Political Profile
Country's NamePlurinational State of Bolivia
Type of Governmentrepublic; "Social Unitarian State"
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Capital City(ies)La Paz
Independence Date6 August 1825 (from Spain)
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National Holiday(s)Independence Day, 6 August
Chief of StatePresident Juan Evo Morales Ayma
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Suffrage18 years of age; universal and compulsory
Head of StatePresident Juan Evo Morales Ayma
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Description of Executive Branch
president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for a five-year term and are eligible for re-election; election last held on 6 December 2009 (next to be held in 2014)
Description of Legislative Branch
bicameral Plurinational Legislative Assembly or Asamblea Legislativa Plurinacional consists of Chamber of Senators or Camara de Senadores (36 seats; members are elected by proportional representation from party lists to serve five-year terms) and Chamber of Deputies or Camara de Diputados (130 seats total; 70 uninominal deputies directly elected from a single district, 7 "special" indigenous deputies directly elected from non-contiguous indigenous districts, and 53 plurinominal deputies elected by proportional representation from party lists; all deputies serve five-year terms)
Description of Judicial Branch
Supreme Court or Tribunal Supremo de Justicia (judges elected by popular vote from list of candidates pre-selected by Assembly for six-year terms); Plurinational Constitutional Tribunal (seven primary or titulares and seven alternate or suplente magistrates elected by popular vote from list of candidates pre-selected by Assembly for six-year terms; to rule on constitutional issues (at least two candidates must be indigenous)); Agro-Environmental Court (judges elected by popular vote from list of candidates pre-selected by Assembly for six-year terms; to run on agro-environmental issues); Council of the Judiciary (five judges elected by popular vote from list of candidates pre-selected by Assembly for six-year terms; to rule on ethical and administrative issues in the judiciary); Plurinational Electoral Organ (seven members elected by the Assembly and the president-one member must be of indigenous origin-to six-year terms); provincial and local courts (to try minor cases); District Courts (one in each department)
Ambassador to U.S.Vacant
Charge d'Affaires: Freddy Bersatti Tudela Location of Embassy (city)in U.S.Washington, DC
Location of Consulates (cities) in U.S.Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco
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U.S. Ambassador to themVacant
Charge d'Affaires: John Creamer Location of U.S. Embassy (city) thereLa Paz
Location of U.S. Consulates (cities) thereN/A
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Representative to the United Nations
Rafael Archondo Quiroga
Description of Symbolism within Flag
three equal horizontal bands of red (top), yellow, and green with the coat of arms centered on the yellow band; red stands for bravery and the blood of national heroes, yellow for the nation's mineral resources, and green for the fertility of the land
note: similar to the flag of Ghana, which has a large black five-pointed star centered in the yellow band; in 2009, a presidential decree made it mandatory for a so-called wiphala - a square, multi-colored flag representing the country's indigenous peoples - to be used alongside the traditional flag
note: similar to the flag of Ghana, which has a large black five-pointed star centered in the yellow band; in 2009, a presidential decree made it mandatory for a so-called wiphala - a square, multi-colored flag representing the country's indigenous peoples - to be used alongside the traditional flag
National Symbol(s)
llama; Andean condor