La Paz, Uyuni

CAPITAL CITY OF Bolivia: La Paz
LANGUAGE OF Bolivia: Spanish
CURRENCY OF Bolivia: Boliviano (BOB)
COMMENTS ABOUT Bolivia:
Bolivia, officially the Republic of Bolivia, named after Simón Bolívar, is a landlocked country in central South America.
Cities : La Paz (Capital), Sucre, Santa Cruz, Cochabamba, Potosí, Oruro, Tupiza, Uyuni
Best Places : Samaipata, Riberalta, Tiwanaku, Uyuni, Copacabana, Coroico, Rurrenabaque, Madidi National Park, Chacaltaya, Huayna Potosi, Sorata
Eat : charque kan, pique macho, silpancho, anticucho, salchipapa, choripan, desayuno, saltena, tucumana, empanada, cunape, licuado
Calling code : +591
Time zone : (UTC-4)
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 counter-coups. Comparatively democratic civilian rule was established in 1982, but leaders have faced difficult problems of deep-seated poverty, social unrest, and drug production. Current goals include attracting foreign investment, strengthening the educational system, resolving disputes with coca growers over Bolivia's counterdrug efforts, and waging an anticorruption campaign.
CLIMATE OF Bolivia: Bolivia's climate varies with altitude from humid and tropical to cold and semiarid. In most parts of the country winters are dry and summers are somewhat wet. Despite its tropical latitude, the altitude of cities like La Paz keeps things cool, and warm clothing is advised year-round.
RELIGION OF Bolivia: Roman Catholic 95%, Protestant (Evangelical Methodist)
POPULATION OF Bolivia: 8,724,156 (July 2004 est.)>>
ECONOMY OVERVIEW OF Bolivia: Bolivia, long one of the poorest and least developed Latin American countries, made considerable progress in the 1990s toward the development of a market-oriented economy. Successes under President SANCHEZ DE LOZADA (1993-97) included the signing of a free trade agreement with Mexico and becoming an associate member of the Southern Cone Common Market (Mercosur), as well as the privatization of the state airline, telephone company, railroad, electric power company, and oil company. Growth slowed in 1999, in part due to tight government budget policies, which limited needed appropriations for anti-poverty programs, and the fallout from the Asian financial crisis. In 2000, major civil disturbances held down growth to 2.5%. Bolivia's GDP failed to grow in 2001 due to the global slowdown and laggard domestic activity. Growth picked up slightly in 2002, but the first quarter of 2003 saw extensive civil riots and looting and loss of confidence in the government. Bolivia will remain highly dependent on foreign aid unless and until it can develop its substantial natural resources.