Estado Plurinacional de Bolivia

Political Status: Independent republic proclaimed 1825; civilian government reestablished in October 1982 after virtually constant military rule since September 1969; present constitution promulgated on February 7, 2009.

Area: 424,162 sq. mi. (1,098,581 sq. km).

Population: 10,318,135 (2012E—UN); 10,209,003 (2012E—U.S. Census).

Major Urban Centers (2005E): LA PAZ (administrative capital, 826,000), Sucre (judicial capital, 231,000), Santa Cruz (1,337,000), Cochabamba (583,000), Oruro (209,000).

Official Languages: Spanish, Aymará, Quechua (Aymará and Quechua were adopted as official languages in 1977).

Monetary Unit: Boliviano (market rate November 5, 2012: 6.91 bolivianos = $1US).

President: Juan Evo MORALES Ayma (Movement to Socialism); elected December 18, 2005, and inaugurated January 22, 2006, for a five-year term, succeeding Interim President Eduardo RODRÍGUEZ Veltsé (Nonparty); reelected December 6, 2009, in early elections after a constitutional ...