bl.json

{"code":"bl","name":"Bolivia","region":"South America","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.","geo":{"Location":"Central South America, southwest of Brazil","Geographic coordinates":{"S":{"deg":17,"min":0},"W":{"deg":65,"min":0}},"Map references":{},"Area":{"total":{"quantity":1098,"unit":"sq km"},"country comparison to the world":"","land":{"quantity":1083,"unit":"sq km"},"water":{"quantity":15280,"unit":"sq km"}},"Area - comparative":"slightly less than three times the size of Montana","Land boundaries":{"total":{"quantity":6940,"unit":"km"},"border countries":"Argentina 832 km, Brazil 3,423 km, Chile 860 km, Paraguay 750 km, Peru 1,075 km"},"Coastline":{"quantity":0,"unit":"km"},"Maritime claims":"none (landlocked)","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"},"Land use":{"arable land":{"quantity":2.78,"unit":"%"},"permanent crops":{"quantity":0.19,"unit":"%"},"other":{"quantity":97.03,"unit":"%"}},"Irrigated land":{"quantity":1500,"unit":"sq km"},"Total renewable water resources":{"quantity":622.5,"unit":"cu km"},"Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)":{"total":{"quantity":1.44,"unit":"cu km/yr"},"per capita":{"quantity":157,"unit":"cu m/yr"}},"Natural hazards":{"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), which last erupted in 1995 and Olca-Paruma"},"internationalEnvironmentAgreements":{"signed, but not ratified":"Environmental Modification, Marine Life Conservation","partyTo":["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"]},"naturalResources":["tin","natural gas","petroleum","zinc","tungsten","antimony","silver","iron","lead","gold","timber","hydropower"],"environmentalIssues":["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"],"climate":["varies with altitude","humid and tropical to cold and semiarid"],"geographyNote":["landlocked","shares control of Lago Titicaca, world's highest navigable lake (elevation 3,805 m), with Peru"]},"people":{"Population":10118,"Age structure":{"0-14 years":{"quantity":34.6,"unit":"%"},"15-64 years":{"quantity":60.7,"unit":"%"},"65 years and over":"4.6% (male 207,792/female 261,904) (2011 est.)"},"Median age":{"total":{"quantity":22.5,"unit":"years"},"male":{"quantity":21.8,"unit":"years"},"female":{"quantity":23.2,"unit":"years"}},"Population growth rate":{"quantity":1.694,"unit":"%"},"Birth rate":{"quantity":24.71,"unit":"births/1,000 population"},"Death rate":{"quantity":6.85,"unit":"deaths/1,000 population"},"Net migration rate":"-0.92 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2011 est.)","Urbanization":{"urban population":{"quantity":67,"unit":"% of total population"},"rate of urbanization":{"quantity":2.2,"unit":"% annual rate of change"}},"Major cities - population":"LA PAZ (capital) 1.642 million; Santa Cruz 1.584 million; Sucre 281,000 (2009)","Sex ratio":{"at birth":{"quantity":1.05,"unit":"male(s)/female"},"under 15 years":{"quantity":1.04,"unit":"male(s)/female"},"15-64 years":{"quantity":0.96,"unit":"male(s)/female"},"65 years and over":{"quantity":0.79,"unit":"male(s)/female"},"total population":{"quantity":0.98,"unit":"male(s)/female"}},"Infant mortality rate":{"total":{"quantity":42.16,"unit":"deaths/1,000 live births"},"country comparison to the world":"","male":{"quantity":45.95,"unit":"deaths/1,000 live births"},"female":{"quantity":38.18,"unit":"deaths/1,000 live births"}},"Life expectancy at birth":{"total population":{"quantity":67.57,"unit":"years"},"country comparison to the world":"","male":{"quantity":64.84,"unit":"years"},"female":{"quantity":70.42,"unit":"years"}},"Total fertility rate":{"quantity":3,"unit":"children born/woman"},"HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate":{"quantity":0.2,"unit":"%"},"HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS":12000,"HIV/AIDS - deaths":"fewer than 1,000 (2009 est.)","Drinking water source":{},"Sanitation facility access":{},"Nationality":{"noun":"Bolivian(s)","adjective":"Bolivian"},"Literacy":{"definition":"age 15 and over can read and write","total population":{"quantity":86.7,"unit":"%"},"male":{"quantity":93.1,"unit":"%"},"female":{"quantity":80.7,"unit":"%"}},"School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)":{"total":{"quantity":14,"unit":"years"},"male":{"quantity":14,"unit":"years"},"female":{"quantity":14,"unit":"years"}},"Education expenditures":{"quantity":6.3,"unit":"% of GDP"},"majorInfectiousDiseases":{"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)"},"ethnicGroups":["Quechua 30%","mestizo (mixed white and Amerindian ancestry) 30%","Aymara 25%","white 15%"],"religions":["Roman Catholic 95%","Protestant (Evangelical Methodist) 5%"],"languages":["Spanish (official) 60.7%","Quechua (official) 21.2%","Aymara (official) 14.6%","foreign languages 2.4%","other 1.2% (2001 census)"]},"government":{"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":{"S":{"deg":16,"min":30},"W":{"deg":68,"min":9}},"time difference":"UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)"},"Independence":"6 August 1825 (from Spain)","National holiday":"Independence Day, 6 August (1825)","Legal system":"civil law system with influences from Roman, Spanish, canon (religious), French, and indigenous law","International law organization participation":"has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction","Suffrage":"18 years of age, universal and compulsory","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","elections":"president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for a five-year term and are eligible for 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":{"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 Tribunal Supremo de Justicia (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 Tribunal (seven primary or titulares and seven 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 (at least two candidates must be indigenous)); 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":{"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)"},"Diplomatic representation in the US":{"chief of mission":"Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Freddy BERSATTI","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"},"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"},"Flag description":{"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"},"National anthem":{"name":"\"Cancion Patriotica\" (Patriotic Song)","lyrics/music":"Jose Ignacio de SANJINES/Leopoldo Benedetto VINCENTI"},"internationalOrganizations":["CAN","FAO","G-77","IADB","IAEA","IBRD","ICAO","ICC","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"],"administrativeDivisions":["9 departments (departamentos","singular - departamento)","Beni","Chuquisaca","Cochabamba","La Paz","Oruro","Pando","Potosi","Santa Cruz","Tarija"]},"economy":{"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. Nevertheless, Bolivia recorded the highest growth rate in South America that year. During 2010 an increase in world commodity prices resulted in the biggest trade surplus in history. However, a lack of foreign investment in the key sectors of mining and hydrocarbons and higher food prices pose challenges for the Bolivian economy.","GDP (purchasing power parity)":{"GDP (purchasing power parity)":{"usd":47880000000},"country comparison to the world":""},"GDP (official exchange rate)":{"usd":19370000000},"GDP - real growth rate":{"quantity":4.2,"unit":"%"},"GDP - per capita (PPP)":{"GDP - per capita (PPP)":{"usd":null},"country comparison to the world":""},"GDP - composition by sector":{"agriculture":{"quantity":12,"unit":"%"},"industry":{"quantity":38,"unit":"%"},"services":{"quantity":50,"unit":"%"}},"Labor force":4186000,"Labor force - by occupation":{"agriculture":{"quantity":40,"unit":"%"},"industry":{"quantity":17,"unit":"%"},"services":{"quantity":43,"unit":"%"}},"Unemployment rate":{"Unemployment rate":{"quantity":6.5,"unit":"%"},"country comparison to the world":""},"Population below poverty line":{"Population below poverty line":{"quantity":30.3,"unit":"%"}},"Household income or consumption by percentage share":{"lowest 10%":{"quantity":0.5,"unit":"%"},"highest 10%":{"quantity":44.1,"unit":"%"}},"Distribution of family income - Gini index":58.2,"Investment (gross fixed)":{"quantity":20.1,"unit":"% of GDP"},"Budget":{"revenues":{"usd":10110000000},"expenditures":{"usd":10000000000}},"Public debt":{"quantity":39.7,"unit":"% of GDP"},"Inflation rate (consumer prices)":{"quantity":7.2,"unit":"%"},"Central bank discount rate":{"quantity":3,"unit":"%"},"Commercial bank prime lending rate":{"quantity":5.75,"unit":"%"},"Stock of narrow money":{"usd":5367000000},"Stock of broad money":{"usd":12160000000},"Stock of domestic credit":{"usd":7060000000},"Market value of publicly traded shares":{"usd":3915000000},"Industrial production growth rate":{"quantity":4,"unit":"%"},"Electricity - production":{"quantity":6085000000,"unit":"kWh"},"Electricity - consumption":{"quantity":5814000000,"unit":"kWh"},"Electricity - exports":{"quantity":0,"unit":"kWh"},"Electricity - imports":{"quantity":0,"unit":"kWh"},"Oil - production":{"quantity":43740,"unit":"bbl/day"},"Oil - consumption":{"quantity":31070,"unit":"bbl/day"},"Oil - exports":{"quantity":5621,"unit":"bbl/day"},"Oil - imports":{"quantity":17330,"unit":"bbl/day"},"Oil - proved reserves":{"quantity":465000000,"unit":"bbl"},"Natural gas - production":{"quantity":14400000000,"unit":"cu m"},"Natural gas - consumption":{"quantity":2410000000,"unit":"cu m"},"Natural gas - exports":{"quantity":11590000000,"unit":"cu m"},"Natural gas - imports":{"quantity":0,"unit":"cu m"},"Natural gas - proved reserves":{"quantity":750400000000,"unit":"cu m"},"Current account balance":{"usd":690200000},"Exports":{"usd":6956000000},"Imports":{"usd":5366000000},"Reserves of foreign exchange and gold":{"usd":9730000000},"Debt - external":{"usd":2864000000},"Stock of direct foreign investment - at home":{"usd":7257000000},"Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad":{"usd":21000000},"Exchange rates":"bolivianos (BOB) per US dollar -","industries":["mining, smelting, petroleum, food and beverages, tobacco, handicrafts, clothing"],"agricultureProducts":["soybeans","coffee","coca","cotton","corn","sugarcane","rice","potatoes","timber"],"exportCommodities":["natural gas","soybeans and soy products","crude petroleum","zinc ore","tin"],"exportPartners":["Brazil 41.38%","US 13.87%","Japan 5.62%","Colombia 5.32%","South Korea 4.7%","Peru 4.16%"],"importCommodities":["petroleum products","plastics","paper","aircraft and aircraft parts","prepared foods","automobiles","insecticides","soybeans"],"importPartners":["Brazil 27.12%","Argentina 15.69%","US 12.77%","Chile 9.11%","Peru 6.85%"]},"communications":{"Telephones - main lines in use":810200,"Telephones - mobile cellular":7148000,"Telephone system":{"general assessment":"Bolivian National Telecommunications Company (ENTEL) was privatized in 1995 but re-nationalized in 2007; the primary trunk system is being expanded and employs digital microwave radio relay; some areas are served by fiber-optic cable; system operations, reliability, and coverage have steadily improved.","domestic":"most telephones are concentrated in La Paz, Santa Cruz, and other capital cities; mobile-cellular telephone use expanding rapidly and, in 2009, teledensity reached about 75 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 (2010)","Internet country code":".bo","Internet hosts":125462,"Internet users":1103000},"transport":{"Airports":881,"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},"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},"Pipelines":"gas 5,330 km; liquid petroleum gas 51 km; oil 2,510 km; refined products 1,627 km (2010)","Railways":{"total":{"quantity":3652,"unit":"km"},"country comparison to the world":"","narrow gauge":"3,652 km 1.000-m gauge (2010)"},"Roadways":{"total":{"quantity":13602,"unit":"km"},"country comparison to the world":"","paved":{"quantity":4990,"unit":"km"},"unpaved":{"quantity":8612,"unit":"km"}},"Waterways":"10,000 km (commercially navigable almost exclusively in the northern and eastern parts of the country) (2010)","Merchant marine":{"total":22,"country comparison to the world":"","by type":"bulk carrier 3, cargo 11, carrier 1, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 2, roll on/roll off 3, specialized tanker 1","foreign-owned":"7 (Bahamas 1, Ecuador 1, Iran 1, Syria 4) (2010)"},"Ports and terminals":"Puerto Aguirre (inland port on the Paraguay/Parana waterway at the Bolivia/Brazil border); Bolivia has free port privileges in maritime ports in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Paraguay"},"military":{"Military branches":"Bolivian Armed Forces: Bolivian Army (Ejercito Boliviano, EB), Bolivian Navy (Fuerza Naval Boliviana, FNB; includes marines), Bolivian Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Boliviana, FAB) (2011)","Military service age and obligation":"18-49 years of age for 12-month compulsory male and female military service; when annual number of volunteers falls short of goal, compulsory recruitment is effected, including conscription of boys as young as 14; 15-19 years of age for voluntary premilitary service, provides exemption from further military service (2011)","Manpower available for military service":{"males age 16-49":2472,"females age 16-49":2535},"Manpower fit for military service":{"males age 16-49":1762,"females age 16-49":2013},"Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually":{"male":108334,"female":104945},"Military expenditures":{"quantity":1.3,"unit":"% of GDP"}},"issues":{"Illicit drugs":"world's third-largest cultivator of coca (after Colombia and Peru) with an estimated 29,500 hectares under cultivation in 2007, increased slightly when compared to 2006; third largest producer of cocaine, estimated at 120 metric tons potential pure cocaine in 2007; transit country for Peruvian and Colombian cocaine destined for Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, and Europe; cultivation generally increasing since 2000, despite eradication and alternative crop programs; weak border controls; some money-laundering activity related to narcotics trade; major cocaine consumption\r\n (2008)","internationalDisputes":["Chile and Peru rebuff Bolivia's reactivated claim to restore the Atacama corridor, ceded to Chile in 1884, but Chile offers instead unrestricted but not sovereign maritime access through Chile for Bolivian natural gas","contraband smuggling, human trafficking, and illegal narcotic trafficking are problems in the porous areas of the border with Argentina"]}}