Bolivia's Lic Status: What You Need To Know

Bolivia, officially the Plurinational State of Bolivia, is a landlocked country in west-central South America. It is the second-largest country in South America and the largest landlocked country in the Southern Hemisphere. Bolivia is the highest and most isolated country in South America, with a third of the country within the Andean mountain range. It is bordered by Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, Chile, and Peru. Bolivia has a rich history, once the centre of the ancient Tiwanaku empire, and later part of the Inca empire. It was named after independence fighter Simón Bolívar and broke away from Spanish rule in 1825. Bolivia has a population of around 12 million people, with two-thirds of indigenous descent. It is a unitary multiparty republic with two legislative houses and is classified as a partly free democracy. Bolivia is a developing country and the second-poorest in South America, with a focus on agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining, and goods such as textiles and clothing.

Bolivia's landlocked status

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 Peru to the west. Bolivia has been landlocked since it lost its Pacific coast territory to Chile in the War of the Pacific (1879-1884). However, agreements with neighbouring countries have granted Bolivia indirect access to the Pacific and Atlantic oceans.

Bolivia is the largest landlocked country in the Southern Hemisphere and the seventh-largest landlocked country in the world. It is the fifth-largest country in South America, with an area of 1,098,581 square kilometres (424,164 square miles). The country's geography varies, from the western snow-capped peaks of the Andes to the eastern lowlands within the Amazon basin. One-third of the country lies within the Andean mountain range. Bolivia's mountainous western region is one of the highest inhabited areas in the world, with the Andes reaching their greatest breadth and complexity in the country. The Cordillera Occidental and Cordillera Oriental are two great parallel ranges that dominate the system in Bolivia. The Cordillera Occidental, which borders Chile, includes numerous active volcanoes and the Uyuni Salt Flat. The Cordillera Oriental's northern section, near La Paz, is called the Cordillera Real, or "Royal Range." An impressive line of snow-capped peaks, some exceeding 20,000 feet, characterises this region.

The country's indigenous population

Bolivia has the largest proportion of indigenous people in South America, with estimates ranging from 20% to over 60% of the country's population. There are 36 recognised indigenous peoples in Bolivia, with the largest groups being the Quechua-speaking (49.5%) and the Aymara (40.5%), who self-identify as 16 different nationalities. The Chiquitano (3.6%), Guaraní (2.5%) and Moxeño (1.4%) peoples are the majority in the lowlands, and, together with the remaining 2.4%, make up the 36 recognised indigenous peoples.

The 2012 National Census found that 41% of the Bolivian population over the age of 15 are of indigenous origin, with 2017 projections from the National Institute of Statistics (INE) indicating that this percentage is likely to have increased to 48%. The 2012 Census also found that the Highland Aymara and Quechua make up the majority of Bolivia's indigenous peoples (3.5 million). Many Aymara and Quechua people have migrated from rural communities to the cities, where they have become an important and influential part of culture and society.

The geography of Bolivia includes the Andes, the Gran Chaco, and the Amazon Rainforest. Lands collectively held by Indigenous Bolivians are known as Native Community Lands or Tierras Comunitarias de Origen (TCOs). These lands encompass 11 million hectares, and include communities such as Kaa-Iya del Gran Chaco National Park and Integrated Management Natural Area, and the Yuki-Ichilo River Native Community Lands.

In 1991, Bolivia became a signatory to the Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention, a major binding international convention protecting indigenous rights. In 2007, the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples was approved by Law in Bolivia, and the country adopted the status of a plurinational state.

Indigenous peoples in Bolivia have faced many challenges, including environmental injustice, with government-backed privatisation and eradication of natural resources and landscapes. However, they have also made significant progress, with increased political representation and the election of Evo Morales, Bolivia's first indigenous president.

Bolivia's natural resources

Bolivia is a landlocked country in South America with a diverse range of natural resources. The country's economy has historically been reliant on its natural resources, including cocoa, silver, and tin. In recent years, Bolivia's economy has been supported by natural resources such as oil, natural gas, arable land, and minerals like lithium.

Arable Land and Agriculture

Bolivia's arable land is a significant natural resource, with the country's agricultural sector contributing to its economy. Essential crops include coffee, soybeans, and sugar, which are also exported to other countries. Bolivia's livestock industry is also well-developed, with farmers rearing cattle, pigs, goats, and sheep.

Minerals and Mining

Minerals have played a crucial role in Bolivia's economy for a long time. While tin was once the most important mineral, its value decreased due to falling international market prices. Silver was also economically significant during the colonial era, and Bolivia was once the world's largest producer. Today, lithium is one of Bolivia's most essential minerals, with the country possessing the largest concentration of lithium in the world.

Oil and Natural Gas

Bolivia has oil reserves located in the eastern and southern regions of the country. While the oil sector was previously controlled by the government, efforts were made to privatize it in the 1990s. Bolivia also possesses substantial natural gas reserves, which are among the largest in South America. The privatization of the gas industry in the 1990s led to significant growth in this sector.

Coca production

Coca, a mild stimulant, has been used for millennia by people in the Andes in tea and food, though it is most often chewed raw to give energy and treat ailments ranging from altitude sickness to menstruation pain. The coca plant is also used to make cocaine.

Bolivia is the world's third-largest producer of cocaine. In 2021, the country's estimated coca cultivation was 39,700 hectares. Bolivia's coca-growing regions are located in the valleys and lowlands of the country.

In 2004, the Bolivian government took the unprecedented step of legalizing coca production for domestic consumption. This was part of a strategy of regulated production to meet historic national demand for coca. Under the policy, each family can cultivate up to 1,600 square meters of coca plants. Farmers are obliged to sell their leaves at authorized markets and must justify any loss of their harvest. Exceeding quotas can lead to punishments such as pulling up some or all of a farmer's coca plants.

In 2008, Bolivian President Evo Morales, a former coca farmer himself, signed into law a controversial bill that nearly doubled the area that could be legally planted with coca crops, from 12,000 hectares to 22,000 hectares. Morales has long supported the global legalization of coca leaf chewing and urged the UN to declare it legal. He has argued that coca leaves, which are traditionally used in the Andes, should be distinguished from cocaine, the illegal drug.

Bolivia's approach to coca production is known as "social control". This strategy emphasizes community participation and respect for human rights, moving away from the previous US-led policy of forcibly eradicating coca crops, which resulted in two decades of violence and failed to reduce coca production or restrict the flow of drugs.

Bolivia's program permits poor farmers to cultivate a small plot of coca and encourages farmers to self-police to respect these limits. Growers monitor compliance by organizing regular commissions with neighboring unions to inspect members' plots. A government agency run by the farmers themselves oversees observance of the agreement. If too much coca is found, a combined military-police unit destroys the family's coca plants. Re-planting is banned for a year, and farmers are left without any coca-related income for two years until new bushes mature.

The "social control" approach has led to less violence, less cocaine, and even less coca in Bolivia. Since 2006, almost all coca has been eradicated through this negotiated, cooperative system, and the total acreage of coca plants is now at its lowest level since 2003.

Bolivia's political history

Bolivia, officially the Plurinational State of Bolivia, has a rich and tumultuous political history. The country was once the centre of the ancient Tiwanaku (Tiahuanaco) empire and was later a part of the Inca empire. After the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors in the 16th century, Bolivia fell under the Viceroyalty of Peru and was known as Upper Peru.

The struggle for independence from Spanish rule began in 1809, and 16 years of fighting followed before the establishment of the Bolivian Republic in 1825. The country was named after Simón Bolívar, with the city of Sucre deemed the constitutional capital. Bolivia's early years as a republic were marked by territorial losses to neighbouring countries, including the War of the Pacific (1879-1883), which resulted in Bolivia losing its access to the sea.

The country's vast mineral wealth, particularly silver and tin, has been a significant factor in its political history. The 19th century saw the emergence of civilian governments and the formation of Liberal and Conservative parties, with the latter pursuing policies to encourage mining through the development of an international rail network. However, Bolivia's history has also been characterised by military rule and a series of coups and countercoups, with nearly 200 coups and countercoups occurring throughout its history.

The 20th century witnessed the rise of new political groups, such as the Bolivian National Revolution, which attempted to nationalise resources and expand suffrage. The Revolutionary Nationalist Movement (MNR) played a pivotal role in the 1952 revolution, introducing universal adult suffrage and nationalising the country's largest tin mines. However, the country continued to experience political instability, with the resignation of President Evo Morales in 2019 amid allegations of electoral fraud marking a significant event in Bolivia's recent political history.

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