NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Bolivia

The Republic of Bolivia (Spanish: República de Bolivia, IPA [re'puβlika ðe bo'liβi̯a]), named after Simón Bolívar, is a landlocked country in central South America. It is bordered by Brazil on the north and east, Paraguay and Argentina on the south, and Chile and Peru on the west. Bolivia is a country in South America. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Bolivia_(state). ... Image File history File links Bolivia_coa. ... Civil flag and ensign, ratio: 15:22 State and war flag, ratio: 15:22 The current flag of Bolivia was originally adopted by Bolivia in 1851. ... The Coat of Arms of Bolivia has a central crest surrounded by Bolivian flags, muskets, olive branches, and has an Andean condor on top. ... For other uses, see Motto (disambiguation). ... A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that is evoking and eulogising the history, traditions and struggles of its people, recognised either by a countrys government as the official national song, or by convention through use by the people. ... Bolivianos, el hado propicio (Bolivians, A Favorable Destiny) is the national anthem of Bolivia. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Not to be confused with capitol. ... Sucre, the constitutional capital of Bolivia Sucre (population 247,300 in 2006) is the constitutional capital of Bolivia, seat of the Supreme Court (Corte Suprema de Justicia), and capital of the Chuquisaca department. ... Location of La Paz within Bolivia Coordinates: , Country Departament Province Pedro Domingo Murillo Province Founded October 20, 1548 Incorporated (El Alto) 20th century Government - Mayor Juan Del Granado Area - City 470 kmÂ² (181. ... Coordinates: , Country Department Province AndrÃ©s IbÃ¡Ã±ez Founded February 26, 1561 Government - Mayor Percy FernÃ¡ndez Area - City 325. ... An official language is a language that is given a unique legal status in the countries, states, and other territories. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Quechuan languages. ... Aymara is an Aymaran language spoken by the Aymara of the Andes. ... A demonym or gentilic is a word that denotes the members of a people or the inhabitants of a place. ... Look up republic in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The President of Bolivia is the head of state of Bolivia. ... Juan Evo Morales Ayma (born October 26, 1959 in Orinoca, Oruro), popularly known as Evo (IPA: ), is the President of Bolivia, and has been declared the countrys first indigenous head of state since the Spanish Conquest over 470 years ago. ... is the 218th day of the year (219th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1825 (MDCCCXXV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... This article is about the physical quantity. ... A square metre (US spelling: square meter) is by definition the area enclosed by a square with sides each 1 metre long. ... This is a list of the countries of the world sorted by area. ... A square mile is an English unit of area equal to that of a square with sides each 1 statute mile (â‰ˆ1,609 m) in length. ... Impact from a water drop causes an upward rebound jet surrounded by circular capillary waves. ... A percentage is a way of expressing a proportion, a ratio or a fraction as a whole number, by using 100 as the denominator. ... This is a list of countries ordered according to population. ... Population density per square kilometre by country, 2006 Population density map of the world in 1994. ... Population density by country, 2006 List of countries and dependencies by population density in inhabitants/kmÂ². The list includes sovereign states and self-governing dependent territories that are recognized by the United Nations. ... Gross domestic product (by purchasing power parity) in 2006 The purchasing power parity (PPP) theory was developed by Gustav Cassel in 1920. ... There are three lists of countries of the world sorted by their gross domestic product (GDP) (the value of all final goods and services produced within a nation in a given year). ... Per capita is a Latin phrase meaning for each head. ... Map of countries by GDP (PPP) per capita for the year 2006. ... Graphical representation of the Gini coefficient The Gini coefficient is a measure of inequality of income distribution or inequality of wealth distribution. ... World map indicating Human Development Index (2006). ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Coloured world map indicating Human Development Index (2006) (colour-blind compliant map) This is a list of countries by Human Development Index as included in the United Nations Development Programmes Human Development Report 2006, compiled on the basis of 2004 data. ... The boliviano (ISO 4217 code: BOB) is the currency of Bolivia. ... ISO 4217 is the international standard describing three letter codes (also known as the currency code) to define the names of currencies established by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). ... Timezone and TimeZone redirect here. ... â€œUTCâ€ redirects here. ... A country code top-level domain (ccTLD) is a top-level domain used and reserved for a country or a dependent territory. ... (Redirected from bo) Abo redirects here. ... This is a list of country calling codes defined by ITU-T recommendation E.164. ... Articles with similar titles include the NATO phonetic alphabet, which has also informally been called the â€œInternational Phonetic Alphabetâ€. For information on how to read IPA transcriptions of English words, see IPA chart for English. ... This article is about the South American independence leader. ... Landlocked countries of the world. ... South America South America is a continent crossed by the equator, with most of its area in the Southern Hemisphere. ...

History

Main article: History of Bolivia

This is the history of Bolivia. ...

Colonial period

The territory now known as Bolivia was called "Upper Peru" and was under the authority of the Viceroy of Lima. Local government came from the Audiencia de Charcas located in Chuquisaca (La Plata — modern Sucre). Bolivian silver mines produced much of the Spanish empire's wealth. A steady stream of enslaved natives served as labor force. As Spanish royal authority weakened during the Napoleonic wars, sentiment against colonial rule grew.. Nickname: Motto: Hoc signum vere regum est Lima Province and Lima within Peru Coordinates: , Country Peru Region Lima Region Province Lima Province Settled January 18, 1535 Government - Mayor Luis CastaÃ±eda Lossio Area - City 804. ... This article is about the chemical element. ... Combatants Austria[1] Portugal Prussia[1] Russia[2] Sicily Spain[3] Sweden United Kingdom[4] French Empire Holland Italy Naples [5] Duchy of Warsaw Bavaria[6] Saxony[7] Denmark-Norway [8] Commanders Archduke Charles Prince Schwarzenberg Karl Mack von Leiberich JoÃ£o Francisco de Saldanha Oliveira e Daun Gebhard von...

The Republic and economic instability (1809)

Independence was proclaimed in 1809, but sixteen years of struggle followed before the establishment of the republic, named for Simón Bolívar, on August 6, 1825 (see Bolivian War of Independence). This article is about the South American independence leader. ... is the 218th day of the year (219th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1825 (MDCCCXXV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... This page is a candidate for speedy deletion. ...

In 1836, Bolivia, under the rule of Marshal Andres de Santa Cruz, invaded Peru to reinstall the deposed president, General Luis Orbegoso. Peru and Bolivia formed the Peru-Bolivian Confederation, with de Santa Cruz as the Supreme Protector. Following tensions between the Confederation and Chile, war was declared by Chile on December 28, 1836. Argentina, Chile's ally, declared war on the Confederation on May 9, 1837. The Peruvian-Bolivian forces achieved several major victories: the defeat of the Argentinian expedition and the defeat of the first Chilean expedition on the fields of Paucarpata near the city of Arequipa. Marshal (also sometimes spelled marshall in American English, but not in British English) is a word used in several official titles of various branches of society. ... Categories: People stubs | 1792 births | 1865 deaths | Bolivian presidents ... This does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... For the cactus genus, see Oreocereus. ...

On the same field the Paucarpata Treaty was signed with the unconditional surrender of the Chilean and Peruvian rebel army. The treaty assured the Chilean withdrawal from Peru-Bolivia, the return of captured Confederate ships, normalized economic relations, and the payment of Peruvian debt to Chile by the Confederation. Public outrage over the treaty forced the government to reject it. The Chileans organized a second expeditionary force, and attacked the Peru-Bolivian confederation, defeating the Confederation on the fields of Yungay using the same arms and equipment Santa Cruz had allowed them to retain. After this defeat, Santa Cruz fled to Ecuador, and the Peruvian-Bolivian Confederation was dissolved. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

Following the independence of Peru, General Gamarra, the Peruvian president, invaded Bolivia, under the Peruvian flag. The Peruvian army was decisively defeated at the Battle of Ingaví on November 20, 1841, where General Gamarra himself was killed. The Bolivian army under General José Ballivián then mounted a counter-offensive managing to capture the Peruvian port of Arica. Later, both sides signed a peace in 1842 putting a final end to the war. This does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... }} AgustÃn Gamarra Messia (born August 27, 1785 in Cusco, Peru; died November 18, 1841 in Ingavi, Bolivia) was a Peruvian soldier and politician, becoming twice President of Peru from 1829 to 1833 and from 1838 to 1841. ... Jose Ballivian (1804-October 16, 1852) was a Bolivian general during the Peruvian-Bolivian War and the 9th president of Bolivia from September 27, 1841 to December 23, 1847. ... Morro de Arica Arica is a port city in northern Chile, located only 18 km (11 miles) south of the border with Peru. ...

Because of a period of political and economic instability in the early to middle nineteenth century, Bolivia's weakness was demonstrated during the War of the Pacific (1879–83), during which it lost its access to the sea, and the adjoining rich nitrate fields, together with the port of Antofagasta, to Chile. Since independence, Bolivia has lost over half of its territory to neighboring countries because of wars. Bolivia also lost the state of Acre (known for its production of rubber) when Brazil persuaded the state of Acre to secede from Bolivia in 1903 (see the Treaty of Petrópolis). Combatants Republic of Peru Republic of Bolivia Republic of Chile Commanders Juan BuendÃa AndrÃ©s CÃ¡ceres Miguel Grau Manuel Baquedano Patricio Lynch Juan Williams Strength Peru-Bolivian Army 7,000 soldiers in 1878 Peruvian Navy 2 ironclad, 1 corvette, 1 gunboat Army of Chile 4,000 soldiers in... Trinitrate redirects here. ... For the copper-mining company named after the region, see Antofagasta plc. ... Acre is a state of Brazil, located in the north_western part of the country. ... The Treaty of PetrÃ³polis, signed on November 11, 1903, ended tensions between Bolivia and Brazil over the then-Bolivian territory of Acre (today the Acre State). ...

An increase in the world price of silver brought Bolivia a measure of relative prosperity and political stability in the late 1800s. During the early part of the twentieth century, tin replaced silver as the country's most important source of wealth. A succession of governments controlled by the economic and social elite followed laissez-faire capitalist policies through the first thirty years of the twentieth century. This article is about the chemical element. ... This article is about the metallic chemical element. ... Laissez-faire is short for laissez faire, laissez passer, a French phrase meaning to let things alone, let them pass. First used by the eighteenth century Physiocrats as an injunction against government interference with trade, it is now used as a synonym for strict free market economics. ... For other uses, see Capitalism (disambiguation). ...

Living conditions of the native people, who constituted most of the population, remained deplorable. Forced to work under primitive conditions in the mines and in nearly feudal status on large estates, they were denied access to education, economic opportunity, or political participation. Bolivia's defeat by Paraguay in the Chaco War (1932–35) marked a turning-point.^[1]^[2]^[3] Combatants Republic of Bolivia Republic of Paraguay Commanders Hans Kundt Mcal. ...

Rise of the Nationalist Revolutionary Movement (1951)

The Nationalist Revolutionary Movement (NRM) emerged as a broadly based party. Denied their victory in the 1951 presidential elections, the MNR led the successful 1952 revolution. Under President Víctor Paz Estenssoro, the MNR , having strong popular pressure, introduced universal suffrage into his political platform, and carried out a sweeping land-reform promoting rural education and nationalization of the country's largest tin-mines. Politics of Bolivia Categories: Politics stubs | Bolivian political parties ... Ãngel VÃctor Paz Estenssoro (October 7, 1907 - June 7, 2001) was a politician from Bolivia. ... Elections Part of the Politics series Politics Portal This box: Universal suffrage (also general suffrage or common suffrage) consists of the extension of the right to vote to all adults, without distinction as to race, sex, belief, intelligence, or economic or social status. ...

Twelve years of tumultuous rule left the MNR divided. In 1964, a military junta overthrew President Paz Estenssoro at the outset of his third term. The 1969 death of President René Barrientos Ortuño, a former member of the junta elected President in 1966, led to a succession of weak governments. Alarmed by public disorder and the rising Popular Assembly, the military, the MNR, and others installed Colonel (later General) Hugo Banzer Suárez as President in 1971. Banzer ruled with MNR support from 1971 to 1974. Then, impatient with schisms in the coalition, he replaced civilians with members of the armed forces and suspended political activities. The economy grew impressively during most of Banzer's presidency, but human rights violations and eventual fiscal crises undercut his support. He was forced to call elections in 1978, and Bolivia again entered a period of political turmoil. A military dictatorship is a form of government wherein the political power resides with the military; it is similar but not identical to a stratocracy, a state ruled directly by the military. ... RenÃ© Barrientos OrtuÃ±o (b. ... Hugo Banzer SuÃ¡rez (May 10, 1926 â€“ May 5, 2002) was a Bolivian soldier, polititian and dictator. ... Human rights are rights which some hold to be inalienable and belonging to all humans. ...

Military governments: García Meza and Siles Zuazo (1978)

Elections in 1979 and 1981 were inconclusive and marked by fraud. There were coups d'état, counter-coups, and caretaker governments. In 1980, General Luis García Meza Tejada carried out a ruthless and violent coup d'état that did not have popular support. He pacified the people by promising to remain in power only for one year. (At the end of the year, he staged a televised rally to claim popular support and announced, "Bueno, me quedo," or, "All right; I'll stay [in office]."^[4] He was deposed shortly thereafter.) His government was notorious for human-rights-abuses, narcotics-trafficking, and economic mismanagement; during his presidency, the inflation that would later cripple the Bolivian economy could already be felt. Later convicted in absentia for various crimes, including murder, García Meza was extradited from Brazil and began serving a thirty-year sentence in 1995. // A coup dÃ‰tat (pronounced ), or simply coup, is the sudden overthrow of a government, often through illegal means by a part of the state establishment â€” mostly replacing just the high-level figures. ... Luis GarcÃa Meza Tejada (b. ... The term narcotic, derived from the Greek word for stupor, originally referred to a variety of substances that induced sleep (such state is narcosis). ... This article is about the institution. ...

After a military rebellion forced out García Meza in 1981, three other military governments in fourteen months struggled with Bolivia's growing problems. Unrest forced the military to convoke the Congress elected in 1980 and allow it to choose a new chief executive. In October 1982, twenty-two years after the end of his first term of office (1956-60), Hernán Siles Zuazo again became President. The National Congress ( Spanish: Congreso Nacional) is the national legislature of Bolivia, based in the capital of La Paz. ... HernÃ¡n Siles Zuazo (1914-1996) was a politician from Bolivia. ...

Sánchez de Lozada and Banzer: Liberalizing the economy (1993-2001)

Sánchez de Lozada pursued an aggressive economic and social reform agenda. The most dramatic change undertaken by the Sánchez de Lozada government was the "capitalization" program, under which investors, typically foreign, acquired 50% ownership and management control of public enterprises, such as the state oil corporation, telecommunications system, airlines, railroads, and electric utilities in return for agreed upon capital investments. The reforms and economic restructuring were strongly opposed by certain segments of society, which instigated frequent and sometimes violent protests, particularly in La Paz and the Chapare coca-growing region, from 1994 through 1996. The Sánchez de Lozada government pursued a policy of offering monetary compensation for voluntary eradication of illegal coca by its growers in the Chapare region. The policy produced little net reduction in coca, and in the mid-1990s Bolivia accounted for about one-third of the world's coca that was being processed into cocaine. Gonzalo SÃ¡nchez de Lozada Bustamante (born July 1, 1930), familiarly known as Goni, is a former two-term president of Bolivia. ... Pumpjack pumping an oil well near Lubbock, Texas Ignacy Åukasiewicz - inventor of the refining of kerosene from crude oil. ... Telecommunication involves the transmission of signals over a distance for the purpose of communication. ... An Airbus A380 of Emirates Airline An airline provides air transport services for passengers or freight. ... This is the top-level page of WikiProject trains Rail tracks Rail transport refers to the land transport of passengers and goods along railways or railroads. ... Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. ...

During this time, the umbrella labor-organization of Bolivia, the Central Obrera Boliviana (COB), became increasingly unable to effectively challenge government policy. A teachers' strike in 1995 was defeated because the COB could not marshall the support of many of its members, including construction- and factory-workers. The state also used selective martial law to keep the disruptions caused by the teachers to a minimum. The teachers were led by Trotskyites, and were considered to be the most militant union in the COB. Their downfall was a major blow to the COB, which also became mired in internal corruption and infighting in 1996.

In the 1997 elections, General Hugo Banzer, leader of the ADN party and former dictator (1971-1978), won 22% of the vote, while the MNR candidate won 18%. General Banzer formed a coalition of the ADN, MIR, UCS, and CONDEPA parties, which held a majority of seats in the Bolivian Congress. The Congress elected him as president, and he was inaugurated on August 6, 1997. During the election-campaign, General Banzer had promised to suspend the privatization of the state-owned oil-company, YPFB. Considering the weak position that Bolivia was in vis-à-vis international corporations, however, this seemed unlikely. Hugo Banzer SuÃ¡rez (May 10, 1926 â€“ May 5, 2002) was a conservative politician, military general, and President of Bolivia. ... ADN logo Nationalist Democratic Action (in Spanish: Acción Democrática Nacionalista) is a right-wing party in Bolivia led by Jorge Quiroga. ... is the 218th day of the year (219th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the band, see 1997 (band). ...

The Banzer government basically continued the free-market and privatization-policies of its predecessor, and the relatively robust economic growth of the mid-1990s continued until about the third year of its term in office. After that, regional, global and domestic factors contributed to a decline in economic growth. Financial crises in Argentina and Brazil, lower world prices for export-commodities, and reduced employment in the coca-sector depressed the Bolivian economy. The public also perceived a significant amount of public-sector corruption. These factors contributed to increasing social protests during the second half of Banzer's term.

At the outset of his government, President Banzer launched a policy of using special police-units to physically eradicate the illegal coca of the Chapare region. The policy produced a sudden and dramatic four-year decline in Bolivia's illegal coca-crop, to the point that Bolivia became a relatively small supplier of coca for cocaine. Those left unemployed by coca-eradication streamed into the cities, especially El Alto, the slum-neighborhood of La Paz. The MIR of Jaime Paz Zamora remained a coalition-partner throughout the Banzer government, supporting this policy (called the Dignity Plan).

On August 6, 2001, Banzer resigned from office after being diagnosed with cancer. He died less than a year later. Banzer's U.S.-educated Vice President, Jorge Fernando Quiroga Ramírez, completed the final year of his term. is the 218th day of the year (219th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 Gregorian calendar). ... Cancer is a class of diseases or disorders characterized by uncontrolled division of cells and the ability of these to spread, either by direct growth into adjacent tissue through invasion, or by implantation into distant sites by metastasis (where cancer cells are transported through the bloodstream or lymphatic system). ... Jorge Fernando Tuto Quiroga RamÃrez (born May 5, 1960) was President of Bolivia from August 7, 2001 to August 6, 2002. ...

2002 elections

Quiroga was constitutionally prohibited from running for national office in 2002.

In the June 2002 national elections, former President Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada (MNR) placed first with 29.5% of the vote, followed by coca-advocate and native peasant-leader Evo Morales (Movement Toward Socialism, MAS) with 20.9%. Morales edged out populist candidate Manfred Reyes Villa of the New Republican Force (NFR) by just 700 votes nationwide, earning a spot in the congressional run-off against Sánchez de Lozada on August 4, 2002. Gonzalo SÃ¡nchez de Lozada y SÃ¡nchez Bustamante (born July 1, 1930), familiarly known as Goni, is a Bolivian politician, businessman, and former president. ... Juan Evo Morales Ayma (born October 26, 1959 in Orinoca, Oruro), popularly known as Evo (IPA: ), is the President of Bolivia, and has been declared the countrys first indigenous head of state since the Spanish Conquest over 470 years ago. ... The Movement toward Socialism (Movimiento al Socialismo, MAS) is a Bolivian leftist party led by Evo Morales, founded in 1987. ... Manfred Reyes Villa (1954) is a Bolivian politician, who was mayor of Cochabamba four times and ran for presidency in 2002 against Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada. ... NFR logo The New Republican Force (Nueva Fuerza Republicana) is a center-right personalist party in Bolivia. ... is the 216th day of the year (217th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ...

A July agreement between the MNR and the fourth-place MIR, which had again been led in the election by former president Paz Zamora, virtually ensured the election of Sánchez de Lozada in the congressional run-off, and on August 6 he was sworn in for the second time. The MNR platform featured three overarching objectives: economic reactivation (and job creation), anti-corruption, and social inclusion. is the 218th day of the year (219th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Contemporary social crisis and the nationalization of hydrocarbon resources (2000-2005)

Main article: Bolivian Gas War

The Bolivian Gas War was a social conflict in Bolivia centering around the exploitation of the countrys vast natural gas reserves. ...

Indigenous president

Central La Paz

The 2005 Bolivian presidential election was held on December 18, 2005. The two main candidates were Juan Evo Morales Ayma of the Movement Toward Socialism (MAS) Party, and Jorge Quiroga, leader of the Democratic and Social Power (PODEMOS) Party and former head of the Acción Democrática Nacionalista (ADN) Party. Download high resolution version (1280x960, 671 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Download high resolution version (1280x960, 671 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Location of La Paz within Bolivia Coordinates: , Country Departament Province Pedro Domingo Murillo Province Founded October 20, 1548 Incorporated (El Alto) 20th century Government - Mayor Juan Del Granado Area - City 470 kmÂ² (181. ... The 2005 Bolivian presidential election was held on December 18, 2005. ... is the 352nd day of the year (353rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Juan Evo Morales Ayma (born October 26, 1959 in Orinoca, Oruro), popularly known as Evo (IPA: ), is the President of Bolivia, and has been declared the countrys first indigenous head of state since the Spanish Conquest over 470 years ago. ... The Movement toward Socialism (Movimiento al Socialismo, MAS) is a Bolivian leftist party led by Evo Morales, founded in 1987. ... Jorge Fernando Tuto Quiroga RamÃrez (born May 5, 1960) was President of Bolivia from August 7, 2001 to August 6, 2002. ... The Democratic and Social Power (Poder DemocrÃ¡tico y Social) is a political party in Bolivia. ... ADN logo Nationalist Democratic Action (in Spanish: Acción Democrática Nacionalista) is a right-wing party in Bolivia led by Jorge Quiroga. ...

Morales won the election with 53.740% of the votes, an absolute majority unusual in Bolivian elections. He was sworn in on January 22, 2006 for a five-year term. Prior to his official inauguration in La Paz, he was inaugurated in an Aymara ritual at the archeological site of Tiwanaku before a crowd of thousands of Aymara people and representatives of leftist movements from across Latin America. Though highly symbolic, this ritual was not historically based and primarily represented native Aymaras — not the main Quechua-speaking population. Since the Spanish conquest in the early 1500s, this region of South America, with a majority native population, has been ruled mostly by descendants of European immigrants, with only a few mestizo (mixed European and indigenous) rulers. Morales, himself an Aymara, has stated that the five hundred years of colonialism are now over and that the era of autonomy has begun. Absolute majority is a supermajoritarian voting requirement which is stricter than a simple majority. ... is the 22nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Area of the Middle Horizon The Gate of the Sun Tiwanaku (Spanish spellings: Tiahuanaco and Tiahuanacu) is an important Pre-Columbian archaeological site in Bolivia. ... Languages Predominantly Spanish, (with a minority of other languages), while MestiÃ§os speaks Portuguese Religions Christianity (Predominantly Roman Catholic, with a minority of Protestant and other Religions) Related ethnic groups European (mostly Spanish, Portuguese, French and Italian), Amerindian people, African people, Austronesian people, Hispanics and Latinos Mestizo (Portuguese, MestiÃ§o... The Aymara are a native ethnic group in the Andes region of South America; about 2. ...

His recent presidential election victory has also brought new attention to the U.S. drug-war in South America and its heavy emphasis on coca-crop-eradication. The US-supported "Plan Dignidad" (dignity-plan), which seeks to reduce cocaine-production to zero, is seen by many Bolivians as an attack on their livelihoods and way of life. Morales, himself a leader among coca-growers, has said his government will try to interdict drugs, but he wants to preserve the legal market for coca-leaves and promote export of legal coca-products. Coca eradication is a controversial strategy strongly promoted by the United States government as part of its War on Drugs to eliminate the cultivation of coca, a plant whose leaves are not only traditionally used by indigenous cultures but also, in modern society, in the manufacture of cocaine. ... Binomial name Lam. ...

On May 1, 2006, Morales announced his intent to re-nationalize Bolivian hydrocarbon assets. While stating that the nationalization-initiative would not be an expropriation, Morales sent Bolivian troops to occupy fifty-six gas-installations simultaneously. Troops were also sent to the two Petrobras-owned refineries in Bolivia, which provide over 90% of Bolivia's refining-capacity. A deadline of 180 days was announced, by which all foreign energy-firms were required to sign new contracts giving Bolivia majority ownership and as much as 82% of revenues (the latter for the largest natural-gas-fields). That deadline has since passed, and all such firms have signed contracts. Reports from the Bolivian government and the companies involved are contradictory as to plans for future investment. By far the biggest customer for Bolivian hydrocarbons has been Brazil, which imports two-thirds of Bolivia's natural gas via pipelines operated by the huge semi-private Petrobras (PBR). Since gas can only be exported from landlocked Bolivia via PBR's large (and expensive) pipelines, the supplier and customer are strongly linked. How the nationalization will unfold is quite uncertain, as PBR has announced plans to produce sufficient natural gas by 2011 to replace that now supplied by Bolivia. Bolivia's position is strengthened both by the knowledge that hydrocarbon-reserves are more highly valued now than at the times of previous nationalizations, and by the pledged support of President Hugo Chávez of Venezuela. is the 121st day of the year (122nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Petrobras, short for PetrÃ³leo Brasileiro S.A., is a government-owned Brazilian oil company headquartered in Rio de Janeiro. ... Hugo Rafael ChÃ¡vez FrÃas (IPA: ) (born July 28, 1954) is the current President of Venezuela. ...

Fulfilling a campaign promise, Morales opened on August 6, 2006 an assembly to begin writing a new constitution aimed at giving more power to the indigenous majority^[5]. Problems immediately arose when, unable to garner the two-thirds votes needed to include controversial provisions in the constitutional draft, Morales' party announced unilaterally that only a simple majority (50%+1) would be needed, ensuring control of the constitution. Violent protests arose in December 2006 across the country, mostly in the eastern third of the country, where much of the hydrocarbon wealth is located. Many in this region threaten to secede from the nation if Morales does not include them in the constitutional process. is the 218th day of the year (219th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

In January 2007 a clash between middle class city dwellers and poorer rural campesinos left 2 dead and over 130 injured in the central city of Cochabamba. The campesinos had paralyzed the city by blockading the highways, bridges, and main roads, and days earlier had set fire to the departmental seat of government, trying to force the resignation of the democratically elected Prefect of Cochabamba, Manfred Reyes Villa. The city dwellers clashed with the campesinos, breaking the blockade and routing the protestors, while the police did little to interfere on either side. Further attempts by the campesinos to reinstate the blockade and threaten the government were unsuccessful, but the underlying tensions have not been resolved. Campesino means simple farmer in Spanish. ... The centre of Cochabamba Ayacucho Avenue Cochabamba is a city in central Bolivia, located in a valley bearing the same name in the Andes mountain range. ... Manfred Reyes Villa (1954) is a Bolivian politician, who was mayor of Cochabamba four times and ran for presidency in 2002 against Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada. ...

Politics

Cochabamba

Main article: Politics of Bolivia

The 1967 constitution, amended in 1994, provides for balanced executive, legislative, and judicial powers. The traditionally strong executive, however, tends to overshadow the Congress, whose role is generally limited to debating and approving legislation initiated by the executive. The judiciary, consisting of the Supreme Court and departmental and lower courts, has long been riddled with corruption and inefficiency. Through revisions to the constitution in 1994, and subsequent laws, the government has initiated potentially far-reaching reforms in the judicial system and processes. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1280x960, 566 KB) [edit] Summary Foto: Alfredo Vasquez Meza alfredovasquezm@hotmail. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1280x960, 566 KB) [edit] Summary Foto: Alfredo Vasquez Meza alfredovasquezm@hotmail. ... The centre of Cochabamba Ayacucho Avenue Cochabamba is a city in central Bolivia, located in a valley bearing the same name in the Andes mountain range. ... Politics of Bolivia takes place in a framework of a presidential representative democratic republic, whereby the president is both head of state and head of government, and of a pluriform multi-party system. ... The National Congress ( Spanish: Congreso Nacional) is the national legislature of Bolivia, based in the capital of La Paz. ... The Supreme Court of Bolivia is the South American countrys highest legislative body, located in Sucre, 410 kilometres to the south-east of La Paz, Bolivias capital. ...

Bolivia's nine departments received greater autonomy under the Administrative Decentralization law of 1995. Departmental autonomy further increased with the first popular elections for departmental governors (prefectos) on 18 December 2005, after long protests by pro-autonomy-leader department of Santa Cruz. Bolivian cities and towns are governed by directly elected mayors and councils. Municipal elections were held on 5 December 2004, with councils elected to five-year terms. The Popular Participation Law of April 1994, which distributes a significant portion of national revenues to municipalities for discretionary use, has enabled previously neglected communities to make striking improvements in their facilities and services. Bolivia is divided into nine departments (Spanish: departamentos). ... is the 352nd day of the year (353rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Motto: Â¡Arriba cruceÃ±os, hagamos historia! (Stand up cruceÃ±os, lets make history!) Himno: Bajo el cielo mÃ¡s puro de AmÃ©rica Capital Santa Cruz de la Sierra Largest city Santa Cruz de la Sierra Official languages Spanish, GuaranÃ Provinces 15 Area - total - % de Bolivia Place nÂº 1... A mayor (from the Latin mÄior, meaning larger, greater) is the modern title of the highest ranking municipal officer. ... is the 339th day of the year (340th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The president is elected to a five-year term by popular vote. Elected president Gonzalo Sanchez de Lozada resigned in October 2003, and was substituted by vice-president Carlos Mesa. Mesa was in turn replaced by chief justice of the Supreme Court Eduardo Rodríguez in June 2005. Six months later, on December 18, 2005, the Socialist native leader, Evo Morales, was elected president. Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada y Sánchez Bustamante (July 1, 1930), familiarly known as Goni, is a former two-term president of Bolivia. ... Carlos Diego Mesa Gisbert (born August 12, 1953) was the President of Bolivia from October 17, 2003 until his resignation on June 6, 2005. ... Eduardo RodrÃguez VeltzÃ© (born March 2, 1956) is the current president of the transitional government of Bolivia; prior to that appointment he was the chief justice of the Supreme Court. ... Juan Evo Morales Ayma (born October 26, 1959 in Orinoca, Oruro), popularly known as Evo (IPA: ), is the President of Bolivia, and has been declared the countrys first indigenous head of state since the Spanish Conquest over 470 years ago. ...

Legislative branch

Bolivia's governmnent is a republic. The Congreso Nacional (National Congress) has two chambers. The Cámara de Diputados (Chamber of Deputies) has 130 members elected to five-year terms, seventy from single-member districts (circunscripciones) and sixty by proportional representation. The Cámara de Senadores (Chamber of Senators) has twenty-seven members (three per department), elected to five-year terms. The National Congress (Spanish: Congreso Nacional) is the national legislature of Bolivia, based in the capital of La Paz. ... Image:WashingtonDC Capitol USA2. ... The National Congress (Spanish: Congreso Nacional) is the national legislature of Bolivia, based in the capital of La Paz. ... Chamber of Deputies is the name given to a legislative body, which may either be the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or the name of a unicameral one. ... The National Congress (Spanish: Congreso Nacional) is the national legislature of Bolivia, based in the nations capital, La Paz. ... The seat of Roman Senate in the Roman Forum, Rome A senate is a deliberative body, often the upper house or chamber of a legislature. ...

Bolivia has had a total of 193 coups d'etat from independence until 1981, thereby averaging a change of government once every ten months. Credit for the past quarter century of relative political stability is largely attributed to President Víctor Paz Estenssoro, who ceded power peacefully after cutting hyperinflation which reached as high as 14,000 percent.^[6] Ãngel VÃctor Paz Estenssoro (October 7, 1907 - June 7, 2001) was a politician from Bolivia. ... Certain figures in this article use scientific notation for readability. ...

Military

The Bolivian military comprises three branches: an Army, Navy and Air Force. The legal age for voluntary admissions is 18; however, when the numbers are small the government recruits anyone as young as 14^[7]. It is estimated that 20% of the Bolivian army is between the ages 14 and 16 while another 20% is from 16 to 18. The tour of duty is generally 12 months. The Bolivian government annually spends $130 million on defense.^[8] To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article may require rewriting and/or reformatting. ... In the military, a tour of duty is a period of time spent at sea or assigned to service in a foreign country. ...

Departments and provinces

Map of the departments of Bolivia

Main articles: Departments of Bolivia, Provinces of Bolivia, and Municipios of Bolivia

Bolivia is divided into nine departments (departamentos); capitals in parentheses: Image File history File links Bolivia_departments_named. ... Image File history File links Bolivia_departments_named. ... Bolivia is divided into nine departments (Spanish: departamentos). ... On the second level Bolivia is divided into provinces. ... On the third level, below departamentos and provincias, Bolivia is divided into municipios. ... Bolivia is divided into nine departments (Spanish: departamentos). ...

Additionally, the departments are further divided into 100 provinces (provincias), and the provinces are each divided into various numbers of cantons (cantones), and municipalities (municipalidades), which handle local affairs. Motto: Â¡Ventura, paz y uniÃ³n! (Venture, peace and union!) Anthem: Canta victorioso pueblo de leyenda Capital La SantÃsima Trinidad Largest city La SantÃsima Trinidad Official languages Spanish, MoxeÃ±o Provinces 8 Area - total - % de Bolivia Place nÂº 2 213,564 kmÂ² 19. ... Trinidad, officially La Santísima Trinidad (Spanish: The Most Holy Trinity), is a city in Bolivia, capital of the department of Beni. ... Chuquisaca is a department of Bolivia, with an area of 51,524 kmÂ². Population (2001 census) 1,352,000. ... Sucre, the constitutional capital of Bolivia Sucre (population 247,300 in 2006) is the constitutional capital of Bolivia, seat of the Supreme Court (Corte Suprema de Justicia), and capital of the Chuquisaca department. ... Map of Bolivia showing Cochabamba department Cochabamba is one of the nine component departments of Bolivia. ... The centre of Cochabamba Ayacucho Avenue Cochabamba is a city in central Bolivia, located in a valley bearing the same name in the Andes mountain range. ... The La Paz Department of Bolivia comprises 133,985 kmÂ² with a 2001 census population of 2,350,466 inhabitants. ... Location of La Paz within Bolivia Coordinates: , Country Departament Province Pedro Domingo Murillo Province Founded October 20, 1548 Incorporated (El Alto) 20th century Government - Mayor Juan Del Granado Area - City 470 kmÂ² (181. ... Oruro is a department in Bolivia, with an area of 53,588 km2. ... Categories: South America geography stubs | Departments of Bolivia ... Pando is a department of Bolivia, with an area of 63,827 kmÂ². Population (2001 census) 52,525. ... Cobija is the capital of the department of Pando in Bolivia. ... The department of PotosÃ is in the southwest of Bolivia. ... PotosÃ is a city, the capital of the department of PotosÃ in Bolivia. ... Motto: Â¡Arriba cruceÃ±os, hagamos historia! (Stand up cruceÃ±os, lets make history!) Himno: Bajo el cielo mÃ¡s puro de AmÃ©rica Capital Santa Cruz de la Sierra Largest city Santa Cruz de la Sierra Official languages Spanish, GuaranÃ Provinces 15 Area - total - % de Bolivia Place nÂº 1... Coordinates: , Country Department Province AndrÃ©s IbÃ¡Ã±ez Founded February 26, 1561 Government - Mayor Percy FernÃ¡ndez Area - City 325. ... Tarija is a city in southern Bolivia, located 22. ... Tarija is a city in southern Bolivia, located 22. ...

Geography

Map of Bolivia from the CIA World Factbook.

Main article: Geography of Bolivia

At 424,135 mi² (1,098,580 km² [1]), Bolivia is the world's 28th-largest country (after Ethiopia). It is comparable in size to Mauritania, and has 1.5 times the area of the US state of Texas. Image File history File links CIA map of Bolivia File links The following pages link to this file: Bolivia Geography of Bolivia Talk:Bolivia Talk:Geography of Bolivia ... World Factbook 2004 cover The World Factbook is an annual publication by the Central Intelligence Agency of the United States with basic almanac-style information about the various countries of the world. ... Map of Bolivia Detailed shaded relief map of Bolivia Satellite image of Bolivia in June 2002 The geography of Bolivia is unique among the nations of South America. ... This article is about the unit of measure. ... Square kilometre (U.S. spelling: square kilometer), symbol kmÂ², is a decimal multiple of SI unit of surface area square metre, one of the SI derived units. ... Official language(s) No official language See languages of Texas Capital Austin Largest city Houston Largest metro area Dallasâ€“Fort Worthâ€“Arlington Area Ranked 2nd - Total 261,797 sq mi (678,051 kmÂ²) - Width 773 miles (1,244 km) - Length 790 miles (1,270 km) - % water 2. ...

Colours of Altiplano Boliviano

Bolivia has been a landlocked nation since 1879 when it lost its coastal department of Litoral to Chile in the War of the Pacific. However, it does have access to the Atlantic via the Paraguay river. Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 533 pixelsFull resolution (2000 Ã— 1333 pixel, file size: 889 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 Ã— 533 pixelsFull resolution (2000 Ã— 1333 pixel, file size: 889 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Combatants Republic of Peru Republic of Bolivia Republic of Chile Commanders Juan BuendÃa AndrÃ©s CÃ¡ceres Miguel Grau Manuel Baquedano Patricio Lynch Juan Williams Strength Peru-Bolivian Army 7,000 soldiers in 1878 Peruvian Navy 2 ironclad, 1 corvette, 1 gunboat Army of Chile 4,000 soldiers in...

An enormous diversity of ecological zones are represented within Bolivia's territory. The western highlands of the country are situated in the Andes mountains and include the Bolivian Altiplano. The eastern lowlands include large sections of Amazonian rainforests and Chaco. The highest peak is Nevado Sajama at 6,542 metres (21,463 ft) located in the department of Oruro. Lake Titicaca is located on the border between Bolivia and Peru. The Salar de Uyuni, the world's largest salt flat, lies in the southwest corner of the country, in the department of Potosí. This article is about the mountain system in South America. ... Puno, Peru, is one of larger cities of the Altiplano. ... The Daintree Rainforest in Queensland, Australia. ... There are things that have the name Chaco: South America: Gran Chaco, a region in South America Chaco Province, Argentina in the northeastern part of the country Chaco, a region in Paraguay Chaco Department, historical in Paraguay and proposed in Bolivia Gran Chaco Province, Bolivia (in Tarija Department) Chaco War... Nevado Sajama is an extinct stratovolcano and the highest peak in Bolivia. ... This article is about the unit of length. ... A foot (plural: feet or foot;[1] symbol or abbreviation: ft or, sometimes, â€² â€“ a prime) is a unit of length, in a number of different systems, including English units, Imperial units, and United States customary units. ... Categories: South America geography stubs | Departments of Bolivia ... Lake Titicaca is the highest commercially navigable lake in the world,[1] at 3,812 m (12,507 feet) above sea level. ... Location of Salar de Uyuni Salar de Uyuni from space, with Mount Tunupa in the middle. ... The playa and shore of Lake Hart, an endorheic desert lake in South Australia An alkali flat (known in US and Mexico as a playa) is a dry lakebed, generally the shore of, or remnant of, an endorheic lake. ... The department of PotosÃ is in the southwest of Bolivia. ...

Major cities are La Paz, El Alto, Santa Cruz de la Sierra and Cochabamba. Location of La Paz within Bolivia Coordinates: , Country Departament Province Pedro Domingo Murillo Province Founded October 20, 1548 Incorporated (El Alto) 20th century Government - Mayor Juan Del Granado Area - City 470 kmÂ² (181. ... The city of El Alto (Spanish for The High) is a suburb of La Paz, Bolivia. ... This article is about the Bolivian city. ... A side street in Cochabamba, looking towards the Plaza 14 de Septiembre Cochabamba is a city in central Bolivia, located in a valley bearing the same name in the Andes mountain range. ...

Economy

Main article: Economy of Bolivia

Bolivia is the poorest country in South America. This has been attributed to high levels of corruption and the imperialist role of foreign powers in the country since the colonization. The country is rich in natural resources, and has been called a "donkey sitting on a gold-mine" because of this. Apart from famous mines, which were known by the Incas and later exploited by the Spaniards, Bolivia owns the second largest natural gas field in South America after Venezuela. Furthermore, El Mutún in the Santa Cruz department represents 70% of the world's iron and

Encyclopedia > Bolivia

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