Bolivia Explorer
ALL ABOUT BOLIVIA
Plurinational State of Bolivia
This is the official name of the country. Bolivia is named after the Commander and Chief of the Liberation Army, Simon Bolivia.
Bolivia's Flag: has vertical stripes of red, green, and yellow, along with Bolivia's coat of arms in the middle. Red stands for Bolivia's brave soldiers, green symbolizes fertility, and yellow represents the nation's mineral deposits.
Official Languages: Spanish 60.7%, Quecha 21.2% and Aymara 14.6%
Minority Languages: Guarani, Native languages
Economy & Government
Diplomatic relations with the U.S.: Diplomatic relations between the US and Bolivia were first established when Bolivia gained its independence in 1849. The US is of Bolivia's top trade partners. The US exports to Bolivia include machinery, vehicles, aircraft optical and medical instruments, and agricultural products. Relations with the US have deteriorated as the Bolivian government began to break elements of the relationship. For example in 2008 the government expelled the U.S. Ambassador and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration from the country.
GDP: $34.18 billion USD
GDP per capita: 1371.86 USD
HDI Ranking: 113
Level of economic development: Bolivia is a lesser developed country because it includes mainly lower value and labor-intensive jobs: mining, farming. Bolivia is also the second poorest country in South America.
Level of economic activities: The levels of economic activity in Bolivia includes primary and secondary. Bolivia has a lot of agriculture and farming as well as mining. These are the main levels because of Bolivia's natural resources, mountains, and fertile soil.
What these things represent for Bolivia is that it is a very poor country and the countrie's overall development compared to other countries (HDI).
Economic System: Bolivia's economy is centered on agriculture and is a subsistence economy, it is mainly traditional. A large part of the population makes its living from the illegal growing of coca. But despite having the second-largest reserves of natural gas in South America, there have been arguments of how to exploit it. Bolivia economy has had many ups and downs and currently one of the poorest countries of the Western Hemisphere. Industry is limited to mining and smelting, petroleum refining, food processing, and small-scale manufacturing. Petroleum products, plastics, paper, aircraft and parts, foods, automobiles, and consumer goods are imported. Bolivia is a part of the Andean Community, an economic organization of South American countries.
Advantages-
Disadvantages-People in higher power take advantage of the discrepanices between them and the poor, vulnerable to economic crises.
Government Type: Constitutional Republic. Bolivia is governed under the constitution of 2009. The head of state and of government is the president who is elected to five-year term. The bicameral legislature, the Plurinational Legislative Assembly, is made up of a higher Chamber of Senators and a lower Chamber of Deputies. The 36 senators and 130 deputies are elected for five-year terms. Bolivia is divided into nine departments.
Advantages- different opinions and viewpoints, representation of people, develop civic virtues
Disadvantages- chances for corruption, citizens can lose sight of good for people and affect whole government
Travel & Energy
Energy Consumption and Production: Bolivia’s petroleum and other liquids production is estimated 67,000 barrels a day and 53,000 barrels per day of crude oil. Bolivia consumes around 746.16kg of oil per capita and 623.38 kWh of electricity per capita.
Natural Resources: Natural Resources in Bolivia include petroleum, zinc, tin, silver, gold, lead, and natural gas.
Infastructure: Bolivia has a changing infrastructure. It is adapting to new technologies and has a rapid growth of cellular use. Most Bolivians use inter-city buses, flotas, to travel in and out of cities. Bolivia has made highway construction and maintenance a priority. Some of the traditional infrastructure has deteriorated especially the fine railway system. Airlines in Bolivia include Lloyd Aereo Boliviano (LAB) and Transportes Aereos Militares.
Climate
As shown in the climograph, Bolivia's rainy season is between December and February/March. The temperatures range from 3 to 15 degrees Celsius. Because of the many different elevations in Bolivia, there are many different ranges of climate.
Climate: Bolivia’s climate various with its multiple altitude zones. It varies between humid and subtropical to cold and semiarid and also savannah.
Factors affecting climate: climate change, deforestation, and
Population Demographics
Life Expectancy- 68 yrs old
Birth Rate- 23.28/1,000pop
Death Rate- 6.52/1,000pop
Infant Mortality Rate- 37.49/1,000pop
Total Fertility Rate- 2.73/1,000pop
Rate of Natural Increase- 1.6%
Net Migration Rate- -.69 per 1,000
The population demographics represent that Bolivia is a growing country with its high birth rate and low death rate. The infant mortality rate shows lack of medical care but is made up for by the birth rate. Also the rate of natural increase shows that Bolivia's population is growing.
This population pyramid of Bolivia shows how there are many children being born. The pyramid suggest and rapid, positive population growth. Generally there are about the same amount of females and males.
In the population distribution map it shows how Bolivians are centered around the Appalachian Mountains and the areas surrounding it. This is possibly because on the abundant resources in and on the mountains.
In the Demographic transition model, Bolivia would with in the 2nd stage but leaning towards the 3rd. This would be because of Bolivia's high birth rate a low death rate. Bolivia is also centered around agriculture though it is beginning to adapt more technology which would improve medical care. In many places of Bolivia religion is important and because of the lack of medical care there is not much family planning. There is a high infant mortality that is also an effect of the lack of medical care and access to it for all of the population. Because Bolivia is beginning to adapt new technology there is not as much of a need for children to be working on farms as people move to cities.
Bolivian History
1200
1438-1532
1538
1824-1825
1879-1884
1932-1935
1952
2006
The land now known as Bolivia comes under the control of native people called the Aymara.
The Incas begin to expand their empire which includes Bolivia and Peru.
Spain invades and conquers the area for land and resources.
The land gains independence and is freed from Spanish rule by Antonio José de Sucre and Simón BolÃvar. It is named Bolivia in honor of BolÃvar and Sucre becomes the nation's first selected president.
Bolivia and Chile go to war over control of a part of the Atacama Desert. Bolivia becomes landlocked, losing its ony coastal territory to Chile.
Disputes over the Chaco Boreal between Paraguay and Bolvia led to war. Paraguay gained most of the land and a peace treaty was signed 1938.
Victor Paz Estenssoro becomes president of Bolivia and he gives native people the right to vote.
Evo Morales becomes Bolivia's first indigenous persident and he puts the energy and gas industry under goverment control.