Bolivia, the heart of South America

“Bolivia is not only a beautiful place with geographical contrasts and a very old and diverse culture, it has also become the country of opportunities”, affirmed Vice-President Álvaro García Linera, proud to see indigenous people at the country’s helm. He wants to see “Bolivia become a peaceful power, open to the world”. The outlook is bright indeed: The Bolivian Central Bank expects the country’s economic growth to reach 5 percent in 2016, despite the overall slowdown in Latin America. The year 2015 ended with a GDP growth of 4.8 percent, ranging highest in the region for the third time since 2009. As outlined in its Economic and Social Development Plan, the Bolivian government estimates that the average GDP growth rate will be 5,8 percent between 2016 and 2020. The per capita income is also expected to rise by 66 percent over the next five years, climbing from US$ 3.000 in 2015 to US$ 5.000. One of the world’s fastest-growing cities, Santa Cruz de la Sierra, has become a vibrant business hub with a relaxed tropical feel and epitomizes Bolivia’s aspirations. The country holds 60 percent of worldwide supplies of lithium, the “fuel” of the future. As Vice-President García Linera said, “The country seems to have woken up from its sleep, now there is potential everywhere, which the private sector should not miss out on”.

Official name: Plurinational State of Bolivia President: Juan Evo Morales Ayma Capital: Sucre Seat of Government: Nuestra Señora de La Paz Population (2015): 10.73 million Surface: 1,098,580 sq. km

Official languages: Spanish, Aymara, Quechua, Guarani and a variety of indigenous languages Currency: Bolivian Peso (BOB) GNI per capita 2014: $ 2,870 GDP at market prices 2014: $ 33 billion Unemployment rate: 2.2% Annual Growth 2015: 4.8% Human Development Index: 0.662

Member of: UN, OAS, UNASUR, CAN, Rio Group, WTO, LAIA, WB, IDB, CAF, ALBA, FLAR, SELA, CIN, OEI, IUCN, Latin Union, NAM.