LocationSouth America.
Area1,100,000 sq km (424,164 sq miles).
Population9.5 million (UN estimate 2007).
Population Density8.4 per sq km.
CapitalConstitutional: Sucre.
Population: 288,290 (2007).
Administrative: La Paz.
Population: 839,900 (2007).
GovernmentDemocratic republic. Gained independence from Spain in 1825.
LanguageThe official language is Spanish, but the main indigenous languages are Quechua, Aymará and Guaraní. English
is often spoken by a small number of officials and businesspeople in commercial centers.
ReligionPrimarily Roman Catholic with a Protestant minority and indigenous beliefs.
TimeGMT - 4.
Electricity110 and 220 volts AC, 50Hz. European two-pin (circular) plugs or US-style, two-pin (perpendicular flat) plugs.
Head of StatePresident Evo Morales since January 2006.
Recent HistoryPresidential elections took place in December 2005 against a backdrop of political turmoil and social unrest. Evo Morales, a leftist from Bolivia's native community, won a decisive victory and was inaugurated as president in January 2006, vowing to break with the policies left over from colonial era.
Since taking office, Morales has aligned himself politically with Venezuela and Cuba, moving to nationalise industries and bring the country's wealth of natural gas reserves under state control.
But political instability has continued to mar reform efforts with the gas-rich Santa Cruz region leading calls for autonomy from the La Paz government.
An August 2008 referendum on his government granted Morales a mandate to continue reforms, but left the country divided along economic and ethnic fault lines with little sign of resolution.
TelephoneCountry code: 591.
Mobile TelephoneRoaming agreements exist with a limited number of international mobile phone companies; travelers are advised to check with their mobile phone service provider. Local chips are freely available for unlocked phones. Coverage is average.
InternetWidely available in large cities and resorts; there are Internet cafes in main towns.
MediaMedia ownership is highly concentrated. Bolivia's media are dominated by privately-run press and broadcasting outlets. Freedom of the press is upheld and self-censorship is usually exercised when dealing with reports of social unrest and political machinations, but attacks on journalists do still occur. Low literacy levels impede upon newspaper readership; radio tends to have precedence.
PostAirmail to Europe takes three to four days.
Post office hours: Mon-Fri 0800-2000, Sat 0900-1800.
Press• The main papers published in La Paz are
El Diario (daily) and
La Razón (daily).
• In Santa Cruz, dailies include
El Deber and
El Mundo.• In Cochabamba,
Los Tiempos is the main daily.
Radio• Radio stations dealing with news and talk include
Radio Fides (Catholic-based),
Radio Metropolitana and
Radio Panamericana.
• Radio Cadena Nacional (RCN) is the major national radio station.
• Radio Illimani is a popular state-run station.
Below are listed Public Holidays for the January 2009-December 2010 period:
2009
1 Jan New Year's Day.
21-24 Feb Carnival.
10 Apr Good Friday.
1 May Labor Day.
11 Jun Corpus Christi.
6 Aug Independence Day.
2 Nov All Saints' Day.
25 Dec Christmas Day.
2010
1 Jan New Year's Day.
13-16 Feb Carnival.
2 Apr Good Friday.
1 May Labor Day.
3 Jun Corpus Christi.
6 Aug Independence Day.
2 Nov All Saints' Day.
25 Dec Christmas Day.
NoteThere are other additional holidays celebrated in individual provinces and towns. For further details, contact the embassy
or the Viceministerio de Turismo.
Contact Information:Embassy and Consulate of the Republic of Bolivia in the UK106 Eaton Square, London SW1W 9AD, UK
Tel: (020) 7235 4255.
Website:
www.embassyofbolivia.co.ukEmbassy of the Republic of Bolivia in the USA3014 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC, 20008, USA
Tel: (202) 483 4410
or 232 4827 (consular section).
Website:
www.bolivia-usa.orgViceministerio de TurismoAvenida Mariscal Santa Cruz, Edificio Cámara de Comercio, Piso 11, La Paz, Bolivia
Tel: (2) 233 4829
or 237 5129.
Website:
www.turismobolivia.bo
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