Bolivia

Introduction & Quick Facts
Land
- Relief
- Drainage
- Soils
- Climate
- Plant life
- Animal life
- Settlement patterns
  - The Altiplano
  - The Valles and the Oriente
People
- Ethnic groups
- Languages and religion
- Demography
Economy
- Resources
  - Minerals
  - Hydrocarbons
  - Electric power
- Agriculture
- Industry
- Services
  - Banking and finance
  - Tourism
  - Trade
- Transportation
Administration and social conditions
- Government
- Education, health, and welfare
Cultural life
- Traditional culture
- Daily life
- The arts
- Sports and recreation
- Press and telecommunications
History
- Early period
- Bolivia from 1825 to c. 1930
  - Foundation and early national period
  - Loss of the coastal region
  - Formation of Liberal and Conservative parties
  - Increase in tin mining
  - Liberal rule, 1899–1920
  - The Republican Party
- Bolivia from 1930 to c. 1980
  - The Chaco War and military rule
  - The rise of new political groups and the Bolivian National Revolution
  - Post-1952 regimes
  - Return to military rule
- Bolivia from c. 1980 to 2000
  - Transition to civilian rule
  - Restoration of civilian government
- Cochabamba water war
- Bolivia in the 21st century

References & Edit History Facts & Stats

Images, Videos & Interactives

Map of South America highlighting Bolivia in light brown, with surrounding countries labeled and the capital city, La Paz, marked with a star. The map shows Bolivia as a landlocked country bordered by Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, Chile, and Peru.

Indigenous people from the Bolivian Amazon march through a city street in La Paz, wearing traditional clothing and carrying Bolivian flags to protest a proposed highway.

Political map of Bolivia displaying national and departmental boundaries, major cities, rivers, and neighboring countries including Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, Chile, and Peru. An inset locator map in the upper right shows Bolivia's position within South America.

Uyuni Salt Flat

A herd of wild llamas (Lama glama) stands and walks across the white expanse of the Uyuni Salt Pan in Bolivia, with brown hills in the background.

Bolivia: Ethnic composition

Map of South America highlighting in purple the regions where Quechuan languages are spoken, primarily along the Andes Mountains in Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and smaller areas in Colombia, Chile, and northern Argentina.

Bolivia: Religious affiliation

At a Glance

default image

Bolivia summary

Bolivia: Media

country, South America

Videos

Hear about Chuno, a traditional Andean freeze-dried potato dish, also the effect of climate change on the drying process of the food

Hear about Chuno, a traditional Andean freeze-dried potato dish, also the effect of climate change on the drying process of the food

Overview of chuño, a traditional Andean dish using freeze-dried potatoes.

Video: University College Cork, Ireland (A Britannica Publishing Partner)

How do countries choose their capital cities?

How do countries choose their capital cities?

Learn more about how countries decide where to locate their capital cities.

Video: Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.

Images

Bolivia

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Map of South America highlighting Bolivia in light brown, with surrounding countries labeled and the capital city, La Paz, marked with a star. The map shows Bolivia as a landlocked country bordered by Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, Chile, and Peru.

Bolivia

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Indigenous people from the Bolivian Amazon march through a city street in La Paz, wearing traditional clothing and carrying Bolivian flags to protest a proposed highway.

Bolivian activists

Activists from the Amazon River basin arriving in the Bolivian capital of La Paz...

Aizar Raldes—AFP/Getty Images

Political map of Bolivia displaying national and departmental boundaries, major cities, rivers, and neighboring countries including Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, Chile, and Peru. An inset locator map in the upper right shows Bolivia's position within South America.

Bolivia

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Uyuni Salt Flat

Uyuni Salt Flat

The Uyuni Salt Flat at sunrise, Bolivia.

© sara_winter/iStock.com

A herd of wild llamas (Lama glama) stands and walks across the white expanse of the Uyuni Salt Pan in Bolivia, with brown hills in the background.

Llamas, Bolivia

Llamas on the Coipasa Salt Flat, southwestern Bolivia.

© xeni4ka/iStock.com

Map of South America highlighting in purple the regions where Quechuan languages are spoken, primarily along the Andes Mountains in Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and smaller areas in Colombia, Chile, and northern Argentina.

Map of Quechuan-speaking regions in South America

Quechuan languages are widely spoken in Bolivia, particularly in the Andean highlands...

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc./Refugio Mariscal

Stone facade of the Cathedral in Potosi, Bolivia, with two bell towers and arched green doors, viewed from the front against a partly cloudy sky.

Bolivia

Cathedral, Potosí, Bolivia.

© Juergen Schonnop/Dreamstime.com

Dancers in the Oruro Carnival parade in Bolivia wear elaborate, colorful devil costumes with ornate masks and headdresses, performing in a lively street procession.

Carnival celebration, Oruro, Bolivia

Pre-Lenten Carnival celebration in Oruro, Bolivia, with dancers performing a diablada,...

© Phil Clarke Hill/In Pictures Ltd.—Corbis/Getty Images

Chaco War

Chaco War

A Bolivian patrol during the Chaco War (1932–35), near the Pilcomayo River in the...

© Keystone—Hulton Archive/Getty Images

hanging lobster claw

hanging lobster claw

Hanging lobster claw, or false bird of paradise (Heliconia rostrata).

AdstockRF

Bolivia

Bolivia

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Map of the continent of South America showing country borders, major rivers, and labeled countries including Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay, Ecuador, Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana. Surrounding bodies of water, such as the Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, and Caribbean Sea, are also labeled.

landlocked country

Bolivia and Paraguay are the only two landlocked countries in the Western Hemisphere.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Audio

National anthem of Bolivia

The instrumental version of the national anthem of Bolivia.

Interactives

Bolivia: Ethnic composition

Bolivia: Ethnic composition

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Bolivia: Religious affiliation

Bolivia: Religious affiliation

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Bolivia: Age breakdown

Bolivia: Age breakdown

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Bolivia: Urban-rural

Bolivia: Urban-rural

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Bolivia: Major export destinations

Bolivia: Major export destinations

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Bolivia: Major import sources

Bolivia: Major import sources

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

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