| One of only two land-locked countries in South | | | | Independence did not bring peace or stability to Bolivia. |
| America, Bolivia is a mountainous country. Here is an | | | | The country was rife with corruption and coups by |
| overview of the country | | | | various factions. This weakness led to disastrous |
| The official name of Bolivia is the Republic of Bolivia. | | | | results during the late 1800s when Chile annexed the |
| Bolivia covers an area of 425,000 square miles, a | | | | entire area of coastline held by Bolivia on the Pacific |
| surprisingly large country. The capital is La Paz, which | | | | Ocean. Bolivia has never recovered the land in |
| has a population of just over 800,000 people. Santa | | | | question and has suffered economically for it. |
| Cruz is the largest city by population with over 1.4 | | | | The people of Bolivia are known as Bolivians. The total |
| million residents. | | | | population for the country is 8.973 million as of the last |
| The terrain of Bolivia is one of high mountains and | | | | census in 2004. Growth rate is a strong 2.7 percent |
| plains with some elevations so high as to result in | | | | per year, meaning an additional 230,000 people may |
| altitude sickness. La Paz, in fact, is located at an | | | | have been added from 2004 to 2005. |
| elevation of nearly 12,000 feet above sea level. This | | | | The ethnic breakdown of Bolivians is 62 percent |
| makes the highest capital city in the world. The climate | | | | indigenous and 38 percent European and mixed race. |
| varies from arid in the high elevations to tropical in | | | | The people primarily adhere to the Roman Catholic |
| lower locations. | | | | faith, but a small Protestant group of adherents is |
| Historically, Bolivia was considered to be part of Peru | | | | present. The official language is Spanish, with Quechua, |
| during the reign of the colonial Spanish. When Spain | | | | Aymara and Guarani indigenous languages also used. |
| was weekend through wars with the French, | | | | The literacy rate is 85 percent. Life expectancy figures |
| independence was sought by many of their colonies. In | | | | are currently unknown. |
| 1809, the country known today as Bolivia declared | | | | Bolivia is a country that seems to sway between |
| independence, naming itself after a general of the | | | | chaos and moves towards stability. The future of the |
| same name. It took another 16 years to actually gain | | | | country is hard to predict as there appears to be no |
| autonomy from the Spanish. | | | | steadying influence in the region. |