Bolivia is a land of sharp contrasts with climatic conditions ranging from arctic to tropical. It is divided into three distinct ecozones: the bleak, windswept, Tibetan-like plateau or "high plain" called the Altiplano (3,600 meters high) separating two generally parallel Andean cordilleras; the intermediary valley region (often referred to somewhat loosely by travel writers as the yunga, meaning warm valleys), which consists of both the eastern temperate high valleys and the only valley that Bolivians call the Yungas, the steep semitropical valley northeast of the city of La Paz; and the eastern tropical flat lowlands, which make up about 70% of the country, including part of the vast, semiarid Chaco region in the south.

The population of Bolivia (2001 estimate) is 8,300,463, giving the country a population density of 8 persons per sq km (20 per sq mi), one of the lowest in South America. Roughly 55 percent of all the people are Native American, and about 30 percent are mestizo (of mixed Native American and European ancestry). The remaining inhabitants are white, mainly of Spanish descent. Some 36 percent of the people live in rural areas.

The official languages of Bolivia are Spanish and two Native South American languages, Quechua and Aymara; of those the Native American languages are more commonly spoken.

Travel during the rainy season (November through March) is extremely difficult, as most routes are potholed, and many roads and bridges are washed out. Added dangers are the lack of formal training for most drivers, lack of lights on speeding vehicles at night, and drunk drivers, including commercial bus drivers. Fatal crashes, fender-benders, and car/pedestrian accidents are commonplace.

Full country name: Republic of Bolivia
Area: 1,098,580 sq km (428,446 sq mi)
Population: 8,328,700
Capital city: La Paz (pop 2,406,377) and Sucre (pop 132,000)
People: 30% Quechua Indian, 25% mestizo, 30% Aymará Indian, approx 15% European (principally Spanish)
Language: Spanish but most Indians speak either Quechua or Aymará; composite dialects of Spanish-Aymará and Spanish-Quechua are also widely spoken
Religion: 95% Roman Catholic, Protestant (Evangelical Methodist)
Government: Democracy
President: Evo Morales
GDP: US$24.2 billion
GDP per head: US$3000
Annual growth: 3%
Inflation: 2.1%
Major industries: Agriculture, narcotics, smelting, petroleum, food and beverages, tobacco, handicrafts, clothing, tin mining, natural gas
Major trading partners: USA, Brazil, Japan