ted boundary in the Una River near Kostajnica,
Hrvatska Dubica, and Zeljava; protests Croatian claim to the tip of the
Klek Peninsula and several islands near Neum

Illicit drugs: minor transit point for marijuana and opiate trafficking
routes to Western Europe

This page was last updated on 1 January 2002

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Bolivia

Introduction

Bolivia

Background: 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 the 1980s, 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, continuing the privatization
program, and waging an anticorruption campaign.

Geography Bolivia

Location: Central South America, southwest of Brazil

Geographic coordinates: 17 00 S, 65 00 W

Map references: South America

Area: total: 1,098,580 sq km water: 14,190 sq km land: 1,084,390 sq km

Area - comparative: slightly less than three times the size of Montana

Land boundaries: total: 6,743 km border countries: Argentina 832 km,
Brazil 3,400 km, Chile 861 km, Paraguay 750 km, Peru 900 km

Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims: none (landlocked)

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

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Rio Paraguay 90 m highest point:
Nevado Sajama 6,542 m

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

Land use: arable land: 2% permanent crops: 0% other: 98% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land: 1,280 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards: flooding in the northeast (March-April)

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

Environment - international