Jaime APARICIO Otero
chancery: 3014 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 483-4410
FAX: [1] (202) 328-3712
consulate(s) general: Miami, New York, and San Francisco

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador David N. GREENLEE
embassy: Avenida Arce 2780, San Jorge, La Paz
mailing address: P. O. Box 425, La Paz; APO AA 34032
telephone: [591] (2) 2430120, 2430251
FAX: [591] (2) 2433900

Flag description:
three equal horizontal bands of red (top), yellow, and green with
the coat of arms centered on the yellow band; similar to the flag of
Ghana, which has a large black five-pointed star centered in the
yellow band

Economy Bolivia

Economy - overview:
Bolivia, long one of the poorest and least developed Latin American
countries, reformed its economy after suffering a disastrous
economic crisis in the early 1980s. The reforms spurred real GDP
growth, which averaged 4 percent in the 1990s, and poverty rates
fell. Economic growth, however, lagged again beginning in 1999
because of a global slowdown and homegrown factors such as political
turmoil, civil unrest, and soaring fiscal deficits, all of which
hurt investor confidence. In 2003, violent protests against the
pro-foreign investment economic policies of President SANCHEZ DE
LOZADA led to his resignation and the cancellation of plans to
export Bolivia's newly discovered natural gas reserves to large
northern hemisphere markets. Foreign investment dried up as
companies adopted a wait-and-see attitude regarding new President
Carlos MESA's willingness to protect investor rights in the face of
increased demands by radical groups that the government expropriate
foreign-owned assets. Real GDP growth in 2003 and 2004 - helped by
increased demand for natural gas in neighboring Brazil - was
positive, but still below the levels seen during the 1990s. Bolivia
remains dependent on foreign aid from multilateral lenders and
foreign governments.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$22.33 billion (2004 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
3.7% (2004 est.)

GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $2,600 (2004 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 13%
industry: 28%
services: 59% (2004 est.)

Labor force:
3.8 million (2004 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture NA%, industry NA%, services NA%

Unemployment rate:
9.2