Bolivia is a landlocked country in South America that shares borders with Peru, Chile, Argentina, Paraguay, and Brazil and shares control of Lake Titicaca with Peru. The population is split among two indigenous groups, Chechua (30 percent) and Aymara (25 percent); mestizo or mixed ancestry 30 percent; and white (15 percent). Over 90 percent of the population identify themselves as Roman Catholic, most of the remainder as Protestant.

Bolivia is one of the poorest countries in Latin America, due in part to a history of political unrest. In 2009, the per capita Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of $4,600 put Bolivia in the middle third of reporting countries, but inequality is extreme: Bolivia's Gini Index of 59.2 is the 7th highest in the world and an estimated ...