0

Geography of Bolivia – The Ultimate Free Guide 2021

Learn facts and Geography of Bolivia including Major Geographical Features, Natural resources, Region, area, Capital, Border countries, rivers in Bolivia.

The geography of Bolivia includes the Eastern Andes Mountain Range (also called the Cordillera Oriental) which bisects Bolivia roughly from north to south. To the east of that mountain chain are lowland plains of the Amazon Basin, and to the west is the Altiplano which is a highland plateau where Lake Titicaca is located.

• Bolivia’s geography has features similar to those of Peru which abuts Bolivia’s northwest border; like Bolivia, Peru is bisected from north to south by the Eastern Andes Mountains, and these two countries share Lake Titicaca which is the highest navigable lake on Earth.

Geography of Bolivia

Region:

• The Andes,
• The Altiplano,
• The Yungas,
• The highland valleys,
• The Gran Chaco, and
• The tropical lowlands of the Parana and Amazon basins

Area:

1,098,580 sq km

Capital:

La Paz and Sucre

Population:

1,098,580 sq km

Bordering Countries:

• Argentina ,
• Brazil,
• Chile,
• Paraguay,
• Peru.

Total Size:

6,743 km

Geographical Coordinates:

17 00 S, 65 00 W

World Region or Continent:

South America

General Terrain:

Rugged Andes Mountains with a highland plateau (Altiplano), hills, lowland plains of the Amazon Basin

Geographical Low Point:

Rio Paraguay 90 m

Geographical High Point:

 Nevado Sajama 6,542 m

Climate:

Bolivia has several geographical areas and climates, and the three predominant ones are

• Andean (28% of the territory),
• Sub-Andean (13%), and
• Plains (59%).

The summers are warm, humid in the east and dry in the west, with rains that often modify temperatures, humidity, winds, atmospheric pressure and evaporation, giving place to very different climates.

Major cities:

Major Land forms:

• Arable land: 3.97%
• permanent crops: 0.20%
• other: 95.83% (2012)
• Irrigated land: 1,282 km²
• Total renewable water resources: 622.5 cu km

Major Rivers and Lakes:

Major Rivers:

• Paraguay River,
• Madeira River

Major Lakes:

• Lake Titicaca
• Lake Poopó
• Lake Huaytunas
• Coipasa Lake
• Rogaguado Lake
• Lake Uru Uru

Natural Hazards:

Flooding in the northeast (March–April)

Natural Resources:

• Tin,
• Natural gas,
• Petroleum,
• Zinc,
• Tungsten,
• Antimony,
• Silver,
• Iron,
• Lead,
• Gold,
• Timber, and
• Hydro-power

Major Geographical Features:

Biomes & Ecosystems:

The main biomes in Bolivia are jungle, forest, savannah, tundra, steppe, desert and wetlands. There is a large amount of endemism found within the vertebrate species, with 16% of mammals, 22% of fish, 20% of reptiles and 42% of birds endemic to Bolivia.

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

Oceans:

Pacific Ocean

Islands:

• Isla del Sol
• Isla de la Luna
• Suriqui
• Isla Incahuasi
• Isla del Pescado

Mountain Ranges:

• Illimani
• Huayna Potosí
• Illampu
• Janq’u Uma
• Chachakumani
• Kunturiri
• Chacaltaya
• Ch’iyar Juqhu

States of Bolivia :

• Beni
• Chuquisaca
• Cochabamba
• La Paz
• Oruro
• Pando
• Potosi
• Santa Cruz
• Tarija

Facts about Bolivia :

• Bolivia and Paraguay are the only two landlocked South American countries. Bolivia is the highest and most isolated country in South America.
• Bolivia changed its official name from “Republic of Bolivia” to “Plurinational State of Bolivia” in 2009.
• Bolivia was known as Upper Peru during the Spanish rule.
• Spanish is the native tongue of more than 40% of the country’s population. Quechua and Aymara are among the official languages of Bolivia. In rural areas, indigenous people speak their own languages.
• Indigenous people make up about two-thirds of its population.
• Military service is obligatory in Bolivia for all men between the ages of 18 and 22.

See Also:

World Map

References:

• Wikipedia.com (Geography of Bolivia)
• Goaway.com(Geography of Bolivia)
• Countrystudies.us(Geography of Bolivia)
• Exploreboliva.com(Geography of Bolivia)