Bolivia's Distance From The Ocean: A Geographical Conundrum

Bolivia is a landlocked country in South America, bordered by Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, Chile, and Peru. Bolivia has historically maintained a maritime claim to its so-called Litoral Department, which was lost to Chile in the War of the Pacific (1879-1884). The dispute centres around Bolivia's desire for sovereign access to the Pacific Ocean, which was denied by the International Court of Justice in 2018. Despite this, Bolivia does have access to the Atlantic Ocean via the Tamengo Canal, which runs along Brazil's shared border.

Bolivia is landlocked

Bolivia has tried to regain access to the sea ever since. In 2013, Bolivia's President Evo Morales filed a lawsuit at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, based in the Netherlands, to force Chile to negotiate the handover of some of its land. Bolivia framed the suit partly as an economic matter, arguing that its GDP would be 20% higher if it still had a route to international waters.

In 2024, the ICJ ruled against forcing Chile to negotiate, stating that it was not obliged to grant Bolivia access to the sea. This was a major setback for Morales, who was running for a fourth consecutive term in 2019, and the issue of access to the Pacific Ocean is an emotive one for Bolivians. Despite the ruling, Morales said, "Bolivia will never give up".

Bolivia does have access to the Atlantic Ocean via the Tamengo Canal, which runs along Brazil's shared border. Bolivia also has duty-free port access in Chile and its own customs station and storage facilities on the Chilean coast. However, Bolivia still has to pay for transit to reach the port and its goods are subjected to checks by Chilean authorities.

It has access to the Atlantic Ocean via the Tamengo Canal

Bolivia is a landlocked country in South America, and its status as such is considered a historical injustice and an affront to national pride. The country once had a coastline, but it was invaded and annexed by Chile in 1879, resulting in Bolivia losing almost 50,000 square miles of territory, including its 250-mile coastline on the southern Pacific Ocean.

Despite this, Bolivia does have access to the sea – the Atlantic Ocean. As of 30 October, Bolivia has sovereign access to the Atlantic via the Tamengo Canal, which runs along Brazil's shared border. The Tamengo Canal is an 11-kilometre-long natural-artificial canal that connects Laguna Cáceres near Puerto Suárez in Bolivia with the Paraguay River in Brazil, across from the city of Corumbá. On the Bolivian side of the canal are three ports: Puerto Jennefer, Puerto Aguirre, and Puerto Gravetal. These three ports handle 1.5 million tonnes of cargo for both import and export to and from the Atlantic Ocean.

The Paraguayan-Paraná waterway, of which the Tamengo Canal is a part, offers an alternative route to the sea for Bolivian businesses, helping to cut trade costs and boost the country's economy. According to the manager of Port Jennefer, Bismark Rosales, the waterway offers considerable hope and opportunities for business owners in Bolivia. Floating goods up and down the waterway is more time and cost-efficient than hauling them across the Andean Mountains to reach Chilean ports on the Pacific Ocean.

Bolivia's access to the Atlantic Ocean via the Tamengo Canal is, therefore, a significant development, providing the country with a sovereign route to the sea and offering potential economic benefits.

Bolivia lost its coastline to Chile in the War of the Pacific (1879-1884)

Bolivia is a landlocked country in South America, and it lost its coastline to Chile in the War of the Pacific (1879-1884). The war was fought over Chilean claims on coastal Bolivian territory in the Atacama Desert, and Chile emerged victorious, gaining significant resource-rich territory from Bolivia and its ally, Peru. Bolivia's loss of its coastline remains a sensitive issue for the country, and it continues to seek access to the sea.

The direct cause of the War of the Pacific was a dispute over nitrate taxation between Bolivia and Chile. In February 1878, Bolivia increased taxes on the Chilean mining company Compañía de Salitres y Ferrocarril de Antofagasta (CSFA), violating the Boundary Treaty of 1874, which established the border between the two countries and prohibited tax increases for mining. Chile protested this violation and requested international arbitration, but Bolivia, under President Hilarión Daza, considered the matter an internal issue subject to Bolivian jurisdiction. Chile argued that the breach of the treaty meant that the territorial borders were no longer settled. In response, Hilarión Daza rescinded the license of the Chilean company, seized its assets, and put them up for auction.

On the day of the auction, February 14, 1879, Chile's armed forces occupied the Bolivian port city of Antofagasta without resistance. War was declared between Bolivia and Chile on March 1, 1879, and between Chile and Peru, Bolivia's secret ally, on April 5, 1879. The war was not just about taxation but also part of a broader struggle for control of the southeastern portion of the Pacific Ocean and its valuable resources.

Bolivia and Peru were at a disadvantage due to their less professional and more politicized militaries compared to Chile. The turning point of the war came with the occupation of Lima, the capital of Peru, on January 17, 1881, which was a significant humiliation for the Peruvians. Chile's victory was sealed with the Treaty of Ancn in 1883, which also ended the Chilean occupation of Lima. As a result of the war and the treaty, Chile acquired two northern provinces: Tarapac from Peru and Antofagasta from Bolivia. These territories encompassed most of the Atacama Desert and effectively blocked Bolivia's access to the Pacific Ocean.

The loss of its coastline has had long-lasting effects on Bolivia, and the country continues to seek a route to the sea. In 2013, Bolivia's President Evo Morales filed a lawsuit at the International Court of Justice to force Chile to negotiate the handover of some of its land. However, the ICJ ruled against forcing Chile to give up its territory, and the dispute remains unresolved.

Bolivia has a small navy

Bolivia is a landlocked country in South America, with no direct access to the sea. It is separated from the Pacific Ocean coast by Chile to the west, and from the Atlantic Ocean by Brazil to the north and east. Bolivia has access to the Atlantic Ocean via the Tamengo Canal, which runs along Brazil's shared border. Bolivia also has access to a small port on Peru's southern shoreline, about 10 miles from the port of Ilo.

Despite having no coastline, Bolivia maintains a small navy, established in the early 1960s. The Bolivian navy, known as the Armada Boliviana or the Fuerza Naval Boliviana, is tasked with patrolling the country's rivers and lakes. Bolivia first acquired four patrol boats from the United States in the 1960s, and the River and Lake Force was created in January 1963. The force consisted of 1,800 personnel, largely recruited from the army. In 1966, the naval force was renamed the Bolivian Naval Force, and it had approximately 3,800 personnel, including naval infantry, marines, and conscripts. Bolivia's navy operates mainly on Lake Titicaca and the northeastern rivers of the country, with bases in Guaqui, Puerto Guayaramerín, Puerto Suárez, Riberalta, and San Pedro de Tiquina, among others.

Bolivia's navy has several dozen boats in service, including river patrol craft and motor launches. In 1985, they received their first US-built, river-patrol launch, the twenty-metre Santa Cruz de la Sierra. The navy also acquired nineteen outboard motors for its five- and six-metre patrol boats in 1986, doubling its reconnaissance capability. Bolivia's only seagoing vessel, the Libertador Bolívar, was docked in Rosario on the Río de la Plata in Argentina. Additionally, the navy had two Cessna aircraft.

Bolivia's navy serves several important functions. It is responsible for protecting the country's sovereignty and maritime interests in rivers and lakes, as well as guaranteeing free navigation for the Merchant Navy. The navy also plays a role in law enforcement, particularly in the interdiction of narcotics and contraband, and the dislodging of foreign gold miners. The Blue Devil Task Force, for example, was granted law enforcement authority to improve interdiction results on the country's waterways. Moreover, the navy actively participates in the integral development of the nation and provides medical and dental care in river and lake areas through hospital ships.

Bolivia is the largest landlocked country in the Southern Hemisphere

Bolivia, officially the Plurinational State of Bolivia, is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the largest landlocked country in the Southern Hemisphere, spanning an area of 1,098,581 square kilometres (424,164 square miles). To put that into perspective, Bolivia is almost three times the size of Montana.

Bolivia shares borders with Brazil to the north and east, Paraguay to the southeast, Argentina to the south, Chile to the southwest, and Peru to the west. The country has been landlocked since it lost its Pacific coastline to Chile during the War of the Pacific (1879-1883). This conflict saw Chile seize control of Bolivia's coastal region, leaving the country without direct access to the ocean.

Despite its landlocked status, Bolivia has not given up on regaining a route to the sea. Every year on March 23, Bolivians commemorate the loss of their coastline with a national Day of the Sea. Bolivia also maintains a small navy, established in 1963, which conducts drills on the Amazon River and Lake Titicaca.

Bolivia's landlocked status has had significant economic implications. According to former president Eduardo Rodríguez Veltze, the country's GDP growth would be 20% higher if it had access to international waters. Bolivia is the second poorest country in South America and has the second-lowest per capita GDP on the continent.

In recent years, Bolivia has secured indirect access to the sea through agreements with neighbouring countries. Bolivia now has access to the Atlantic Ocean via the Tamengo Canal, which runs along Brazil's shared border. Additionally, Bolivia has been granted permission to build and operate a small port on Peru's southern shoreline.

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