Bolivia Geography:
Location:
Central South America, southwest of Brazil
Geographic coordinates:
17 00 S, 65 00 W
Map references:
Area:
total:
1,098,580 sq km
land:
1,084,390 sq km
water:
14,190 sq km
Area - comparative:
Slightly less than three times the size of Montana
Land boundaries:
total: 6,743 km
border countries: Argentina 832 km, Brazil 3400 km, Chile 861 km, Paraguay 750 km, Peru 900 km
Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)
Climate:
Varies with altitude; humid and tropical to cold and semiarid
Terrain:
Rugged Andes Mountains with a highland plateau (Altiplano), hills, lowland plains of the Amazon Basin
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Rio Paraguay 90 m
highest point: Nevado Sajama 6,542 m
Natural resources:
Tin, natural gas, petroleum, zinc, tungsten, antimony, silver, iron, lead, gold, timber, hydropower
Land use:
arable land: 2.67%
permanent crops: 0.19%
other: 97.14%
(2001)
Irrigated land:
1,280 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards:
Flooding in the northeast (March-April)
Environment - current issues:
The clearing of land for agricultural purposes and the international demand for tropical timber are contributing to deforestation; soil erosion from overgrazing and poor cultivation methods (including slash-and-burn agriculture); desertification; loss of biodiversity; industrial pollution of water supplies used for drinking and irrigation
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection (not ratified)
Geography - Note:
Landlocked; shares control of Lago Titicaca, world's highest navigable lake (elevation 3,805 m), with Peru |
