Introduction to Geography of Bolivia
Bolivia, officially, Republic of Bolivia, a landlocked country in South America. Bolivia is bordered by Chile and Peru, which separate it from the Pacific Ocean, and by Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina. It has an area of 424,165 square miles (1,098,581 km2). Maximum dimensions are about 900 miles (1,450 km) north-south and 800 miles (1,290 km) east-west.
Facts in brief about BoliviaCapital: Sucre (official); La Paz (actual).Official languages: Spanish. The government also recognizes 35 indigenous languages.Official name: República de Bolivia (Republic of Bolivia).Area: 424,165 mi2 (1,098,581 km2). Greatest distances—north-south, 900 mi (1,448 km); east-west, 800 mi (1,287 km).Elevation: Highest—Nevado Sajama, 21,463 ft (6,542 m) above sea level. Lowest—300 ft (90 m) above sea level, near Fortaleza.Population: Current estimate—9,764,000; density, 23 persons per mi2 (9 per km2); distribution, 64 percent urban, 36 percent rural. 2001 census—8,274,325.Chief products: Agriculture—coca, coffee, corn, potatoes, rice, soybeans, sugar, wheat. Forest products—rubber, timber. Manufacturing and processing—processed foods, refined tin, textiles. Mining—antimony, copper, gold, lead, natural gas, petroleum, tin, tungsten, silver, zinc.Money: Basic unit—boliviano. One hundred centavos equal one boliviano.Physical Geography
Bolivia is a country near the middle of South America.The Andes, in the west and southwest, make up about a third of Bolivia. This lofty highland region consists primarily of a high plateau, called the Altiplano, and great mountain ranges, called cordilleras. The Altiplano, bleak and windswept, is a series of basins lying more than 12,000 feet (3,660 m) above sea level. The northern part is the home of the Aymará Indians and the site of La Paz, Bolivia's principal city. The south ern section is thinly populated and desertlike, with extensive salt flats.
Flanking the Altiplano are the Cordillera Occidental on the west and the Cordillera Real, Cordillera Central, and Cordillera Oriental on the east. All are largely treeless ranges, crowned by some of the loftiest peaks in the Americas. The highest is snowcapped Sajama, which reaches 21,463 feet (6,542 m) in the Cordillera Occidental near the Chilean border. Slightly lower are Illimani, Illampu, and other peaks in the vicinity of La Paz. Nestled in the eastern ranges are several broad basins containing major cities and good farming areas.
The eastern edge of the Andes divides into two strongly contrasting regions: the Yungas in the north and the Puna in the south. The Yungas region is marked by a sharp decrease in elevation—from high mountains with deep, narrow valleys to luxuriant tropical lowlands—within a short distance. The Puna, less steeply inclined, has long, gentle slopes leading to subtropical lowlands.
The eastern lowlands, often called the Oriente, make up roughly two-thirds of the country. They lie largely within the Amazon Basin but partly within the Gran Chaco region of South America. The lowlands consist primarily of tropical forests and grasslands, some of which are marshy and poorly drained. The region is sparsely settled, but has enormous potential for development.
WaterLake Titicaca, once the sacred lake of the Incas, is the largest freshwater lake in South America. Situated more than 12,500 feet (3,810 m) above sea level on the Peru-Bolivia border, it is the highest navigable lake in the world. Salty Lake Poopó, fed by Lake Titicaca's overflow water, is the only other large lake.
Nearly all of the major rivers of Bolivia rise in the eastern ranges and flow generally northward, mainly as the headstreams of Amazon River tributaries. They include the Madre de Dios, Beni, Mamoré, Grande, and San Miguel. The Pilcomayo and other rivers flowing toward the southeast are part of the Paraná system.
ClimateAlthough Bolivia lies in the tropics its climate varies from hot to permanently cold, largely because of great differences in elevations. At La Paz, on the edge of the Altiplano at an altitude of nearly 12,000 feet (3,660 m), all months are chilly, with temperatures averaging near 50° F. (10° C.). Temperatures vary more from night to day than from season to season. Summer (December through February) is the rainy period. Cochabamba, which lies on the eastern slope of the Andes at about 8,500 feet (2,590 m), has a similar climate, but temperatures are somewhat higher. The northern part of the eastern lowlands is hot and rainy the year round; the southern part, hot and alternately wet and dry. Annual rainfall ranges from more than 80 inches (2,030 mm) in the Amazon Basin to less than 5 inches (127 mm) in the southern part of the Altiplano.
Economy
Bolivia is one of the poorest nations in Latin America, with an economy based heavily on agriculture and mining. The majority of the people are poor Indians and mestizos, many of whom live at a bare subsistence level with little or no dependence on money.
Brief periods of economic growth have usually been followed by longer periods of either economic stagnation or decline. Such past measures as land redistribution programs and the nationalization of major mining operations failed to materially improve the economy. A series of steps—including the privatization of many stateowned industries and progress with trade relations—contributed to economic progress in the early 20th century. The early 21st century, however, saw the government assume a greater role in the economy, by escalating the state control on certain industries.
Bolivia's basic currency unit is the boliviano.
Service industries, which include businesses, government agencies, hospitals, schools, and retail and wholesale trade, account for about half of Bolivia's GDP and occupy about one-third of the country's workers. Many poor Bolivians also work as housekeepers, street vendors, or small-scale artisans in the informal economy that lies beyond government control and tax structures.
AgricultureAccounting for about 15 per cent of the GDP of Bolivia, and employing more than 50 per cent of workers, Agriculture is an important part of the nation’s economy. For centuries agriculture has centered on the Altiplano and in the basins and valleys of the eastern cordilleras. On the Altiplano climatic conditions are harsh, and people there eke out meager livings by growing such hardy crops as potatoes, barley, wheat, and quinoa, a pigweed with edible seeds. They also raise livestock, especially sheep, goats, alpacas, and llamas, which yield food, fibers, hides, and skins. Llamas are also used as beasts of burden.
In the eastern basins and valleys agriculture is partly subsistence and partly commercial, producing for local markets. Crops are more varied here than on the Altiplano, mainly because the climate is milder and in some areas irrigation can be practiced. Corn, wheat, potatoes, beans and other vegetables, and hardy fruits are the principal crops.
Tropical crops, such as bananas, beans, coffee, cacao, coca, corn, and citrus fruit, are grown in a few areas of the Yungas, for use primarily in La Paz. Agriculture in the eastern lowlands is limited presently to only a few areas, chief of which is the area around the booming city of Santa Cruz. Production consists mainly of cotton, sugarcane, rice, and cattle. Much of Bolivia's food is imported.
Bolivia is a world leader in the production of coca, which is widely grown on the warm eastern slopes of the Andes, where it has largely replaced many traditional crops. The dried leaves yield cocaine, which is smuggled to a number of Western nations, especially the United States. In places like Oriente, farmers are engaged in raising cattle, and cultivating rice, soybeans, and sugarcane.
Mininghas long been the mainstay of Bolivia's economy, and accounts for around 10 per cent of the country’s GDP. It employs many of the country's industrial workers and accounts for by far the largest part of the nation's legal export earnings. Zinc, gold, iron ore, and tin are the chief non-fuel minerals produced. In fact, even though its deposits are fast being depleted, Bolivia still ranks as a leader in tin production, with metal deposits lying high in the Andes Mountains. Other minerals include antimony, copper, tungsten, silver, and lead. Many of the mines are located at very high elevations, making production difficult and costly.
Bolivia produces petroleum and natural gas in the eastern lowlands, especially around Santa Cruz. The country is virtually self-sufficient in petroleum and has large amounts of natural gas. Petroleum, natural gas, and gold are also found in the Oriente. Combined together, these supply about 90 per cent of Bolivia’s energy requirements. Most of the gas is exported, mainly to Argentina.
ManufacturingManufacturing, which employs around 10 per cent of the work force of the country, contributes around 15 per cent of Bolivia’s GDP. Production consists chiefly of consumer goods for local markets. Products include processed foods, beverages, textiles, clothing, shoes, furniture, and simple household and personal items. Many products are still made by hand. The few heavy industries of Bolivia are linked primarily to mining and include petroleum refining, metal smelting, tin refining, and the making of mining equipment. Virtually all the technically advanced products needed within the country are imported. Bolivia’s chief industrial areas are La Paz, Santa Cruz, and Cochabamba.
Trade. Natural gas is Bolivia's chief legal export. The major agricultural products that Bolivia exports include coffee, lumber, soybeans and soy products, sugar, and rubber. Further, Bolivia also exports tin, zinc, and other minerals. Coca, which is illegally exported, is one of the most profitable export goods, and brings in a lot of money. There are a number of items that Bolivia imports from foreign countries which include heavy machinery, petroleum products, transportation equipment, and such consumer goods as clothing and food. Bolivia chiefly trading partners are Argentina, Brazil, and the United States, apart from South American countries and Japan.
TransportationBolivia's land transportation facilities are located mostly in the southern two-thirds of the country. The northern third is accessible only by air and navigable rivers.
Major cities in the highlands are linked by railways and roads, which cover only about 2,300 miles (3,700 kilometers), all generally poor in quality. Automobile ownership is restricted to almost 1 in a 100 people. Highland cities are also linked to four Pacific ports—Arica and Antofagasta in Chile and Matarani and Ilo in Peru. Bolivia also has rights of navigation on the Paraguay and Amazon river systems and access to duty-free Atlantic ports in Argentina and Brazil. Two railways, both starting at Santa Cruz, link Bolivia to Argentina and Brazil.
Regular boat service on Lake Titicaca links Bolivia with Peru. A petroleum pipeline runs across the Andes to Arica, carrying oil for export; a natural gas pipeline runs southward into Argentina. Internal and international air services are provided by several Bolivian airlines. Foreign airlines also serve Bolivia. There are international airports at La Paz, Cochabamba, and Santa Cruz.
There are around 15 daily newspapers published in Bolivia. Radio and television ownership is somewhat mixed, with almost 2 out of three people having access to radios, whereas only about 1 out 8 people have access to televisions. Telephone and telegraph systems help in linking the major cities of Bolivia.
People and Government
More than 50 per cent of the people are Indians; about 30 per cent are a mixture of Indian and Spanish, called cholos or mestizos; about 15 per cent are white. The Indians are mostly farmers or laborers. Many cholos have joined the whites in commercial and professional work. Spanish, Quechua and Aymará are the primary languages in Bolivia.
In 2001 Bolivia's population was 8,274,325. The overall density was about 20 persons per square mile (7.5 per km2), or one-fourth that of the United States. Due a continuing migration of the rural poor to the major cities of Bolivia, less than half of the people live in rural areas.
There is freedom of religion. Nearly all of the people are Roman Catholic.
Primary education is free and compulsory for children between the ages of 7 and 14. Lack of teachers and transportation, however, makes the law hard to enforce. Bolivia has a literacy rate of about 87 per cent.
Since 1972 all universities in Bolivia have been administered together as the University of Bolivia. There are universities at Sucre (the former San Francisco Xavier University, founded in 1624), La Paz, Cochabamba, Oruro, and various other cities.
Bolivia gained independence in 1825, and since then has had over 16 constitutions. The constitution of 1967, revised in 1994, provides for a government divided into executive, legislative, and judicial branches. The president is chosen by popular election for a five-year term and appoints his cabinet. The two-house national legislature, called the Congress, is composed of senators and deputies, elected directly for five-year terms.
There are nine departments in Bolivia, which have been divided for the purposes of local government, which is headed by a popularly elected prefecto (governor). The department is made up of 94 provinces, each of which is further divided into municipalities. There are a number of political parties in Bolivia, which are highly influenced by indigenous groups, labor organizations, and the top businessmen of the country. Suffrage is granted to married Bolivians if they are 18 years old, though unmarried Bolivians have to be at least 21 years old to be able to vote.
The judiciary consists of a supreme court, district courts, provincial courts, and local courts. The justices of the supreme court are appointed by the Congress.
The Bolivian defense force consists of an army, a small air force, and a small navy that also maintains patrol boats on the inland rivers. Bolivian men who are 18 years or older may be drafted for service.