| Area Total | 1,098,581 sq km |
| Climate | varies with altitude; humid and tropical to cold and semiarid |
| Natural Resources | tin, natural gas, petroleum, zinc, tungsten, antimony, silver, iron, lead, gold, timber, hydropower |
| Imports | $8.601 billion (2017 est.) partners: China 21.7%, Brazil 16.8%, Argentina 12.6%, US 8.4%, Peru 6.5% (2017) |
| Exports | $7.746 billion (2017 est.) partners: Brazil 17.9%, Argentina 16%, US 7.8%, Japan 7.3%, India 6.6%, South Korea 6.3%, Colombia 5.8% (2017) |
| Government | presidential republic |
| Capital | La Paz |
| Population | 11.3 million (July 2018 est.) |
| Ethnicity | mestizo (mixed white and Amerindian ancestry) 68%, indigenous 20%, white 5%, cholo/chola 2%, black 1%, other 1%, unspecified 3% (2009 est.) |
| Language | Spanish (official) 60.7%, Quechua (official) 21.2%, Aymara (official) 14.6%, foreign languages 2.4%, Guarani (official) 0.6%, other native languages 0.4%, none 0.1% (2001 est.) |
News about Bolivia
- Maduro vows to declare a 'republic in arms' if US forces in the Caribbean attack Venezuela
by Regina Garcia Cano and Juan Arraez on September 1, 2025Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro says he would declare a "republic in arms" if the U.S. attacks Venezuela
- How towering dominance of Bolivia’s socialist party came tumbling down
by Tiago Rogero in El Alto on August 20, 2025In strongholds such as El Alto, support for the Mas party that once made Evo Morales Bolivia’s first Indigenous president has ebbed away – leaving it on the brink of extinctionAmid the almost monochrome landscape of bare-brick buildings in the high-altitude Bolivian city of El Alto, taller structures painted in garish colours and mirrored glass stand […]
- Two decades of leftwing dominance end in Bolivia as rightwingers head to election runoff
by Tiago Rogero in La Paz on August 18, 2025Movimiento al Socialismo’s time runs out as economic crisis grips countryBolivia’s presidential election will go to a runoff for the first time, with two rightwing candidates competing for the presidency – marking the end of nearly 20 years of dominance by the leftist Movimiento al Socialismo (Mas).The candidate with the most votes, however, turned […]
- Bolivia votes out ruling leftist government amid economic crisis – video
on August 18, 2025Bolivia’s presidential election will go to a run-off for the first time, with two rightwing candidates competing for the presidency – marking the end of nearly 20 years of dominance by the leftist Movimiento al Socialismo. The candidate with the most votes, centre-right senator Rodrigo Paz Pereira, started the campaign with just 3% support in opinion […]
- Bolivians go to polls in election that could end 20 years of leftist rule
by Tiago Rogero in La Paz on August 17, 2025Rightwing candidates lead polling ahead of fragmented left amid country’s worst economic crisis in four decadesBolivians are going to the polls in an election that could mark a shift to the right and the end of nearly 20 years of rule by the leftist Movimiento al Socialismo (Mas).The party, which came to power with the first election of Evo Morales in […]
- Bolivia election could see lurch to right as once-dominant party’s time runs out
by Tiago Rogero in La Paz on August 15, 2025The two leading presidential candidates are both rightwingers and the leftist party of former president Evo Morales faces potential extinctionIn Plaza Murillo, the heart of Bolivia’s political capital, La Paz – and home to the presidential palace, parliament and the country’s main Catholic cathedral – time may be running out for a clock that runs […]
- Weather tracker: Temperatures plunge in Chile, Argentina and Uruguay
by Brendan Wood for MetDesk on June 30, 2025Cold spell expected to push northwards as storm system that has brought torrential rain in Bolivia and Brazil clearsA sharp cold spell affecting the southern half of South America is expected to intensify and push northwards in the coming days as a broad area of high pressure builds over the continent.Over the weekend, large parts of Chile, Argentina and […]
- Deadly clashes over Morales candidacy deepen Bolivia crisis in election run-up
by Tiago Rogero in Rio de Janeiro on June 17, 2025Six killed and hundreds injured in weeks of unrest, as supporters demand former president be allowed to runFatal clashes between police and supporters of former president Evo Morales have deepened Bolivia’s political and economic crisis, heightening tensions in the Andean country just two months before the presidential election.Six people have been killed […]
- ‘Global red alert’: forest loss hits record high – and Latin America is the heart of the inferno
by Benjamin Swift in La Paz, Bolivia on May 23, 2025With little state support, villagers are left to battle wildfires armed with little more than shovels and bottles of water • Fires drove record loss of world’s forests last yearWildfires engulfed vast swathes of South America last year, devastating ecosystems, closing schools and grounding flights. With its worst fire season on record, Bolivia was […]
- Fires drove record loss of world’s forests last year, ‘frightening’ data shows
by Patrick Greenfield on May 21, 2025Burning, worsened by global heating, overtook farming and logging as biggest cause of destruction of tropical forestsThe destruction of the world’s forests reached the highest level ever recorded in 2024, driven by a surge in fires caused by global heating, according to “frightening” new data.From the Brazilian Amazon to the Siberian taiga, Earth’s […]
- Bolivian ‘cholitas’ play high altitude golf – in pictures
by Photographs by Michael Dunn on May 18, 2025At La Paz Golf Club in Bolivia, indigenous cholitas play a round on their day off from looking after the grounds at one of the world’s highest courses Continue reading...
- From president to fugitive: in the jungle hideout of Evo Morales
by Presented by Michael Safi with Tiago Rogero; produced by George McDonagh, Eli Block and Ivor Manley; executive producer Courtney Yusuf on May 15, 2025The socialist icon wants to defy the Bolivian constitution by running for a fourth term. But is he trying to save the country or himself? Tiago Rogero reportsDeep in the jungle region of Chapare, Bolivia’s coca country, the former president and socialist icon Evo Morales is holed up in a compound surrounded by supporters armed with sticks and homemade […]
- Tracking down Evo Morales, Bolivia’s fugitive ex-president, in his jungle hideout – video
by Tom Silverstone, Tiago Rogero, Laurence Topham and Temujin Doran on May 8, 2025In a remote corner of central Bolivia, hundreds of coca farmers have armed themselves with sticks and makeshift shields to protect the country’s former president, Evo Morales. For nearly 14 years, he dominated national politics and oversaw a gas-fueled economic boom that lifted millions out of poverty. Today, he is in hiding after an arrest warrant […]
- Plotting a comeback, Bolivia’s ex-leader defies arrest warrant in jungle hideoutby Tiago Rogero and Tom Silverstone in Lauca Ñ and La Paz on May 8, 2025
Evo Morales is charged with statutory rape of a 15-year-old girl but still hopes to oust former ally Luis Arce as presidentIf it were not taking place in a small village deep within the Bolivian jungle, the scene could easily have been mistaken for a film set or live-action role-playing game: hundreds of people brandish wooden spears and improvised shields […]
- Want to beat authoritarianism? Look to Latin America | Greg Grandin
by Greg Grandin on April 25, 2025The region has grappled with dictatorships, coups and inequality. But its democratic spirit remains vital – and offers a lesson for the USInspiration on how to beat back authoritarianism is in short supply, but those searching for hope in these dark times might consider Latin America.It’s not the first place that comes to mind when thinking about […]
