Bolivia: Geography

Geography

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 water: 14,190 sq km land: 1,084,390 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: 1.73% permanent crops: 0.21% other: 98.06% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land:	1,280 sq km (1998 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