Bolivia and Paraguay are the only South American countries without direct access to the sea. The constitutional capital of Bolivia is Sucre. La Paz is the largest city and administrative capital.
The great majority of the people in Bolivia are Native American or part Native American, and ancient traditions are still practiced, particularly in rural areas. From the 16th to the early 19th century, Bolivia was a colony of Spain. In 1952, Bolivia underwent a political revolution that brought about major changes throughout the country. The leaders of that revolution introduced programs designed to provide greater political, economic, and social opportunities for Native Americans.
Since early colonial times, mining for precious minerals has played an important role in the country’s economy. In 1950s, many of the largest mining operations were nationalized. However, subsequent Bolivian governments have encouraged private industrial development and actively sought foreign investment capital. Agriculture is extremely important to the Bolivian economy, employing a large percentage of the labor force. Farming, fishing, and forestry account for 15 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2002.
Bolivia is a member of various international trade organizations such as the Latin American Integration Association (LAIA), an organization with many of the same goals as the Andean Group, but on a wider scale; the Southern Cone Common Market (MERCOSUR), a trade group dedicated to lowering tariffs and removing other trade barriers among its member nations; and the Andean Group, which works toward common policies on energy, tariff reduction, industrial and agricultural development, political cooperation, improved internal and international trade, and the creation of a common market.
Last year, the country hosted the 13th Ibero-American Summit. It will host the Summit of Heads of State of South America on December 7, 2004.
We congratulate the people and government of the Republic of Bolivia and its Consulate in the Philippines headed by Consul Jose R. Rodriguez on the occasion of their National Day.
