GENERAL INFORMATION

Welcome to a country where the visitor does not have to search for tradition, but finds it at every turn.

Considered a "cosmic synthesis of the world," Bolivia is one of the eight countries with the widest biodiversity on the planet. High plateaus, Amazon jungle, towering snow-clad peaks, inter-Andean valleys, cities that have been declared a World Cultural Heritage Site bring the visitor face-to-face with intercomparable beauty and sharp contrasts, all imbued with the charming hospitality of the Bolivian people.

OFFICIAL NAME

Republic of Bolivia

POPULATION AND AREA

Bolivia has a population of roughly 8 million 894 thousand inhabitants who occupy an area of 1 098 581km2.

FORM OF GOVERNMENT

A representative democracy in which the President is elected for a five-year term by universal vote.

RELIGION

Although Bolivia enjoys freedom of worship, most of the people are Roman Catholic.

TIME

Bolivia's official time is Universal Time or Greenwich Mean Time minus 4 hours (GMT- 4).

CURRENCY

Bolivia's monetary unit is the boliviano. Bills of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 and 200 bolivianos and coins of 0.10, 0.20, 0.50, 1, 2 and 5 bolivianos are in circulation.

Credit cards and travelers' checks:

-Travelers' checks can be cashed in Bolivia's departmental capitals.

-American Express, Visa and Master Card are the most frequently used credit cards, which are accepted by departmental banks, hotels, stores and establishments.

-Automated teller machines can be found in the departmental capitals. There are banking offices in some tourist areas, such as: Copacabana (La Paz), Uyuni (Potosí), Puerto Suárez and Montero (Santa Cruz), Bermejo and Yacuiba (Tarija) and Quillacollo (Cochabamba).

AIRPORT TAX

An international airport tax of $ 25 United States dollars is charged at Viru Viru (Santa Cruz), Jorge Wilstermann (Cochabamba) and El Alto (La Paz) international airports.

The airport tax for local flights is 15 bolivianos, a little over 2 dollars.

GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION AND BORDERS

Bolivia is located in the center of South America and is bordered by Brazil (north and east), Paraguay (southeast), Argentina (south), Chile (southwest and west) and Peru (west).

LANGUAGES

The people speak Spanish and, depending upon the region in question, also Aymara, Quechua or Guaraní, as well as several native languages.

CAPITAL