it from birth; 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, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban,
Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94
signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol,
Environmental Modification, Marine Dumping, Marine Life
Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection

Geography--note: landlocked; shares control of Lago Titicaca,
world's highest navigable lake (elevation 3,805 m), with Peru

People

Population: 7,982,850 (July 1999 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 39% (male 1,573,391; female 1,540,123)
15-64 years: 56% (male 2,199,077; female 2,307,490)
65 years and over: 5% (male 164,213; female 198,556) (1999 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.96% (1999 est.)

Birth rate: 30.72 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Death rate: 9.61 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Net migration rate: -1.5 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.83 male(s)/female
total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (1999 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 62.02 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 61.43 years
male: 58.51 years
female: 64.51 years (1999 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3.93 children born/woman (1999 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Bolivian(s)
adjective: Bolivian

Ethnic groups: Quechua 30%, Aymara 25%, mestizo (mixed white and
Amerindian ancestry) 30%, white 15%

Religions: Roman Catholic 95%, Protestant (Evangelical Methodist)

Languages: Spanish (official), Quechua (official), Aymara
(official)

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 83.1%
male: 90.5%
female: 76% (1995 est.)

Government

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Bolivia
conventional short form: Bolivia
local long form: Republica de B