Short facts about the geography of Bolivia
| Location: |
Central South America, southwest of
Brazil |
| Geographic
coordinates: |
17 00 S, 65 00
W |
| Map
references: |
South
America |
| Area: |
total: 1,098,580 sq km
land: 1,084,390 sq
km
water: 14,190 sq km |
| Area -
comparative: |
slightly less than three times the size
of Montana |
| Land
boundaries: |
total: 6,743 km
border countries: Argentina 832 km, Brazil 3,400
km, Chile 861 km, Paraguay 750 km, Peru 900
km |
| Coastline: |
0 km
(landlocked) |
| Maritime
claims: |
none
(landlocked) |
| Climate: |
varies with altitude; humid and
tropical to cold and semiarid |
| Terrain: |
rugged Andes Mountains with a highland
plateau (Altiplano), hills, lowland plains of the Amazon
Basin |
| Elevation
extremes: |
lowest point:
Rio Paraguay 90 m
highest point: Nevado Sajama 6,542
m |
| Natural
resources: |
tin, natural gas, petroleum, zinc,
tungsten, antimony, silver, iron, lead, gold, timber,
hydropower |
| Land
use: |
arable land: 2%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures:
24%
forests and woodland: 53%
other: 21% (1993
est.) |
| Irrigated
land: |
1,750 sq km (1993
est.) |
| Natural
hazards: |
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, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol,
Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear
Test Ban, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94,
Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: 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 | Source: World Factbook |
