|RNature and climate:|N In the west the Andes mountains with peaks of 6 550 m.a.s.l. Between two branches of the Andes is the Bolivian high plateau at 4000 m.a.s.l., which is the Bolivian mainland. In the south this plateau is a desert and a savannah, but in the northern part cultivable and densely populated. On the Peruvian border is Lake Titicaca, the worlds highest situated lake with commercial shipping, at 3 812 m.a.s.l. East of the Andes are lowlands. In the south savannahs and in the north tropical rain forests.
Average temperature in the northern parts + 10°C throughout the year. In the southern parts 0°C in July and + 10°C in January, with great differences between day and night. Night temperatures may reach - 20°C.
|RPeople:|N 55% Indians, Quechua and Aymara, 30% mestizoes and 14% Europeans, most of them Spanish.
|REconomy:|N Agriculture and stockfarming occupies 50% of the population, but accounts for only 15% of GNP. Potatoes, maize, rice and wheat are grown for domestic consumption and sugar, cotton and coffee for export.
More than half the nation is forested and during the last decades felling has increased and export started.
Bolivia has rich mineral resources. One of the worlds leading producers of tin, antimony, tungsten and bismuth. Also gold, lead, silver, zinc, iron, oil and natural gas are extracted.
Manufacturing weakly developed and produces textiles, leather goods and food. Also some chemical and petrochemical manufacturing.
Bolivia has 14 000 navigable rivers in connection with the Amazon River.
|RHistory:|N Together with Peru, Ecuador and Chile, Bolivia was the base for several prehistoric highly developed cultures. Among others the Tahuanaco-culture in the 9th century and the Inca-culture from the 13th to the 15th century.
The Spaniard Francisco Pizzaro conquered the area 1553. From 1776 it was administrated through the vicekingdom of La Plata and governed from Buenos Aires.
An army led by Simon Bolivar liberated New Granada, Venezuela and Ecuador 1819 - 1821. They formed the republic Colombia with Bolivar as president. Bolivars confident friend and brother-in-arms liberated Peru in 1824 and Bolivia in 1825, and gave Bolivia the name after Bolivar.
They had in mind to form a South American Union of Nations, but this failed because of Bolivars increasingly conservative and despotic rule.
At the foundation Bolivia was bigger than today. It had for example a coast on the Pacific Ocean, but great areas were lost to Peru, Chile and Paraguay in wars 1879 to 1935. Todays borders were confirmed 1938.
Bolivia has been one of the most politically unstable nations of the world. More than 180 coups have been carried out since 1825. All these coups with changes in policy all the time, has made Bolivia unable to take advantage of its rich natural resources. Export of raw material has made it very dependent on international trade conditions.
In 1980 a national congress was democratically elected and in 1982 the military allowed it to take power.
Bolivia have extensive coca-plantations.
The coca is sold mainly on export for cocaine processing. Several other nations, but especially the USA, has put pressure on Bolivia to reduce this production. This has led to clashes between police and cocagrowers.
