate:
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57.52 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population: 64.42 years
female: 67.1 years (2002 est.) male: 61.86 years |
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Total fertility rate:
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3.37 children born/woman (2002 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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0.1% (1999 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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4,200 (1999 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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380 (1999 est.) |
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Nationality:
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noun: Bolivian(s)
adjective: Bolivian |
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Ethnic groups:
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Quechua 30%, mestizo (mixed white and Amerindian ancestry) 30%, Aymara 25%, white 15% |
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Religions:
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Roman Catholic 95%, Protestant (Evangelical Methodist) |
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Languages:
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Spanish (official), Quechua (official), Aymara (official) |
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 83.1% male: 90.5% female: 76% (1995 est.) |