Bolivia

Table of Contents

Introduction & Quick Facts
Land
- Relief
- Drainage
- Soils
- Climate
- Plant life
- Animal life
- Settlement patterns
  - The Altiplano
  - The Valles and the Oriente
People
- Ethnic groups
- Languages and religion
- Demography
Economy
- Resources
  - Minerals
  - Hydrocarbons
  - Electric power
- Agriculture
- Industry
- Services
  - Banking and finance
  - Tourism
  - Trade
- Transportation
Administration and social conditions
- Government
- Education, health, and welfare
Cultural life
- Traditional culture
- Daily life
- The arts
- Sports and recreation
- Press and telecommunications
History
- Early period
- Bolivia from 1825 to c. 1930
  - Foundation and early national period
  - Loss of the coastal region
  - Formation of Liberal and Conservative parties
  - Increase in tin mining
  - Liberal rule, 1899–1920
  - The Republican Party
- Bolivia from 1930 to c. 1980
  - The Chaco War and military rule
  - The rise of new political groups and the Bolivian National Revolution
  - Post-1952 regimes
  - Return to military rule
- Bolivia from c. 1980 to 2000
  - Transition to civilian rule
  - Restoration of civilian government
- Bolivia in the 21st century

References & Edit History Facts & Stats

Images, Videos & Interactives

Bolivian activists

Uyuni Salt Flat

llamas, Bolivia

Observe the agricultural and bartering practices of the Aymara Indians near Lake Titicaca in the Altiplano

Bolivia: Ethnic composition

Bolivia: Religious affiliation

For Students

Bolivia summary

Discover

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Bolivia: Facts & Stats

Written and fact-checked by The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Facts

Also Known As	Republic of Bolivia • Estado Plurinacional de Bolivia • Plurinational State of Bolivia • República de Bolivia
Head Of State And Government	President: Luis Arce
Capitals	La Paz (administrative); Sucre (constitutional)²
Population	(2024 est.) 12,341,000
Form Of Government	unitary multiparty republic with two legislative houses (Chamber of Senators [36]; Chamber of Deputies [130])
Official Languages	Spanish and 36 indigenous languages
Official Religion	none
Official Name	Estado Plurinacional de Bolivia (Plurinational State of Bolivia)
Total Area (Sq Km)	1,098,581
Total Area (Sq Mi)	424,163
Monetary Unit	boliviano (Bs)
Population Rank	(2023) 81
Population Projection 2030	13,321,000
Density: Persons Per Sq Mi	(2023) 28.7
Density: Persons Per Sq Km	(2023) 11.1
Urban-Rural Population	Urban: (2020) 70.1% • Rural: (2020) 29.9%
Life Expectancy At Birth	Male: (2022) 71.4 years • Female: (2022) 77.4 years
Literacy: Percentage Of Population Age 15 And Over Literate	Male: (2020) 97% • Female: (2020) 91%
Gni (U.S.$ ’000,000)	(2022) 42,222
Gni Per Capita (U.S.$)	(2022) 3,450
¹Executive and legislative branches meet in La Paz, judiciary in Sucre.²Per 2009 constitution.

Did You Know?

Bolivia has one of the highest degrees of income inequality in the world.
Some Bolivians emigrate to Argentina or Chile, searching for work and higher wages.
Lake Titicaca, one famous natural feature of Bolivia, is the highest lake in the world that is deep enough for sailing a boat.

Photos and Videos

Bolivian activists

Uyuni Salt Flat

llamas, Bolivia

plastics factory, Bolivia

Carnival celebration, Oruro, Bolivia

Observe the agricultural and bartering practices of the Aymara Indians near Lake Titicaca in the Altiplano

Hear about Chuno, a traditional Andean freeze-dried potato dish, also the effect of climate change on the drying process of the food

How do countries choose their capital cities?

National anthem of Bolivia

See All Videos, Images, Audio and Interactives →

Topics

Luis Arce Simón Bolívar Evo Morales Antonio José de Sucre Víctor Paz Estenssoro Hugo Bánzer Suárez William Martin Conway, Baron Conway Adolph Bandelier history of Latin America South America United States India United Kingdom China Canada Russia Germany Australia Japan France

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national constitutional capital, Bolivia

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Quiz

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