Bolivia

The Bolivia or République of Bolivia is a country of South America without access to the sea surrounded by the Brésil, the Paraguay, the Argentine, the Chile and the Peru.

History

See also: History of Bolivia

Before the Spanish conquest, the Andes were inhabited by many cultures, most important was certainly the civilization of Tiahuanaco (also written tiwanaku). Into the 15th century, the INCA S integrated part of current Bolivia in their empire. The Spanish discovered on their arrival at the 16th century, a very great quantity of money in the mines of Potosí. Bolivia formed initially part of the viceroyalty of Peru before passing under the control of the viceroyalty of Río of Plata.

The fights for independence began in 1809, but independence was acquired only in 1825, thanks to the armies of Bolívar from where the country draws its name. Bolivia and the Peru constituted only one country for one short period of time.

Bolivia lost most of its territory following the wars which it carried out against the Chile and thus lost its single access to the sea (war of the Pacific) then against the Paraguay (Guerre of Chaco in 1935), the Brésil with which it sells the area of Acre.

Many coups d'etat followed one another during the 20th century. Finally, the last military junta with the capacity ended with the beginning of the year 1980.

In 2000, a natural gas layer, estimated at 1,58 billion cubic meters, is discovered in the area of Tarija. To build a gas pipeline towards the sea, two options were possible: either to pass by the Peru, or to pass by the Chile. The Chilean way seemed easier from the technical point of view, but was criticized because of the resentments going back to the wars of the 19th century.

Evo Morales gains the presidential election of 2005 with more than 53% of the voices. These elections were convened by Eduardo Rodríguez whereas it succeeded, the June 9th 2005, with Carlos Mesa following the demonstrations which blocked all the country. The January 22nd 2006, the congress names it officially president, it then becomes the first Amerindian Bolivian president of origin .

See also: War of the gas

Policy

See also: Political of Bolivia

Bolivia is a République Parlement surface. The President, elected every 5 years, is at the same time the Head of State and the chief of the government. It names the ministers. The Parliament is formed by two rooms: the Senate, composed of 27 seats, and the House of Commons, composed of 130 seats.

Bolivia belongs to the Andean Communauté.

The June 6th 2005, following the many demonstrations, Carlos Mesa resigns leaving her place to the chief of the Supreme court, Eduardo Rodríguez. However the return to a state of calm is fragile, the popular movements primarily Indiens always claim (inter alia) the renationalization of the gas and crude oil reserves of the country, currently exploited by American or European firms.

Legislative elections normally planned for the December 4th 2005 had to be deferred to the December 18th 2005. Those were gained by Evo Morales. A referendum took place the June 2nd 2006 to offer a greater autonomy to the departments of Bolivia. Decentralization was one of the essential claims of the protests of 2005 made by the movements of the area of Santa Cruz. Contrary, the movements of indigenous origin denounce this will separatist, which would serve the oligarchical minority of the country.

May 1st, 2006, Evo Morales announces the Nationalization layers of hydrocarbon, national company YPFB " assume marketing, defines the conditions, volumes and the prices, both for the interior market the exportation". The population exulte, the foreign countries, in particular Brazil, concerned with the first chief on the level of the company Petrobras, worries: they will lose most of the Revenu S which they drew from the exploitation from Bolivian oil and the incentive to take part in exploration and the investment in the layers and the distribution. In addition for Brazil a difficulty of access to the gas supplies arises which constitute an important part of its own consumption.

Departments

See also: Departments of Bolivia

Bolivia is divided into 9 departments.

Geography

See also: Geography of Bolivia

Bolivia is made up of two quite distinct geographical areas. The occident is crossed by two cordilleras of North-South orientations which border a vast plate, the Altiplano , it is in this area which the major part of the Bolivian ones saw. The cordillera Western, arid, shelters some majestic tops as the Nevado Sajama which with its 6.542 meters is the culminating point of Bolivia. The high plateau is bordered in the North-East by the royal cordillera where one can admire inter alia the Nevado Illimani and the Illampu and where shelters the town of La Paz. The solid masses of the Eastern cordillera shelter wet valleys and have buttresses covered with forests.

To the east extend from vast alluvial plains which profit from a tropical climate. The north of these low grounds belongs to the Amazonian basin and is mainly covered with forest. More in the south, the grounds belong to the basin of the Río Paraguay, the grounds are more cleared there.

Among geographical curiosities of the country, one can quote the Lac Titicaca, located at horse between the Peru and Bolivia, it is the most navigable lake of the world, its great extent allows a lenient microclimate on its banks which were the cradle of civilization Tiwanaku; the Salar de Uyuni, located at the west of the country, on the south of the altiplano in the Department of Potosí, is the greatest salt extent in the world. One can also admire the Royal Cordillère which shelters majestic covered with snow tops, the Park of the volcanos, where one can observe the Nevado Sajama and the Bañados de Izozog.

Among the big cities, one can quote La Paz, in very high-altitude, very marked by the Aymara culture, Sucre, called the " Paris of Andes" for its architectural richnesses; Santa Cruz of the Sierra, the big city of the Bolivian East; Cochabamba, crossroads city, called sometimes the " The Vatican of Andes"

Land borders

  • 3400 km with the Brazil
  • 900 km with the Peru
  • 861 km with the Chile
  • 832 km with the Argentinian
  • 750 km with the Paraguay

Climate

The Bolivian climate is hot and wet but its climatic conditions are varied because of various altitudes. In high-altitude, as in the the Andes, the climate is cold, dry and windy whereas in plain it is wet and softer. The annual average temperatures are between 8°C in the Altiplano and 26°C in the Eastern plains.

The thermal variations can be very important. On Altiplano with 4000 meters of altitude and Paz in particular, at the time of the hot season (from November to March) the temperature easily reaches 19°C at best day, then falls with the wire of the hours, reaching negative values in evening. In the intermediate valleys located on average at 2500 meters of altitude, such as for example the valley of Cochabamba, the average temperatures are of 18-19 degrees. It is what gives the reputation of “  spring éternel  ” with this area. The diurnal-night variations are even larger here, the temperatures can be sometimes slightly negative in winter and reach 27 to 30 degrees with best of the day (12h-16h). The summer this variation is reduced to 14 and 30 degrees. In the oriental party the climate is subtropical. Important pluviometry generates a luxuriant vegetation. The summer the relative humidity is very high, sometimes even choking. The winter (June-August) is less wet but it is sometimes refreshed by cold winds come from Patagonie called surazos and make fall the temperature with 12 degrees and the cold is more penetrating because of moisture.

Economy

See also: Economy of Bolivia

Bolivia was a long time one of the poorest countries of Latin America. It carried out great liberal reforms in the years 1990. Thus, the president Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada (1993 - 1997) signed in particular a treaty of Free trade with the Mexico, and adhered to the Mercosur as an associated member. Moreover, this president privatisé the airline company, the company of Téléphonie, the railroads, the company of electricity, as well as the company of Pétrole.

The growth of GDP slowed down in 1999, partly because of a budget policy of austerity. These restrictions slowed down the implementation of the programs of fight against poverty. This deceleration is also partly explained by the repercussions of the Asian Crise.

Social disturbances burst in April, September and October 2000 because of the privatization of the water-company. Consequently, the growth of the GDP was not higher than 2,5%. The GDP did not progress in 2001 because of the deceleration of the worldwide economy and the weakness of the national activity. The public deficit amounted to 8,6% in 2002.

The economy of the country depends much on the assistance brought by the foreign countries. In particular, the United States takes part in 2005 to 10% of the GDP of Bolivia, within the framework of the programme of eradication of the Coca because although the aggregate output is not known officially, Bolivia is regarded as the third supplier of sheets of Coke after Colombia and Peru.

Bolivia has important a Foreign debt.

Bolivia is a Flag of convenience.

The imports come mainly from the Brésil (40%), of the the United States (13,9%), of the Colombia (8,7%), of the Peru (6,3%) and of the Japan (4,5%) (given of 2004). Its exports go mainly towards the Brésil (33,9%), the the United States (12,7%), the Colombia (11,8%), the Venezuela (11,6%), the Peru (5,1%) the Japan (4,2%) (given of 2004).

The principal exported products are the Natural gas, the Soja and its derivatives, the Pétrole, the Zinc and the tin. Bolivia holds the second gas reserves naturalness of South America (900 billion cubic meters, according to the oil company BP), behind Venezuela. Twenty-six gas producer companies or oil multinational work in Bolivia, of which:

May 1st, 2006, Bolivia nationalized the whole of its oil activity, industry which will be managed by oil company public YPFB.

Demography

See also: Demography of Bolivia

The population of Bolivia is evaluated in July 2007 with 9.119.152 inhabitants. She is composed to 55% of Amerindian (30% Quechua and 25% Aymara), to 30% of Métis, and to 15% of white of European origin .

Codes

Bolivia has as codes:

References and notes

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