Bolivia: A Country, Not A City

Bolivia is a landlocked country in west-central South America. It is one of the few countries in the world with two capital cities: Sucre, the constitutional and judicial capital, and La Paz, the administrative capital. Bolivia has a rich history, once forming part of the ancient Inca Empire and later becoming a Spanish colony. The country gained independence in 1825, forming an independent state named after the independence fighter Simon Bolivar. Today, Bolivia is a unitary multiparty republic with a diverse population of around 11 to 12 million people, of which two-thirds are indigenous.

Bolivia has two capital cities: Sucre and La Paz

Bolivia is a landlocked country in west-central South America. It is the only country in the world with two capital cities: Sucre and La Paz. When the Spanish colonised the Americas in the 16th century, they split the continent into viceroyalties, or large territories, each governed by a viceroy. Bolivia was part of the viceroyalty of Alto Peru, along with modern-day Peru and parts of Chile.

In 1825, Bolivia gained its independence and became a republic, with its capital in Sucre, in the central state of Chuquisaca. The country's name is derived from Venezuelan freedom fighter Simon Bolivar, who liberated the country from Spanish rule. The capital, Sucre, was named after the revolutionary leader Antonio José de Sucre.

During this time, silver and tin mining were the country's largest industries, and the location of the mines influenced the decision to make Sucre the capital. Silver and tin were being mined in Potosí, west of Sucre, and many of the mine owners lived in Sucre and La Paz respectively. However, as tin surpassed silver in terms of income generated, La Paz began to surpass Sucre in economic importance and population size.

In 1899, Bolivia's Liberal Party and Conservative Party clashed in a struggle for political power, with the former backed by the tin miners and the latter by the silver miners. The Liberals won and immediately bid to move the country's seat of government to La Paz. An agreement was eventually reached, establishing La Paz as the seat of the executive and legislative branches of the Bolivian government, while Sucre retained the judicial branch.

Today, Sucre remains the only official and constitutional capital of Bolivia, with La Paz considered the administrative or de facto capital. La Paz is home to foreign embassies, government ministries, and the central bank, and is four times larger than Sucre in terms of population. The debate over which city is the true capital continues, with some advocating for a return of all three branches of government to Sucre, located in the geographic centre of the country.

Bolivia is landlocked

Bolivia is a landlocked country in west-central South America. It is bordered by Brazil to the north and east, Paraguay to the southeast, Argentina to the south, Chile to the southwest and west, and Peru to the northwest. Bolivia shares Lake Titicaca, the second-largest lake in South America, with Peru.

Bolivia lost its coastline to Chile during the War of the Pacific (1879-1884) and has been landlocked since. The War of the Pacific was fought between an alliance of Bolivia and Peru and Chile. During the conflict, Bolivia lost its mineral-rich, coastal territory in the Atacama to Chile, becoming landlocked.

Bolivia has continued to dispute its lack of access to the sea. The country has pursued legal and diplomatic avenues to regain a corridor to the Pacific Ocean, but these efforts have been largely unsuccessful. Bolivia still has access to ports in neighbouring countries, which it uses for shipping exports. However, the lack of direct access to the ocean has hindered Bolivia's economic growth.

The landlocked status of Bolivia has resulted in increased transport costs, as land transport is typically more expensive than shipping by sea. Additionally, land transport charges are often subject to monopoly pricing in neighbouring countries. As a result, Bolivia's economic growth has been negatively impacted, with estimates suggesting that its GDP would be a fifth higher if it had retained access to the Pacific.

Bolivia is the highest country in South America

Bolivia is a landlocked country in west-central South America. It is the highest country in South America, with a third of its territory in the Andes Mountains. The Andean region in the southwest of the country spans 28% of the national territory and is located above 3,000m in altitude. The Andean system in Bolivia is dominated by two great parallel ranges: the Cordillera Occidental and the Cordillera Oriental. The republic's highest peak is Mount Sajama, which reaches an elevation of 6,542m (21,463 ft).

Bolivia's mountainous western region is one of the highest inhabited areas in the world and constitutes an important economic and political centre. The Altiplano ("High Plateau"), which extends from southern Peru through Bolivia to northern Argentina, is an important agricultural, economic, and cultural area. The Altiplano is a relatively flat-floored depression about 800km long and 130km wide, lying at elevations between 3,650m and 3,800m.

The Sub-Andean region in the centre and south of the country makes up 13% of the territory and is distinguished by its farming activities and temperate climate. The Llanos region in the northeast comprises 59% of the territory and is located north of the Cordillera Central. It is a region of flat land and small plateaus, covered by extensive rainforests.

The country's capital, Sucre, is located in the Andean region, while the administrative capital, La Paz, is situated in the Altiplano. La Paz is the highest administrative capital in the world at more than 3,500m above sea level.

Bolivia has the largest proportion of indigenous people

Bolivia is a landlocked country in west-central South America. It is the highest and most isolated country in the continent. Bolivia has a population of 11.8 million people (as of 2021). It is named after Venezuelan freedom fighter Simón Bolívar, who led the country's fight for independence from Spanish rule.

Indigenous peoples in Bolivia, or Native Bolivians, are Bolivian people of indigenous ancestry. They are recognised as one of 36 indigenous ethnic groups and hold Native Community Lands or Tierras Comunitarias de Origen (TCOs) rights. These lands encompass 11 million hectares and include communities such as the Kaa-Iya del Gran Chaco National Park and the Yuki-Ichilo River Native Community Lands.

In recent years, Bolivia has made significant strides in recognising and promoting the rights of its indigenous peoples. In 2009, the country adopted a new constitution that recognises the presence of different communities and grants indigenous peoples the right to self-governance and autonomy over their ancestral territories. Bolivia is now the first plurinational state in South America. Additionally, in 2007, Bolivia became the first country to introduce the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples into local law.

Despite these advancements, many indigenous communities in Bolivia continue to face challenges and marginalisation. As many as 15 of the country's 36 indigenous communities are at risk of extinction due to systematic neglect, social exclusion, and geographic isolation. Land rights are also a serious issue, with indigenous communities expressing concerns about the government's promotion of mining and extractive activities in their territories.

Bolivia is one of the world's largest producers of coca

Bolivia is a landlocked country in west-central South America. It is not a city. However, Bolivia is one of the world's largest producers of coca, the raw material for cocaine. Coca has been cultivated in the country since the Inca era, primarily in the Yungas region, north and east of La Paz.

In the 1980s, cultivation expanded substantially into the Chapare region of Cochabamba, and some production entered the international cocaine market. The US-backed efforts to criminalize and eradicate coca outside the Yungas region as part of the War on Drugs were met with resistance from the cocalero movement, which organized and advocated for policies of "social control" over coca growing. This movement became an increasingly important political force during this period, and in 2005, cocalero union leader Evo Morales was elected president of Bolivia.

Under Morales, Bolivia pursued a policy of legalizing coca production in the Chapare and Yungas regions while eradicating it elsewhere. According to the UN Office of Drug Control, Bolivia was the third-largest producer of coca after Colombia and Peru in 2009, with an estimated 30,900 hectares of coca planted in the country. Sales of coca leaf in 2009 amounted to approximately US$265 million, representing 14% of all agricultural sales and 2% of Bolivia's GDP.

The production and sale of coca have had significant economic and political impacts in Bolivia. The crop was the country's most lucrative in the 1980s, and it has contributed to the stabilization of democracy by increasing incomes and living standards, especially during times of crisis. It has also been a source of tension, with indigenous groups and farmers resisting eradication efforts as coca is often their sole source of income.

Bolivia's geography has also made it a 'strategic hub' for cocaine trafficking, with the country becoming one of the world's leading cocaine manufacturers in recent years. While coca leaf cultivation is currently authorized on 22,000 hectares, the actual area under cultivation is believed to be much larger, with estimates ranging from 30,000 to 45,000 hectares.

Frequently asked questions