Head of state: King Juan Carlos I Prime minister: Mariano Rajoy
Population
10,290,003
47,042,984
Life Expectancy
67.900 years
81.270 years
Capital City
La Paz (administrative capital)
Madrid
Largest city
Santa Cruz de la Sierra (population: 1,364,390)
Madrid (population: 3,117,980)
Human Development Index
0.723
0.949
GDP per capita
$4,900 US
$31,000 US
Literacy Rate
86.7%
97.9%
Corruption Perception Index
3
6.5
Percentage of Women in Parliament
14.6%
33.6%
Wealthiest Citizens
NA
Amancio Ortega ($18.3bn US)
Unemployment Rate
5.500%
21.700%
Death Penalty
Abolished except for special circumstances
Abolished
Political System
republic
parliamentary monarchy
Independence date
6 August 1825 (from Spain)
the Iberian peninsula was characterized by a variety of independent kingdoms prior to the Muslim occupation that began in the early 8th century A.D. and lasted nearly seven centuries; the small Christian redoubts of the north began the reconquest almost immediately, culminating in the seizure of Granada in 1492; this event completed the unification of several kingdoms and is traditionally considered the forging of present-day Spain
Religions
Roman Catholic 95%, Protestant (Evangelical Methodist) 5%
Roman Catholic 94%, other 6%
Languages
Spanish 60.7% (official), Quechua 21.2% (official), Aymara 14.6% (official), foreign languages 2.4%, other 1.2% (2001 census)
Castilian Spanish (official) 74%, Catalan 17%, Galician 7%, Basque 2%, are official regionally
Exports
natural gas, soybeans and soy products, crude petroleum, zinc ore, tin
machinery, motor vehicles; foodstuffs, pharmaceuticals, medicines, other consumer goods
External Debt
$5,491,000,000 $
$2,570,000,000,000 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 - 0.6734 (2008 est.), 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004)
Military Budget as percentage of GDP
1.300%
1.200%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
0
18
Location
Central South America, southwest of Brazil
Southwestern Europe, bordering the Bay of Biscay, Mediterranean Sea, North Atlantic Ocean, and Pyrenees Mountains, southwest of France
Area
1,098,581 km sq
505,370 km sq
Coastline
0 km
4,964 km
Climate
varies with altitude; humid and tropical to cold and semiarid
temperate; clear, hot summers in interior, more moderate and cloudy along coast; cloudy, cold winters in interior, partly cloudy and cool along coast
