republic under transition to multiparty democratic rule
republic
Independence date
6 August 1825 (from Spain)
Religions
Christian 29%, Muslim 20%, indigenous beliefs 51%
Roman Catholic 95%, Protestant (Evangelical Methodist) 5%
Languages
French (official and the language of commerce), Ewe and Mina (the two major African languages in the south), Kabye (sometimes spelled Kabiye) and Dagomba (the two major African languages in the north)
Spanish 60.7% (official), Quechua 21.2% (official), Aymara 14.6% (official), foreign languages 2.4%, other 1.2% (2001 census)
Exports
natural gas, soybeans and soy products, crude petroleum, zinc ore, tin
External Debt
$5,491,000,000 US
Exchange Rate
bolivianos (BOB) per US dollar - 7.253 (2008 est.), 7.8616 (2007), 8.0159 (2006), 8.0661 (2005), 7.9363 (2004)
Military Budget as percentage of GDP
1.300%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
1
0
Location
Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Benin, between Benin and Ghana
Central South America, southwest of Brazil
Area
56,785 km sq
1,098,581 km sq
Coastline
56 km
0 km
Climate
tropical; hot, humid in south; semiarid in north
varies with altitude; humid and tropical to cold and semiarid
