COUNTRY PROFILE: BOLIVIA
January 2006
COUNTRY
Formal Name: Republic of Bolivia (República de Bolivia).
Short Form: Bolivia.
Term for Citizen(s): Bolivian(s).
Capitals: La Paz (executive) and Sucre (judicial).
Major Cities: Santa Cruz (1.3 million inhabitants), Cochabamba (900,000), El Alto (830,000), La Paz (810,000), and Sucre (225,000), according to 2005 projections.
Independence: Led by “El Libertador,” Simón Bolívar Palacios, Bolivia gained complete independence from Spanish and Peruvian control in 1825. Despite nearly 200 coups and counter-coups, Bolivia has maintained its autonomy since independence.
Public Holidays: The following are Bolivia’s federal holidays: New Year’s Day (January 1), Carnival (two days, variable dates in February or March), Good Friday (variable date in March or April), Labor Day (May 1), Corpus Christi (variable date in May or June), Independence Day (August 6), All Saints’ Day (November 1), Christmas (December 25). Each of Bolivia’s nine departments also has a holiday celebrating its inception.
Flag: The Bolivian flag is divided into three equal, horizontal bands of red,
yellow, and green. The Bolivian coat of arms is centered in the middle
yellow band.