Bolivia From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia This article is about the South American country.

For other uses, see Bolivia (d isambiguation). Coordinates: Click the blue globe to open an interactive map.16.712S 64.666W Plurinational State of Bolivia Estado Plurinacional de Bolivia (Spanish) Bulivya Mamallaqta (Quechua) Wuliwya Suyu (Aymara) Tet Volvia (Guaran) Flag Coat of arms Motto: "La unin es la fuerza!" (Spanish) "Unity is Strength!"[1] Anthem: Himno Nacional de Bolivia (Spanish) (also known as Bolivianos: el hado) Wiphala of Qollasuyu[2] Capital Sucre (constitutional)a Largest city Santa Cruz de la Sierra 1748S 6310W Official languages[3][4] Spanish Quechua Aymara Guaran and 34 other native languages Ethnic groups (2010[5]) 55% Amerindianb 30% Mestizo 15% White Demonym Bolivian Government Unitary presidential constitutional republic President Evo Morales Vice President lvaro Garca Linera Legislature Plurinational Legislative Assembly Upper house Senate Lower house Chamber of Deputies Independence from Spain Declared 6 August 1825 Recognized 21 July 1847 Current constitution 7 February 2009 Area Total 1,098,581 km2 (28th) 424,163 sq mi Water (%) 1.29 Population 2012 census 10,389,913[6] Density 9/km2 (220th) 23/sq mi GDP (PPP) 2011 estimate Total $50.904 billion[7] Per capita $4,789[7] GDP (nominal) 2011 estimate Total $24.604 billion[7] Per capita $2,314[7] Gini (2009) 58.2[8] (medium) HDI (2011) 0.663[9] (medium / 108th) Currency Boliviano (BOB)

Time zone BOT (UTC4) Drives on the right Calling code +591 ISO 3166 code BO Internet TLD .bo a. See below. b. Quechua, Aymara and 34 other ethnic groups. Bolivia (i/blvi/, Spanish: [bolija]), officially known as the Plurinational State of B olivia (Spanish: Estado Plurinacional de Bolivia locally: [estao pluinasjonal de olija , Quechua: Bulivya Mamallaqta, Aymara: Wuliwya Suyu),[10][11] is a landlocked co untry in central South America. It is bordered by Brazil to the north and east, Paraguay and Argentina to the south, Chile to the southwest, and Peru to the wes t. Prior to European colonization, the Andean region of Bolivia was a part of the I nca Empire the largest state in Pre-Columbian America. The conquistadors took co ntrol of the region in the 16th century. During most of the Spanish colonial per iod, this territory was known as Upper Peru and was under the administration of the Viceroyalty of Peru, which included most of Spain's South American colonies, although the area enjoyed substantial autonomy under the jurisdiction of the Ro yal Court of Charcas. After declaring independence in 1809, 16 years of war foll owed before the establishment of the Republic, named for Simn Bolvar, on 6 August 1825. Bolivia has struggled through periods of political instability, dictatorsh ips and economic woes. Bolivia is a democratic republic that is divided into nine departments. Its geog raphy is varied from the peaks of the Andes in the West, to the Eastern Lowlands , situated within the Amazon Basin. It is a developing country, with a Medium Hu man Development Index score, and a poverty level of 53%.[12] Its main economic a ctivities include agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining, and manufacturing good s such as textiles, clothing, refined metals, and refined petroleum. Bolivia is very wealthy in minerals, especially tin. Bolivia has gained global attention fo r its 'Law of the Rights of Mother Earth', one of the unique laws in the world t hat accord nature the same rights as humans.[13][14][15][16] The Bolivian population, estimated at 10 million, is multiethnic, including Amer indians, Mestizos, Europeans, Asians and Africans. The main language spoken is S panish, although the Guarani, Aymara and Quechua languages are also common and a ll three, as well as 34 other indigenous languages, are official. The large numb er of different cultures within Bolivia has contributed greatly to a wide divers ity in fields such as art, cuisine, literature, and music.