Location: South America.
Time Zone: GMT - 4.
Area: 1,098,581 sq km (424,164 sq miles). About the size of France and Spain together
Population: 9 million (UN estimate 2005).
Population Density: 7.6 per sq km.
Capitals:
Legal: Sucre. Population: 250,000 (official estimate 2006).
Administrative: La Paz. Population: 830,000 (official estimate 2006).
Geography: Bolivia is a landlocked country bordered by Peru to the northwest, Brazil to the north and east, Paraguay to the southeast, Argentina to the south and Chile to the west. There are three main areas: the first is a high plateau known as the ‘Altiplano’, a largely barren region lying approximately 4,000m (13,000ft) above sea level. It comprises 10% of the country’s area and contains 70% of the population, nearly one-third of whom are urban dwellers. The second area is a fertile valley situated 1,800m (5,900ft) to 2,700m (8,850ft) above sea level. The third area comprises the lowland tropics which stretch down to the frontiers with Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay, taking up some 70% of the land area. Rainfall in this region is high, and the climate is hot.
Government: Republic. Gained independence from Spain in 1825.
Head of State: President Evo Morales since January 2006.
Recent History: Following revolts, stemming from multiple fractious factors, such as economic recession and longstanding ethnic tensions, Movimiento Nacional Revolucionario's Gonzalo Sanchez de Lozada resigned in 2003. Carlos Mesa assumed presidency and, for a while, seemed the man for the job of quieting this turbulent country. However, he resigned in June 2005 after a surge of protests swept the country.
Presidential elections took place in December 2005. Evo Morales, a leftist from Bolivia's indigenous peoples, won a decisive victory and was inaugurated as president in January 2006. Morales is the leader of Bolivia's cocalero movement – a loose federation of coca leaf-growing campesinos who are resisting the efforts of the the US-sponsored 'war on drugs'.
As of May 2006, Morales nationalised all natural gas reserves.
Language: The official language is Spanish, but the main native languages are Quechua, Aymará and Guaraní. English can be spoken by a small number of officials and businesspeople in commercial centres.
Religion: Roman Catholic with a Protestant minority.
Electricity: 220 volts AC, 50Hz. European two-pin (circular) plugs or Japanese-style two-pin (perpendicular flat) plugs. The City of La Paz also has 110 volts available (dual voltage).
Social Conventions: Normal social courtesies in most Bolivian families and respect for traditions should be observed. Remember to refer to rural Bolivians as campesinos rather than Indians, which is considered an insult. Western dress and diet are gradually being adopted by the campesinos; a suit and tie for men and dress for women should be worn for smart social occasions. Casual wear is otherwise suitable. Smoking is accepted unless indicated otherwise.
Banking
Currency : Boliviano (BOB; symbol $b) = 100 centavos. Notes are in denominations of $b200, 100, 50, 20, 10 and 5. Coins are in denominations of $b5, 2 and 1, and 50, 20 and 10 centavos.
Currency Exchange: Money can be changed in hotels and casas de cambio.
Credit/Debit Cards and ATMs: American Express, Diners Club, MasterCard and Visa are accepted in most mid- to top-range hotels and restaurants, but otherwise have limited acceptance. ATMs are available in most larger towns and cities.
Traveller's Cheques: US Dollar traveller's cheques are probably the best form of currency to take to Bolivia at present. Pounds Sterling cheques can sometimes be exchanged, but only with difficulty.
Banking Hours: Mon-Fri 0800-1200 and 1430-1800. Some banks open Sat 0900-1300.
Communications
Telephone Country code: 591.
Mobile Telephone: Roaming agreements exist with a limited number of international mobile phone companies; travellers are advised to check with their mobile phone service provider. Coverage is average.
Internet: Available in large cities and resorts. There are Internet cafes in main towns.
Post: Airmail to Europe takes three to four days. Post office hours: Mon-Fri 0800-2000, Sat 0830-1800.
Media: Media ownership is highly concentrated. Bolivia's media are dominated by privately-run press and broadcasting outlets. There are serious concerns over Bolivia's previous treatment of journalists who covered social unrest or were involved in defamation or slander. As a result, self-censorship is usually exercised. Low literacy levels impede upon newspaper readership; radio tends to have precedence.
Press: The main papers published in La Paz are El Diario (daily) and La Razón (daily). Santa Cruz dailies include El Deber and El Mundo.
TV: Televisión Boliviana (Canal 7) is the government-run, commercial station. Private stations in Santa Cruz are Bolivisión (Canal 4) and Unitel (Canal 9). Private stations in La Paz are ATB Red Nacional (Canal 9), Red Uno (Canal 11) and TV Universitaria (Canal 13). Red PAT is a national private TV station.
Radio: Radio stations dealing with news and talk include Radio Fides (Catholic-based), Radio Metropolitana and Radio Panamericana. Radio Cadena Nacional (RCN) is the major national radio station. Radio Illimani is a popular state-run station.
