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Bolivia Background Information

Bolivia, named after independence fighter Simon BOLIVAR, broke away from Spanish rule in 1825; much of its subsequent history has consisted of a series of nearly 200 coups and countercoups. Democratic civilian rule was established in 1982, but leaders have faced difficult problems of deep-seated poverty, social unrest, and illegal drug production. In December 2005, Bolivians elected Movement Toward Socialism leader Evo MORALES president - by the widest margin of any leader since the restoration of civilian rule in 1982 - after he ran on a promise to change the country's traditional political class and empower the nation's poor majority. However, since taking office, his controversial strategies have exacerbated racial and economic tensions between the Amerindian populations of the Andean west and the non-indigenous communities of the eastern lowlands.

Bolivia Quickstats

  • Population: 9,119,152 (July 2007 est.)
  • Area: 1,098,580 sq km
  • Density: 8.4 /km² (210th)
  • GDP (total): $25.684 billion (101st)
  • GDP (per capita): $2,817 (125th)
  • Literacy: 86.7%

Languages of Bolivia

Useful to know

  • Currency: Boliviano (BOB)
  • Dial code: +591

International Trade

External sites

More Resources

Bolivia Internet

  • Usage: 480,000
  • Penetration: 5.1 %
  • Top Domain: .bl

WT eBusiness info:

  • Success Ranking: 100
  • Market testing: Untested
  • Overall risk: High
  • Overall reward: Low

e-maturity:

  • Tourism: 10%
  • eCommerce: 10%
  • Gaming: 10%
  • eLearning: 10%

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