17 March 1861 (Kingdom of Italy proclaimed; Italy was not finally unified until 1870)
Religions
Roman Catholic 95%, Protestant (Evangelical Methodist) 5%
Roman Catholic 90% (approximately; about one-third practicing), other 10% (includes mature Protestant and Jewish communities and a growing Muslim immigrant community)
Languages
Spanish 60.7% (official), Quechua 21.2% (official), Aymara 14.6% (official), foreign languages 2.4%, other 1.2% (2001 census)
Italian (official), German (parts of Trentino-Alto Adige region are predominantly German speaking), French (small French-speaking minority in Valle d'Aosta region), Slovene (Slovene-speaking minority in the Trieste-Gorizia area)
Exports
natural gas, soybeans and soy products, crude petroleum, zinc ore, tin
engineering products, textiles and clothing, production machinery, motor vehicles, transport equipment, chemicals; food, beverages and tobacco; minerals, and nonferrous metals
External Debt
$5,491,000,000 $
$2,684,000,000,000 US
Exchange Rate
bolivianos (BOB) per US dollar - 7.253 (2008 est.), 7.8616 (2007), 8.0159 (2006), 8.0661 (2005), 7.9363 (2004)
euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.6689 (2008 est.), 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004)
Military Budget as percentage of GDP
1.300%
1.800%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
0
28
Location
Central South America, southwest of Brazil
Southern Europe, a peninsula extending into the central Mediterranean Sea, northeast of Tunisia
Area
1,098,581 km sq
301,340 km sq
Coastline
0 km
7,600 km
Climate
varies with altitude; humid and tropical to cold and semiarid
predominantly Mediterranean; Alpine in far north; hot, dry in south
