Bolivia

presidential republic

Bolivia, named after independence fighter Simón BOLÍVAR, broke away from Spanish rule in 1825. Much of its subsequent history has consisted of a series of coups and countercoups, with the last coup occurring in 1980. Democratic civilian rule was established in 1982, but leaders have faced problems of deep-seated poverty, social unrest, and illegal drug production.

Profile

CapitalLa Paz (administrative capital); Sucre (constitutional [legislative and judicial] capital)

Population12.4M

GDP$122.2B

Area1,098,581 km²

LanguageSpanish (official) 68.1%, Quechua (official) 17.2%, Aymara (official) 10.5%, Guarani (official) 0.6%, other 1.5%, unspecified 2.1%; note - Spanish and all Indigenous languages are official (2012 est.)

Currencybolivianos (BOB) per US dollar -