Bolivia

Lore & Background

The sovereign state of Bolivia is a constitutionally unitary state divided into nine departments. Bolivia's geographic Andean-lowland divide is matched by economic and cultural differences such as those associated with the camba and colla demonyms. One-third of the country is within the Andean mountain range. With an area of , Bolivia is the fifth-largest country in South America after Brazil, Argentina, Peru, and Colombia, and, alongside Paraguay, is one of two landlocked countries in the Americas. It is the largest landlocked country in the Southern Hemisphere, and has inland ports accessing the Atlantic Ocean through two river systems: Acre-Purus-Amazon and Paraguay-Paraná. Bolivia had a population of 11.4 million as of the latest census in 2024. It is multiethnic, including Amerindians, Mestizos, and the descendants of Europeans and Africans. Spanish is the official and predominant language, although 36 indigenous languages also have official status, of which the most commonly spoken are Guaraní, Aymara, and Quechua. Centuries prior to Spanish colonization, much of what would become Bolivia formed part of the Tiwanaku polity, which collapsed around 1000 AD. The Colla–Inca War of the 1440s marked the beginning of Inca rule in western Bolivia. The eastern and northern lowlands of Bolivia were inhabited by independent non-Andean Amazonian and Guaraní tribes. Spanish conquistadores, arriving from Cusco, Peru and Asunción, Paraguay, forcibly took control of the region in the 16th century. During the subsequent Spanish colonial period, Bolivia was administered by the Real Audiencia of Charcas. Spain built its empire in large part upon the silver that was extracted from Cerro Rico in Potosí. Following an unsuccessful rebellion in Sucre on May 25, 1809, sixteen years of fighting would follow before the establishment of the Republic, named for Simón Bolívar. Over the course of the 19th and early 20th centuries, Bolivia lost control of several peripheral territories to neighboring countries, such as the Acre territory after Brazil's 1899–1903 takeover, and the country's Pacific coastal region which Chile seized in 1879. Bolivia was ruled by an oligarchy composed of land-owning and mining interests until the Bolivian National Revolution of 1952 established universal suffrage, nationalized lucrative tin mining and made a limited land reform. 20th century Bolivia exp

In Their Own Story

The sun bleaches the salt flats of Salar de Uyuni, blinding white. A Ghost sniper lies prone, watching a convoy of black SUVs snake across the horizon. Below, in the valley, a coca processing lab belches smoke. The mission is clear: take out the cartel's logistics chief. But the silence is broken by the distant thud of a Unidad helicopter. The Ghost adjusts his scope, knowing the clock is ticking. In Bolivia, every move is watched, every ally a potential traitor.

Reader's Guide

Bolivia is named after Simón Bolívar, a Venezuelan leader in the Spanish American wars of independence. The leader of Venezuela, Antonio José de Sucre, had been given the option by Bolívar to either unify Charcas (present-day Bolivia) with the newly formed Republic of Peru, to unify with the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata, or to formally declare its independence from Spain as a wholly independent state. Sucre opted to create a brand new state and on 6 August 1825, with local support, named it in honor of Simón Bolívar. The original name was 'Republic of Bolívar'. Some days later, congressman Manuel Martín Cruz proposed: 'If from Romulus, Rome, then from Bolívar, Bolivia.' The name was approved by the Republic on 3 October 1825. In 2009, a new constitution changed the country's official name to 'Plurinational State of Bolivia' to reflect the multi-ethnic nature of the country and the strengthened rights of Bolivia's indigenous peoples under the new constitution.

Did You Know?

• Bolivia is one of two landlocked countries in the Americas, alongside Paraguay.
• Bolivia is the largest landlocked country in the Southern Hemisphere.
• The seat of government is La Paz, while the constitutional capital is Sucre.
• Bolivia had a population of 11.4 million as of the latest census in 2024.
• The country is named after Simón Bolívar.