Facts and information for the Traveler

Official name: República de Bolivia
Foundation:August 6 of 1825
First President: Simón Bolívar Palacios
Current President: Evo Morales Ayma

Type of Govermment: Unitary republic, democratic, representative and presidential.

Capital: Sucre
Surface: 1. 098. 581 km2.
Fisic extencion: The fundamental feature of the physical constitution of Bolivia is the contrast between the cold Andean area and the warm low lands of the East. The country belongs to the system of the Mountain range that is divided in two chains the Volcanic Westerner, and the Oriental, also called Real. Among these two brunches the Highland extends, where La Paz city is, the highest capital in the world (3, 636 meters), with a surface of 100, 000 km2 and a middle height of 3, 500 meters.

Population: 8. 274. 325 habitantes de los cuales 4.123. 850 son hombres y 4. 150. 475 son mujeres.

Official language: the official idioma language is the Castellan or Spanish.
Quechua, Aymará and Tupi Guaraní (natives)

Geography: In the oriental lands of Los Andes where the valleys are and those fertile yungas, intermediate region between the Highland and the plains of the east. These last ones, that they embrace the fourth three parts of the Bolivian territory, they extend for the East, until made a confound with the Brazil forests and the Chaco area.

Limiting countries: Bolivia is located in the heart of South America and limits to the north and east with Brazil, on the south with Paraguay and Argentina and the west with Chile and Peru. The oriental and western branches of Los Andes Mountain range close the Bolivian highland.

Administrative Division: The country is structured political and administratively in 9 departments (cities), 112 counties, 314 municipalities and 1,384 cantons.

Departments: Chuquisaca, La Paz, Cochabamba, Oruro, Potosí, Tarija, Santa Cruz, Beni, Pando.

Political System: The Political Constitution of the State settles down in its Article 2do that the sovereignty it resides in the town, it is inalienable and imprescriptibly; their exercise is delegate to the Legislative, Executive and Judicial powers. The independence and coordination of these powers is the government´s base.

Presidential Elections: Every 5 years.

Suffrage: The minimum age with right to vote is of 18 years old.

Official Currency: Boliviano (Bs 1 = 100 centavos)
Bills from Bs. 10, 20, 50, 100, 200
Coins from Bs. 1, 2 and 5 Bs., 0.10 - 0.20 - 0.50, centavos.

Currency Exchange: Foreign currency and traveling check, they can be changed in banks, houses of change and hotels. Most of transactions are in American dollars, although in some houses of change they work with other foreign currencies.

Tipes of Exchange: Approximately: 1 dollar = 8.09 Bolivianos

Tarjetas de crédito: American Express, Visa, Master Card.

Airport Fees:
International: USD 25
National: Bs. 15

Weather:
The climate is varied according to the areas: Cold in the highland with summits with eternal snow and polar colds, tempered in the valleys and warm or tropical in the plains.
Highland : Cold and dry 5° C to 8° C
Valleys and Yungas: Tempered 15° C to 22° C
Plains: Warm and humid 15° C to 38° C

Seasons of the year:
Spring - months of september to november.
Summer - months of december to february.
Autumn - months of march to may.
Winter - june to august.
For their proximity to Ecuador, in the Bolivian territory the four stations of the year they are not marked, like it happens in the other continents, also that they vary according to the regions.
The oscillation of the temperature between the winter and the summer is smaller than 10° C, between one station and another. The rains take place during the months of November and March. However in the Amazonian areas of the plains they register precipitations during the whole year.

Clothes to use :
In the highland area sheltered clothes, in the area of the Valleys light clothes during the day and sheltered at night, in the region of the plains have to use light clothes.

Vaccination: Advisable according to the areas to visit: Vaccinate against the yellow fever, typhoid fever, poliomyelitis and malaria.
The vaccines for the interior of the country are gratuitous.
The international vaccines require the purchase of a card.

Altitude:
Some people are more susceptible to the changes of height. If it arrives directly to La Paz city, of a place of low altitude, it could feel the influence of the height, what is known in native language as " Sorojchi ". It is recommended, to consume sugar or candies of sugar cane, coca tea, very good for the " Sorojchi ". It has been proven that the height is not noxious for the organism and that passed one or two days already you are habituated to the height.

Voltaje:
220 and 110 voltios in La Paz and the rest of the contry 220 volts.

International phone codes:
The international phone code for Bolivia is the 591.
The departments of Bolivia has the following codes:
La Paz, Oruro and Potosí (2)
Cochabamba, Chuquisaca, Tarija (4)
Santa Cruz, Beni, Pando (3)

Oficial Time:
(GMT-4) In relation to Greenwich meridian it is less of 4 hours.

Labor Schedule:
Private sector:
Monday to friday (8:30 hours to 18:30 hours, with suspension between the 12:30 and 14:30 hours).
Public sector:
Monday to friday (8:00 to 16:00 continuous schedule).
Banks:
Monday to friday (8:00 a 16:00 continuous schedule)

Public Transportation: The trips in private vehicle, truck, bus, motorcycle or taxi is a simple form to arrive at cities and towns of Bolivia. The prices are usually of agreement with level of the service, but not in all the cases. The high costs they are when traveling in private vehicles and the cheapest thing can be when traveling in truck in the back part. The buses are middle term, to the being not only the most abundant, but rather they also allow to travel with security and comfort.

* Taxi: They are relatively cheap, in several cities and towns exists standardized rates by person in short itineraries. It is recommended to ask in the hotel, which could be the rate according to the place, to which wants you to arrive, before ascending to a taxi.

* Rent A Car: It is possible to rent a car in the main cities even at the airport. The price varies according to the company.

* Urban Transport: All the cities have buses (micros), minibuses (trufis) and taxi trufis; all with fixed routes in the urban radius and a great quantity inter provincial transports. In Bolivia and especially in the main cities there are lots of taxis which can take directly from the street, the same way as the rest of the transport and in all they are visible their denomination and their main routes.

Updating, May 2008