country comparison to the world: 187
$320 million (2006)
Imports - commodities:
fuel and lubricants, passenger cars, machinery and parts, fabrics,
rice (2008)
Imports - partners:
India 63%, Japan 12.3%, China 5.1% (2008)
Debt - external:
$836 million (2009)
country comparison to the world: 152
$713.3 million (2006)
Exchange rates:
ngultrum (BTN) per US dollar - 46.6 (2009), 41.487 (2007), 45.279
(2006), 44.101 (2005), 45.317 (2004)
note: the ngultrum is pegged to the Indian rupee
Communications ::Bhutan
Telephones - main lines in use:
26,300 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 182
Telephones - mobile cellular:
327,100 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 169
Telephone system:
general assessment: urban towns and district headquarters have
telecommunications services
domestic: low teledensity; domestic service is poor especially in
rural areas; mobile-cellular service available since 2003
international: country code - 975; international telephone and
telegraph service via landline and microwave relay through India;
satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (2009)
Broadcast media:
state-owned TV station established in 1999; cable TV service offers
dozens of Indian and other international channels; first radio
station, privately launched in 1973, is now state-owned; 1 private
radio station began operations in 2006 (2007)
Internet country code:
.bt
Internet hosts:
9,147 (2010)
country comparison to the world: 125
Internet users:
50,000 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 173
Transportation ::Bhutan
Airports:
2 (2010)
country comparison to the world: 196
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2010)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2010)
Roadways:
total: 8,050 km
country comparison to the world: 141
paved: 4,991 km
unpaved: 3,059 km (2003)
Military ::Bhutan
Military branches:
Royal Bhutan Army (includes Royal Bodyguard and Royal Bhutan Police)
(2009)
Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription
(2010)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 198,553
females age 16-49: 176,226 (2010 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 153,985
females age 16-49: 140,437 (2010 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 7,432
female: 7,153 (2010 est.)
Military expenditures:
1% of GDP (2005 est.)
country comparison to the world: 135
Transnational Issues ::Bhutan
Disputes - international:
Bhutan cooperates with India to expel Indian Nagaland separatists;
lacking any treaty describing the boundary, Bhutan and China
continue negotiations to establish a common boundary alignment to
resolve territorial disputes arising from substantial cartographic
discrepancies, the largest of which lie in Bhutan's northwest and
along the Chumbi salient
page last updated on January 13, 2011
======================================================================
@Bolivia (South America)
Introduction ::Bolivia
Background:
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 countercoups.
Democratic civilian rule was established in 1982, but leaders have
faced difficult problems of deep-seated poverty, social unrest, and
illegal drug production. In December 2005, Bolivians elected
Movement Toward Socialism leader Evo MORALES president - by the
widest margin of any leader since the restoration of civilian rule
in 1982 - after he ran on a promise to change the country's
traditional political class and empower the nation's poor,
indigenous majority. However, since taking office, his controversial
strategies have exacerbated racial and economic tensions between the
Amerindian populations of the Andean west and the non-indigenous
communities of the eastern lowlands. In December 2009, President
MORALES easily won reelection, and his party took control of the
legislative branch of the government, which will allow him to
continue his process of change.
Geography ::Bolivia
Location:
Central South America, southwest of Brazil
Geographic coordinates:
17 00 S, 65 00 W
Map references:
South America
Area:
total: 1,098,581 sq km
country comparison to the world: 28
land: 1,083,301 sq km
water: 15,280 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly less than three times the size of Montana
Land boundaries:
total: 6,940 km
border countries: Argentina 832 km, Brazil 3,423 km, Chile 860 km,
Paraguay 750 km, Peru 1,075 km
Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)
Climate:
varies with altitude; humid and tropical to cold and semiarid
Terrain:
rugged Andes Mountains with a highland plateau (Altiplano), hills,
lowland plains of the Amazon Basin
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Rio Paraguay 90 m
highest point: Nevado Sajama 6,542 m
Natural resources:
tin, natural gas, petroleum, zinc, tungsten, antimony, silver, iron,
lead, gold, timber, hydropower
Land use:
arable land: 2.78%
permanent crops: 0.19%
other: 97.03% (2005)
Irrigated land:
1,320 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
622.5 cu km (2000)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 1.44 cu km/yr (13%/7%/81%)
per capita: 157 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
flooding in the northeast (March-April)
volcanism: Bolivia experiences volcanic activity in Andes Mountains
on the border with Chile; historically active volcanoes in this
region are Irruputuncu (elev. 5,163 m, 16,939 ft), which last
erupted in 1995 and Olca-Paruma
Environment - current issues:
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
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law
of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution,
Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Marine Life
Conservation
Geography - note:
landlocked; shares control of Lago Titicaca, world's highest
navigable lake (elevation 3,805 m), with Peru
People ::Bolivia
Population:
9,947,418 (July 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 84
Age structure:
0-14 years: 35.5% (male 1,767,310/female 1,701,744)
15-64 years: 60% (male 2,877,605/female 2,992,043)
65 years and over: 4.5% (male 193,196/female 243,348) (2010 est.)
Median age:
total: 22.2 years
male: 21.5 years
female: 22.9 years (2010 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.72% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 71
Birth rate:
25.16 births/1,000 population (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 63
Death rate:
6.95 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 133
Net migration rate:
-1.01 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 156
Urbanization:
urban population: 66% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 2.5% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
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: 0.79 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2010 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 43.41 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 63
male: 47.26 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 39.37 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 67.23 years
country comparison to the world: 155
male: 64.52 years
female: 70.07 years (2010 est.)
Total fertility rate:
3.07 children born/woman (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 63
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.2% (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 107
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
8,100 (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 112
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
fewer than 500 (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 84
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and
typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases: dengue fever, malaria, and yellow fever
water contact disease: leptospirosis (2009)
Nationality:
noun: Bolivian(s)
adjective: Bolivian
Ethnic groups:
Quechua 30%, mestizo (mixed white and Amerindian ancestry) 30%,
Aymara 25%, white 15%
Religions:
Roman Catholic 95%, Protestant (Evangelical Methodist) 5%
Languages:
Spanish 60.7% (official), Quechua 21.2% (official), Aymara 14.6%
(official), foreign languages 2.4%, other 1.2% (2001 census)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 86.7%
male: 93.1%
female: 80.7% (2001 census)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 14 years
male: 14 years
female: 14 years (2007)
Education expenditures:
6.3% of GDP (2006)
country comparison to the world: 31
Government ::Bolivia
Country name:
conventional long form: Plurinational State of Bolivia
conventional short form: Bolivia
local long form: Estado Plurinacional de Bolivia
local short form: Bolivia
Government type:
republic; note - the new constitution defines Bolivia as a "Social
Unitarian State"
Capital:
name: La Paz (administrative capital)
geographic coordinates: 16 30 S, 68 09 W
time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)
note: Sucre (constitutional capital)
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:
7 February 2009
Legal system:
based on Spanish law and Napoleonic Code; has not accepted
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; the 2009 Constitution incorporates
indigenous community justice into Bolivia's judicial system
Suffrage:
18 years of age, universal and compulsory (married); 21 years of
age, universal and compulsory (single)
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
(For more information visit the World Leaders website )
elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket
by popular vote for a five-year term and are eligible for a single
re-election; election last held on 6 December 2009 (next to be held
in 2014)
election results: Juan Evo MORALES Ayma reelected president; percent
of vote - Juan Evo MORALES Ayma 64%; Manfred REYES VILLA 26%; Samuel
DORIA MEDINA Arana 6%; Rene JOAQUINO 2%; other 2%
Legislative branch:
bicameral Plurinational Legislative Assembly or Asamblea Legislativa
Plurinacional consists of Chamber of Senators or Camara de Senadores
(36 seats; members are elected by proportional representation from
party lists to serve five-year terms) and Chamber of Deputies or
Camara de Diputados (130 seats total; 70 uninominal deputies
directly elected from a single district, 7 "special" indigenous
deputies directly elected from non-contiguous indigenous districts,
and 53 plurinominal deputies elected by proportional representation
from party lists; all deputies serve five-year terms)
elections: Chamber of Senators and Chamber of Deputies - last held
on 6 December 2009 (next to be held in 2014)
election results: Chamber of Senators - percent of vote by party -
NA; seats by party - MAS 26, PPB-CN 10; Chamber of Deputies -
percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - MAS 89, PPB-CN 36,
UN 3, AS 2
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (judges elected by popular vote from
list of candidates pre-selected by Assembly for six-year terms);
District Courts (one in each department); Plurinational
Constitutional Court (five primary or titulares and five alternate
or suplente magistrates elected by popular vote from list of
candidates pre-selected by Assembly for six-year terms; to rule on
constitutional issues); Plurinational Electoral Organ (seven members
elected by the Assembly and the president; one member must be of
indigenous origin to six-year terms); Agro-Environmental Court
(judges elected by popular vote from list of candidates pre-selected
by Assembly for six-year terms; to run on agro-environmental
issues); provincial and local courts (to try minor cases)
Political parties and leaders:
Bolivia-National Convergence or PPB-CN [Manfred REYES VILLA];
Fearless Movement or MSM [Juan DE GRANADO Cosio]; Movement Toward
Socialism or MAS [Juan Evo MORALES Ayma]; National Unity or UN
[Samuel DORIA MEDINA Arana]; People or Gente [Roman LOAYZA]; Social
Alliance or AS [Rene JOAQUINO]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Bolivian Workers Central or COR; Federation of Neighborhood Councils
of El Alto or FEJUVE; Landless Movement or MST; National Coordinator
for Change or CONALCAM; Sole Confederation of Campesino Workers of
Bolivia or CSUTCB
other: Cocalero groups; indigenous organizations (including
Confederation of Indigenous Peoples of Eastern Bolivia or CIDOB and
National Council of Ayullus and Markas of Quollasuyu or CONAMAQ);
labor unions (including the Central Bolivian Workers' Union or COB
and Cooperative Miners Federation or FENCOMIN)
International organization participation:
CAN, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, 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, RG, UN, UNASUR,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOCI,
UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Erika
Angela DUENAS Loayza
chancery: 3014 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 483-4410
FAX: [1] (202) 328-3712
consulate(s) general: Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco
note: as of September 2008, the US has expelled the Bolivian
ambassador to the US
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires John CREAMER
embassy: Avenida Arce 2780, Casilla 425, La Paz
mailing address: P. O. Box 425, La Paz; APO AA 34032
telephone: [591] (2) 216-8000
FAX: [591] (2) 216-8111
note: in September 2008, the Bolivian Government expelled the US
Ambassador to Bolivia, and the countries have yet to reinstate
ambassadors
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 anthem:
name: "Cancion Patriotica" (Patriotic Song)
lyrics/music: Jose Ignacio de SANJINES/Leopoldo Benedetto VINCENTI
note: adopted 1852
Economy ::Bolivia
Economy - overview:
Bolivia is one of the poorest and least developed countries in Latin
America. Following a disastrous economic crisis during the early
1980s, reforms spurred private investment, stimulated economic
growth, and cut poverty rates in the 1990s. The period 2003-05 was
characterized by political instability, racial tensions, and violent
protests against plans - subsequently abandoned - to export
Bolivia's newly discovered natural gas reserves to large northern
hemisphere markets. In 2005, the government passed a controversial
hydrocarbons law that imposed significantly higher royalties and
required foreign firms then operating under risk-sharing contracts
to surrender all production to the state energy company in exchange
for a predetermined service fee. After higher prices for mining and
hydrocarbons exports produced a fiscal surplus in 2008, the global
recession in 2009 slowed growth. A decline in commodity prices that
began in late 2008, a lack of foreign investment in the mining and
hydrocarbon sectors, a poor infrastructure, and the suspension of
trade benefits with the United States will pose challenges for the
Bolivian economy.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$47.98 billion (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 91
$46.22 billion (2009 est.)
$44.7 billion (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$19.18 billion (2010 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
3.8% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 87
3.4% (2009 est.)
6.1% (2008 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$4,800 (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 150
$4,700 (2009 est.)
$4,700 (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 11%
industry: 38%
services: 51% (2010 est.)
Labor force:
4.614 million (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 78
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 40%
industry: 17%
services: 43% (2006 est.)
Unemployment rate:
8.3% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 94
7.7% (2009 est.)
note: data are for urban areas; widespread underemployment
Population below poverty line:
30.3% of population living on less than $2/day (2009 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 0.5%
highest 10%: 44.1% (2005)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
58.2 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 9
44.7 (1999)
Investment (gross fixed):
17.5% of GDP (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 113
Public debt:
40.3% of GDP (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 71
40.3% of GDP (2009 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2.1% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 56
3.3% (2009 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
3% (31 October 2010)
country comparison to the world: 26
13% (31 December 2008)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
10% (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 70
12.36% (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of narrow money:
$4.374 billion (31 December 2010 est)
country comparison to the world: 97
$3.524 billion (31 December 2009 est)
Stock of broad money:
$12.16 billion (31 December 2009)
country comparison to the world: 95
$11.04 billion (31 December 2008)
Stock of domestic credit:
$8.314 billion (31 December 2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 99
$7.233 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$2.792 billion (31 December 2009)
country comparison to the world: 90
$2.672 billion (31 December 2008)
$2.263 billion (31 December 2007)
Agriculture - products:
soybeans, coffee, coca, cotton, corn, sugarcane, rice, potatoes;
timber
Industries:
mining, smelting, petroleum, food and beverages, tobacco,
handicrafts, clothing
Industrial production growth rate:
4% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 80
Electricity - production:
5.495 billion kWh (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 111
Electricity - consumption:
4.665 billion kWh (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 112
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
47,050 bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 66
Oil - consumption:
59,000 bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 92
Oil - exports:
10,950 bbl/day (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 95
Oil - imports:
6,172 bbl/day (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 151
Oil - proved reserves:
465 million bbl (1 January 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 48
Natural gas - production:
14.2 billion cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 35
Natural gas - consumption:
2.41 billion cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 78
Natural gas - exports:
11.79 billion cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 18
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 79
Natural gas - proved reserves:
750.4 billion cu m (1 January 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 30
Current account balance:
$878 million (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 46
$800.7 million (2009 est.)
Exports:
$6.058 billion (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 103
$4.848 billion (2009 est.)
Exports - commodities:
natural gas, soybeans and soy products, crude petroleum, zinc ore,
tin
Exports - partners:
Brazil 41.38%, US 13.87%, Japan 5.62%, Colombia 5.32%, South Korea
4.7%, Peru 4.16% (2009)
Imports:
$5.006 billion (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 114
$4.095 billion (2009 est.)
Imports - commodities:
petroleum products, plastics, paper, aircraft and aircraft parts,
prepared foods, automobiles, insecticides, soybeans
Imports - partners:
Brazil 27.12%, Argentina 15.69%, US 12.77%, Chile 9.11%, Peru 6.85%
(2009)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$8.739 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 57
$8.581 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Debt - external:
$6.13 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 99
$5.653 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$NA (31 December 2009)
$5.998 billion (31 December 2008)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$NA (31 December 2010)
$63.8 million (31 December 2008)
Exchange rates:
bolivianos (BOB) per US dollar - 7.0699 (2010), 7.07 (2009), 7.253
(2008), 7.8616 (2007), 8.0159 (2006)
Communications ::Bolivia
Telephones - main lines in use:
810,200 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 87
Telephones - mobile cellular:
7.148 million (2009)
country comparison to the world: 81
Telephone system:
general assessment: privatization begun in 1995; primary trunk
system, which is being expanded, employs digital microwave radio
relay; some areas are served by fiber-optic cable; overall
reliability has steadily improved
domestic: most telephones are concentrated in La Paz and other
cities; mobile-cellular telephone use expanding rapidly and, in
2009, teledensity reached 75 per 100 persons; fixed-line teledensity
is low at less than 10 per 100 persons
international: country code - 591; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2009)
Broadcast media:
large number of radio and television broadcasting stations with
private media outlets dominating; state-owned and private radio and
television stations generally operating freely, although both
pro-government and anti-government groups have attacked media
outlets in response to their reporting (2007)
Internet country code:
.bo
Internet hosts:
125,462 (2010)
country comparison to the world: 74
Internet users:
1.103 million (2009)
country comparison to the world: 95
Transportation ::Bolivia
Airports:
881 (2010)
country comparison to the world: 8
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 16
over 3,047 m: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 4
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 5 (2010)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 865
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 4
1,524 to 2,437 m: 58
914 to 1,523 m: 187
under 914 m: 615 (2010)
Pipelines:
gas 5,192 km; liquid petroleum gas 51 km; oil 2,488 km; refined
products 1,590 km (2009)
Railways: