1982 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1982 (Wikisource)
Geography
Area
1,098,160 km2; 2% cultivated and fallow, 11% pasture and meadow, 45% urban, desert, waste, or other, 40% forest, 2% inland water
Land boundaries
6,083 km
People and Society
Ethnic divisions
50%-75% Indian, 20%-35% mestizo, 5%-15% white
Labor force
2.8 million (1977); 70% agriculture, 3% mining, 10% services and utilities, 7% manufacturing, 10% other
Language
Spanish, Aymara, Quechua
Literacy
35%-40%
Nationality
noun—Bolivian(s); adjective—Bolivian
Organized labor
150,000-200,000, concentrated in mining, industry, construction, and transportation
Population
5,633,000 (July 1982), average annual growth rate 2.6%
Religion
predominantly Roman Catholic; active Protestant minority, especially Methodist
Government
Capital
La Paz (seat of government); Sucre (legal capital and seat of judiciary)
Communists
three parties; PCB/Soviet led by Jorge Kolle Cueto, about 300 members; PCB/Chinese led by Oscar Zamora, 150 (including 100 in exile); POR (Trotskyist), about 50 members divided between three factions led by Hugo Gonzalez Moscoso, Guillermo Lora Escobar, and Amadeo Arze
Elections
presidential and congressional elections held on 1 July 1979; since no presidential candidate won required simple majority, the contest was decided in the Congress where a compromise candidate, Senate President Walter Guevara Arce, was elected interim president; Guevara was overthrown on 1 November 1979 by a military coup led by Col. Alberto Natusch Busch; popular repudiation of Natusch forced his resignation after 16 days in power and Congress chose Chamber of Deputies President Lidia Gueiler de Moller as interim president; Gueiler presided over new elections on 29 June 1980, which were won by the UDP coalition candidate, Hernan Siles Zuazo; however, before the planned August inauguration, the government was overthrown when a military coup led by Gen. Luis Garcia Meza occurred on 17 July 1980; Garcia Meza was replaced in August 1981 by a ruling junta of service commanders, which in turn was replaced on 4 September 1981 by Maj. Gen. Celso Torrelio Villa Political parties and leaders: ban on political parties was lifted in December 1977; however, all political party activity banned since the 17 July 1980 coup; the two traditional political parties in Bolivia are the Nationalist Revolutionary Movement (MNR) and the Bolivian Socialist Phalange (FSB), both are seriously factionalized; Bolivian Socialist Falange (Mario Gutierrez); Nationalist Revolutionary Movement of the People (Jaime Arellano); Nationalist Revolutionary Movement of Left (MNRI; Hernan Siles Zuazo); Movement of the Revolutionary Left (MIR; Jaime Paz Zamora); Authentic Revolutionary Party (Walter Guevara Arce); Christian Democratic Party (Benjamin Miguel); Nationalist Revolutionary Party of Left (Juan Lechin Oquendo); Paz Estenssorista MNR (Leonidas Sanchez); Nationalist Democratic Action Party (ADN; Hugo Banzer) Voting strength (1980 elections): UDP—Democratic Popular Unity Front, a coalition of the MNRI, MIR and several smaller groups 38.5%; MNR 20.5%; ADN 16.8%
Government leaders
Maj. Gen. Celso TORRELIO Villa (since 4 September 1981)
Legal system
based on Spanish law and Code Napoleon; constitution adopted 1967; constitution in force except where contrary to dispositions dictated by governments since 1969; legal education at University of San Andres and several others; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Member of
FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IATP, IBRD, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, ISO, ITC, ITU, IWC—International Wheat Council, LAFTA and Andean Sub-Regional Group (created in May 1969 within LAFTA), NAM, OAS, SELA, UN, UNESCO, UPO, WHO, WMO, WTO
National holiday
Independence Day, 6 August Branches: executive; congress of two chambers—Senate and Chamber of Deputies—has not met since the 17 July 1980 coup; judiciary
Official name
Republic of Bolivia
Political subdivisions
nine departments with limited autonomy
Suffrage
universal and compulsory at age 18 if married, 21 if single
Type
republic; military dictatorship since 17 July 1980
Economy
Agriculture
main crops—potatoes, corn, rice, sugarcane, yucca, bananas; imports significant quantities of wheat; caloric intake, 83% of requirements (1978)
Budget
$470 million revenues, $780 million expenditures (1980 est.)
Electric power
460,000 kW capacity (1981); 1.6 billion kWh produced (1981), 273 kWh per capita
Exports
$1.1 billion (f.o.b., 1980 est.); tin, petroleum, lead, zinc, silver, tungsten, antimony, bismuth, gold, coffee, sugar, cotton, natural gas
Fiscal year
calendar year
GNP
$6 billion (1980), $1,050 per capita; 75% private consumption, 15% public consumption, 12% gross domestic investment, —2.0% net foreign balance (1980); 1980 growth, 1%
Imports
$1.2 billion (f.o.b., 1980 est.); foodstuffs, chemicals, capital goods, pharmaceuticals, transportation
Major industries
mining, smelting, petroleum refining, food processing, textiles, and clothing
Major trade partners
exports—Western Europe, 19% (of which UK is largest market); Latin America, 38%; US, 30%; Japan, 3.9%; imports— US, 24%; Western Europe, 15.4% (of which West Germany is largest supplier); Japan, 15.7%; Latin America, 33.6% (1975)
Monetary conversion rate
24.75 pesos=US$1 (October 1981)
Communications
Airfields
583 total, 535 usable; 6 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways over 3,659 m, 7 with runways 2,440-3,659 m, 127 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Civil air
57 major transport aircraft
Highways
39,650 km total; 1,400 km paved, 7,880 km gravel, 6,800 km improved earth, 23,650 km unimproved earth
Inland waterways
officially estimated to be 10,000 km of commercially navigable waterways
Pipelines
crude oil, 1,670 km; refined products, 1,495 km; natural gas, 580 km
Ports
none (Bolivian cargo moved through Arica and Antofagasta, Chile, and Matarani, Peru)
Railroads
3,651 km total; 3,514 km meter gauge (1.000 m) and 32 km 0.760-meter gauge, all government owned, single track; 105 km meter gauge (1.000 m) privately owned
Telecommunications
radio-relay system from La Paz to Santa Cruz; improved international services; 125,300 telephones (2.0 per 100 popl.); 135 AM, 19 FM, and 32 TV stations; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT station
Military and Security
Military budget
proposed for fiscal year ending 31 December 1981, $177.7 million; 15.9% of central government budget
Military manpower
males 15-49, 1,241,000; 812,000 fit for military service; 56,000 reach military age (19) annually