Exploring Bolivia's Place In The Southern Hemisphere

Bolivia is a landlocked country in west-central South America. It is the fifth-largest country in South America and the largest landlocked country in the Southern Hemisphere. Bolivia 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. The country has a varied geography, from the Andes mountains in the west to the Amazon Basin in the east. Bolivia's location in the Southern Hemisphere means it is south of the equator.

Bolivia's location and borders

Bolivia, officially the Plurinational State of Bolivia, is a landlocked country located in west-central South America. Bolivia 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 shares Lake Titicaca, the second-largest lake in South America, with Peru. Bolivia has been landlocked since it lost its Pacific coast territory to Chile in the War of the Pacific (1879-1884).

The constitutional capital of Bolivia is Sucre, where the Supreme Court is established. The administrative capital is La Paz, where the executive and legislative branches of government function. La Paz is the third-most populous city in the country and the highest national capital in the world. Bolivia's largest and most populous city is Santa Cruz de la Sierra, located in the east of the country. It is the chief industrial and economic centre of the country.

The country's geography and climate

Bolivia is a landlocked country in west-central South America. It is the 5th largest country in South America and the 27th largest in the world. Bolivia is divided into three physiographic regions: the Andean region, the Sub-Andean region, and the Llanos region.

The Andean Region

The Andean region spans 28% of Bolivia's territory and is located above 3,000m (9,800 ft) in altitude. It is situated between the Cordillera Occidental ("Western Range") and the Cordillera Central ("Central Range"), which include some of the highest spots in the Americas, such as Nevado Sajama (6,542m) and Illimani (6,462m). The Altiplano ("High Plateau"), which extends from southern Peru through Bolivia to northern Argentina, is sandwiched between these two ranges. The Altiplano slopes gently southward and is broken up by hills and ridges. The margins of the Altiplano are characterised by numerous spurs and interlocking alluvial fans. The Titicaca and Poopó lakes and basins, which have traditionally been important agricultural, economic, and cultural areas, are located in the middle of the Altiplano.

The Sub-Andean Region

The Sub-Andean region makes up 13% of Bolivia's territory and is an intermediate region between the Altiplano and the eastern lowlands. It is distinguished by its farming activities and its temperate climate.

The Llanos Region

The Llanos region comprises 59% of Bolivia's territory and is located to the north of the Cordillera Central. It is a region of flat land and small plateaus, covered by extensive rainforests with enormous biodiversity. The region is below 400m (1,300 ft) above sea level.

Climate

Bolivia's climate varies drastically from one ecoregion to another, from tropical in the eastern lowlands to polar in the western Andes. The summers are warm and humid in the east, and warm and dry in the west. Rainfall often modifies temperatures, humidity, winds, atmospheric pressure, and evaporation, resulting in very different climates in different areas. The rainy season is from December to March, but precipitation varies greatly throughout the highlands. Winters are very cold in the west, with snow in the mountain ranges, while windy days are more common in the west.

The population of Bolivia

Bolivia, officially the Plurinational State of Bolivia, is a landlocked country located in central South America. Bolivia has a population of approximately 12 million people, making it the 83rd most populous country in the world. The population density is 11 people per square kilometre, with 70.3% of the population living in urban areas. The median age in Bolivia is 24.9 years.

The official languages of Bolivia are Spanish, Quechua, Aymara, and Guaraní, as well as 33 other native languages. Spanish is the most commonly spoken language, with 60.7% of the population speaking it. The main religions in Bolivia are Catholicism (81.8%), Evangelicalism (11.5%), and Protestantism (2.6%).

History of the nation

Bolivia is named after Simón Bolívar, a Venezuelan leader in the Spanish American wars of independence. The country gained independence from Spain in 1825, and was named by congressman Manuel Martín Cruz, who stated: "If from Romulus, Rome, then from Bolívar, Bolivia".

The history of Bolivia involves thousands of years of human habitation. The Tiwanaku people reached an advanced level of civilization before being conquered by a rapidly expanding Inca Empire in the 15th and 16th centuries. The Inca themselves were then conquered by the Spanish in the early 16th century. The region that now makes up Bolivia fell under the Viceroyalty of Peru and was known as Upper Peru. In 1776, Upper Peru was transferred to the newly established Viceroyalty of Rio de la Plata.

A notable but ill-fated indigenous revolt against the Spanish authorities occurred in the late 18th century, led by Túpac Amaru II. Upper Peru joined the Spanish American wars of independence in the early 19th century, and the Bolivian Republic was established in 1825.

In the course of the 19th century, Bolivia fell into wars against its neighbours, including the War of the Pacific, which resulted in Bolivia losing its access to the sea, along with rich nitrate fields. Bolivia faced further losses in the Chaco War against Paraguay in the 1930s.

The Bolivian National Revolution broke out in the 1950s, attempting a program of nationalization of resources and expansion of suffrage. The country fell into military rule and experienced a series of coups until a transition to democratic government in the 1980s.

21st-century Bolivian politics was dominated by Evo Morales until he resigned in the wake of the 2019 Bolivian political crisis.

Bolivia's government and politics

Bolivia is a unitary republic with a representative democratic government. The country is divided into 9 departments, 112 provinces, 327 municipalities and 1,384 cantons. Bolivia's multiparty democracy has seen a wide variety of parties in the presidency and parliament, although the Revolutionary Nationalist Movement, Nationalist Democratic Action, and the Revolutionary Left Movement predominated from 1985 to 2005.

The current constitution, drafted in 2006-2007 and approved in 2009, provides for balanced executive, legislative, judicial, and electoral powers. The executive branch is headed by a president and vice president, and consists of a variable number (currently 20) of government ministries. The president is elected to a five-year term by popular vote and governs from the Presidential Palace in La Paz. The legislative branch, the Plurinational Legislative Assembly, has two chambers: the Chamber of Deputies and the Chamber of Senators. The judiciary consists of the Supreme Court of Justice, the Plurinational Constitutional Court, the Judiciary Council, Agrarian and Environmental Court, and District (departmental) and lower courts. The electoral branch, the Plurinational Electoral Organ, is an independent branch of government that replaced the National Electoral Court in 2010.

The governing party is the Movement for Socialism (MAS), a left-wing, socialist political party led by Evo Morales. MAS has governed the country since 2006, following the first-ever majority victory by a single party in the December 2005 elections. The party is committed to equality, indigenous rights, agrarian land reform, constitutional reform, and the nationalization of key industries with the aim to redistribute returns through increased social spending.

Bolivia's politics takes place within a presidential representative democratic republic framework, whereby the president is the head of state, head of government, and head of a diverse multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government, while legislative power is vested in both the government and the two chambers of parliament. The judiciary and the electoral branch are independent of the executive and the legislature.

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