Terrain
Rugged Andes Mountains with a highland plateau (Altiplano), hills, lowland plains of the Amazon Basin
Climate
Varies with altitude; humid and tropical to cold and semiarid
People
Nationality: Bolivian(s)
Population: 10,461,053 (July 2013 est.)
Languages: Spanish (official) 60.7%, Quechua (official) 21.2%, Aymara (official) 14.6%, foreign languages 2.4%, other 1.2% (2001 census)
Religions
Roman Catholic 95%, Protestant (Evangelical Methodist) 5%
Economy
Bolivia is a resource rich country with strong growth attributed to captive markets for natural gas exports. However, the country remains one of the least developed countries in Latin America because of state-oriented policies that deter investment and growth. Following a disastrous economic crisis during the early 1980s, reforms spurred private investment, stimulated economic growth, and cut poverty rates in the 1990s.
Living Conditions
Bolivia is one of the poorest countries of the Americas. Many Bolivians, particularly in rural areas, live completely outside the cash economy. They have a very simple lifestyle. In the major cities, such as La Paz, Bolivians live a more modern lifestyle. Many people do not have a car and use buses and trucks for local and long-distance travel. Practically all towns are connected by extensive bus routes. Pack animals are used in the more remote highland areas.
Government
Republic; Note: the new constitution defines Bolivia as a “Social Unitarian State”
US Military Presence/Support