Bolivia's Ocean Access: A Geopolitical History

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 lost its coastline to Chile during the War of the Pacific (1879-1884). Bolivia has attempted to obtain sovereign access to the Pacific Ocean, and both nations have engaged in occasional negotiations to resolve the issue. Bolivia still maintains a navy, and Bolivians annually celebrate the Day of the Sea.

Bolivia's coastline was lost to Chile during the War of the Pacific in 1879

Bolivia's coastline was lost to Chile during the War of the Pacific (1879-1883), which was fought over Chilean claims on coastal Bolivian territory in the Atacama Desert. The war was sparked by a dispute between Bolivia and Chile over nitrate taxation. Bolivia increased taxes on the Chilean mining company Compañía de Salitres y Ferrocarril de Antofagasta (CSFA), violating the Boundary Treaty of 1874, which prohibited tax increases for mining. Chile protested the violation and requested international arbitration, but Bolivia considered the issue an internal matter. In response, Chile insisted that the breach of the treaty nullified the territorial borders denoted in it. Bolivia rescinded the license of the Chilean company, seized its assets, and put them up for auction. On the day of the auction, 14 February 1879, Chile's armed forces occupied the Bolivian port city of Antofagasta, which was mostly inhabited by Chilean miners. War was declared between Bolivia and Chile on 1 March 1879, and between Chile and Peru, Bolivia's ally, on 5 April 1879.

The War of the Pacific ended with victory for Chile, which gained significant resource-rich territory from Bolivia and Peru. Chile acquired the Bolivian department of Litoral, turning Bolivia into a landlocked country, and temporarily controlled the Peruvian provinces of Tacna and Arica. In 1904, Chile and Bolivia signed the Treaty of Peace and Friendship, which established definite boundaries and included a provision for Chile to build a railway connecting the Bolivian capital of La Paz with the port of Arica. Bolivia was granted free trade rights at Chilean Pacific ports and allowed to establish customs facilities there. However, Bolivia has continued to seek sovereign access to the Pacific Ocean, and tensions between the two countries have persisted.

Bolivia is landlocked and is one of two landlocked countries in South America

Bolivia is a landlocked country in west-central South America. It is the continent's fifth-largest nation, with an area of 1,098,580 square kilometres (424,164 square miles). Bolivia is one of two landlocked countries in South America, the other being Paraguay, which is located along Bolivia's southeast border.

Bolivia lost its coastline to Chile during the War of the Pacific (1879-1884). However, agreements with neighbouring countries have granted Bolivia indirect access to the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. Bolivia has a navy, which was founded in 1963, and Bolivians annually celebrate a national Day of the Sea.

Bolivia has a rich history and diverse geography. It was once the centre of the ancient Tiwanaku (Tiahuanaco) empire, and from the 15th to the early 16th century, it was part of the Inca empire. After the arrival of the conquistadores, Bolivia was subsumed within the Viceroyalty of Peru, and it provided Spain with immense wealth in silver.

Bolivia's mountainous western region, which is one of the highest inhabited areas in the world, constitutes an important economic and political centre. The Andes reach their greatest breadth and complexity in Bolivia, which contains two great parallel ranges: the Cordillera Occidental and the Cordillera Oriental. Between these ranges lies the Altiplano, a highland plateau that extends from southern Peru through Bolivia to northern Argentina. The Altiplano is the country's heartland and is characterised by lakes, basins, and salt flats.

The eastern two-thirds of Bolivia are part of the Oriente, a lowland region that encompasses forestland, savannahs, marshes, and the Bolivian Chaco. The Oriente is an extension of the Amazon River basin and covers more than two-thirds of the country. It is sparsely populated and contains the largest population centre, Santa Cruz.

Bolivia's geography and climate vary significantly across its three predominant regions: Andean (28% of the territory), sub-Andean (13%), and plains (59%). The climate ranges from tropical in the eastern lowlands to polar in the western Andes.

Bolivia has a navy despite being landlocked

Bolivia is a landlocked country in central South America. Despite this, the country has a navy—the Bolivian Naval Force (Fuerza Naval Boliviana). Bolivia lost its coastline in 1879 during the War of the Pacific, when Chile invaded the Antofagasta port city on its northern border. Chile redrew the map of South America, taking almost 50,000 square miles of Bolivian territory, including its 250-mile coastline on the southern Pacific Ocean.

Bolivia has not forgotten its dream of returning to the Pacific coast. Every year on March 23, Bolivians celebrate a national Day of the Sea. The country also established its navy in 1963 as a "river force" using cast-off vessels from the U.S. and China. The Bolivian Naval Force is a branch of the country's Armed Forces and has approximately 5,000 personnel. The navy's troops navigate Bolivia's Amazonian rivers and Lake Titicaca, a 3,200-square-mile body of water more than two miles above sea level. The navy's work includes fighting drug traffickers, delivering medical supplies to remote communities, and responding to disasters.

Bolivia's navy serves as a symbol that the country has not given up on regaining its lost access to the sea. The existence of the navy is the physical embodiment of Bolivia's refusal to accept its landlocked status. The country has continued to try to get its shoreline back, arguing that the lack of direct access to the sea has hurt its economy. In 2013, Bolivia took its grievance to the International Court of Justice, hoping that the Hague would order Chile to negotiate. While the court ruled against Bolivia in 2018, the country's dream of restoring its access to the coast is not dead. Bolivia's president, Evo Morales, has said that the country "will never give up" its pursuit of access to the Pacific Ocean.

Bolivia has the world's highest capital city and highest commercially navigable lake

Bolivia is a landlocked country in central South America, bordered by Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, Chile, and Peru. It is the largest landlocked country in the Southern Hemisphere and the seventh-largest in the world. Bolivia has the world's largest geographic extension of Amazonian lowlands and plains, and it is part of the Andes mountains and the world's largest swamp, which lies between Bolivia and Brazil.

Bolivia has the world's highest capital city and the world's highest commercially navigable lake. The seat of government is La Paz, which is also the world's highest capital city at 3,650 m (11,975 ft) above sea level. La Paz is a beautiful locale and is home to the federal government. However, the constitutional capital of Bolivia is Sucre, which is located at an altitude of 9,022 ft.

Bolivia also has the world's highest commercially navigable lake, Lake Titicaca, which it shares with Peru. The lake is located on the Andean border between the two countries and sits at a height of 3,810 m (12,500 ft) above sea level. It has a surface area of approximately 8,300 km² (3,200 miles²) and an average depth of 140-180 m (460-590 ft). Lake Titicaca is large enough and deep enough for the safe passage of commercial vessels, and it is also home to an archipelago of over 40 floating islands made from buoyant totora reeds. These islands are inhabited by the indigenous Uros tribe and fluctuate in size as the bottom layers of reeds rot away, requiring constant replenishment.

Bolivia has attempted to negotiate access to the Pacific Ocean with Chile

Bolivia has been attempting to negotiate access to the Pacific Ocean with Chile for over a century. The issue stems from the War of the Pacific (1879-1883), in which Chile seized Bolivia's coastal region, leaving the country landlocked.

In the aftermath of the war, Chile and Bolivia signed the Treaty of Ancón and the Treaty of Valparaíso, which stipulated that Chile would temporarily administer the seized territories and that Bolivia would have free trade rights at Chilean ports. However, Bolivia has long sought to regain some form of sovereign access to the Pacific Ocean.

In 1920, representatives of the two countries met in La Paz, with Chilean representatives expressing their willingness to cede "an important part of that zone in the north of Arica and of the railway line" to Bolivia. In 1926, the Chilean ambassador to the United States discussed the possibility of dividing the contested territory between Bolivia, Chile, and Peru with the US Secretary of State. Bolivia then sought a resolution at the League of Nations, despite Chile's preference for unilateral negotiations.

In 1950, the two nations agreed to enter into formal negotiations, but ultimately only discussed improvements to the existing arrangement. In the early 1960s, both countries sought negotiations, but they did not take place. In 1975-76, the Charaña Accords agreed upon a territorial swap, but this required the approval of Peru, which instead proposed a region of shared sovereignty between the three nations. This was rejected by both Chile and Bolivia, and Bolivia cut diplomatic ties with Chile in 1978, resulting in the suspension of full diplomatic relations between the two countries.

In 2013, Bolivia's President Evo Morales filed a lawsuit at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to force Chile to negotiate the handover of some of its coastal territories. Bolivia framed the suit as an economic matter, arguing that its GDP growth would be significantly higher if it had access to international waters.

In 2018, the ICJ ruled against forcing Chile to negotiate, finding that Chile was not legally obligated to do so. However, the court encouraged both parties to continue their dialogue and exchanges, stating that a solution to Bolivia's landlocked situation was a matter of mutual interest. Despite the ruling, President Morales vowed that Bolivia "will never give up" its pursuit of access to the Pacific Ocean.

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