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WORLD FACTBOOK (US)
Introduction: Bolivia, named after independence fighter Simon BOLIVAR, broke away from Spanish rule in 1825; much of its subsequent history has consisted of a series of nearly 200 coups and countercoups. Democratic civilian rule was established in 1982, but leaders have faced difficult problems of deep-seated poverty, social unrest, and illegal drug production. In December 2005, Bolivians elected Movement Toward Socialism leader Evo MORALES president - by the widest margin of any leader since the restoration of civilian rule in 1982 - after he ran on a promise to change the country's traditional political class and empower the nation's poor, indigenous...
COUNTRY BRIEF (AU)
Economic Overview: In 2010-2011 foreign direct investment grew by 41 percent to US$319 million with 74 percent of this directed to the hydrocarbon and manufacturing sectors. The dramatic increase in investment comes after a drop in foreign investment coinciding with the global financial crisis. The leading source countries include Spain, Sweden and Brazil. The state owned oil and gas company also intends to seek US$10.7 billion in investment by 2015, indicating government recognition of a role for foreign investment in the country. World Bank figures show the hydrocarbon sector grew by 15 percent in 2011. The oil and gas sectors also showed signs of growth in
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BACKGROUND NOTES (US)
History: The Andean region has probably been inhabited for some 20,000 years. Around 2000 B.C., the Tiwanakan culture developed at the southern end of Lake Titicaca. The Tiwanakan culture centered around and was named after the great city Tiwanaku. The people developed advanced architectural and agricultural techniques before disappearing about 1200 A.D., probably because of extended drought. Roughly
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COUNTRY PROFILE (UK)
History: Bolivia became part of the Quechua-speaking Inca Empire around 1450 but was subsequently conquered by the Spanish in 1525. During the colonial era, the area was known as 'Upper Peru' or 'Charcas', ruled by the Spanish Viceroy of Lima. In this period, Bolivian silver mines were responsible for much of the Spanish Empire's wealth. Potosi, site of the famed Cerro Rico (the 'Rich Mountain'), was the largest city in the Americas for many years. Independence was proclaimed in 1809, but 16 years of struggle against the Spanish authorities followed before the establishment of the Republic, named after Simon Bolivar, on 6 August 1825. The
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COUNTRY STUDIES (US)
By 600 B.C., the first great Andean empire had emerged on the ...
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