Part 87

Maritime claims: none (landlocked)

International disputes: has wanted a sovereign corridor to the South Pacific Ocean since the Atacama area was lost to Chile in 1884; dispute with Chile over Rio Lauca water rights

Climate: varies with altitude; humid and tropical to cold and semiarid

Terrain: rugged Andes Mountains with a highland plateau (Altiplano), hills, lowland plains of the Amazon Basin lowest point: Rio Paraguay 90 m highest point: Cerro Illimani 6,882 m

Natural resources: tin, natural gas, petroleum, zinc, tungsten, antimony, silver, iron, lead, gold, timber

Land use: arable land: 3% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 25% forest and woodland: 52% other: 20%

Irrigated land: 1,650 sq km (1989 est.)

Environment: current issues: the clearing of land for agricultural purposes and the international demand for tropical timber are contributing to deforestation; soil erosion from overgrazing and poor cultivation methods (including slash-and-burn agriculture); desertification; loss of biodiversity; industrial pollution of water supplies used for drinking and irrigation natural hazards: cold, thin air of high plateau is obstacle to efficient fuel combustion, as well as to physical activity by those unaccustomed to it from birth; flooding in the northeast (March-April) international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified - Desertification, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection

Geographic note: landlocked; shares control of Lago Titicaca, world's highest navigable lake (elevation 3,805 m), with Peru

People ------

Population: 7,165,257 (July 1996 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 39% (male 1,422,313; female 1,390,885) 15-64 years: 56% (male 1,959,989; female 2,042,135) 65 years and over: 5% (male 153,111; female 196,824) (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.82% (1996 est.)

Birth rate: 32.37 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate: 10.75 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Net migration rate: -3.41 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female all ages: 0.97 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 67.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 59.81 years male: 56.94 years female: 62.82 years (1996 est.)

Total fertility rate: 4.25 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Nationality: noun: Bolivian(s) adjective: Bolivian

Ethnic divisions: Quechua 30%, Aymara 25%, mestizo (mixed European and Indian ancestry) 25%-30%, European 5%-15%

Religions: Roman Catholic 95%, Protestant (Evangelical Methodist)

Languages: Spanish (official), Quechua (official), Aymara (official)

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1995 est.) total population: 83.1% male: 90.5% female: 76%

Government ----------

Name of country: conventional long form: Republic of Bolivia conventional short form: Bolivia local long form: Republica de Bolivia local short form: Bolivia

Data code: BL