Bolivia

American  

[buh-liv-ee-uh, boh-, baw-lee-vyah] / bəˈlɪv i ə, boʊ-, bɔˈli ḇyɑ /

noun

1. a republic in western South America. 404,388 sq. mi. (1,047,370 sq. km). La Paz and Sucre.

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Bolivia British  

/ bəˈlɪvɪə /

noun

1. an inland republic in central S America: original Aymará Indian population conquered by the Incas in the 13th century; colonized by Spain from 1538; became a republic in 1825; consists of low plains in the east, with ranges of the Andes rising to over 6400 m (21 000 ft) and the Altiplano, a plateau averaging 3900 m (13 000 ft) in the west; contains some of the world's highest inhabited regions; important producer of tin and other minerals. Official languages: Spanish, Quechua, and Aymara. Religion: Roman Catholic. Currency: boliviano. Capital: La Paz (administrative); Sucre (judicial). Pop: 10 461 053 (2013 est). Area: 1 098 580 sq km (424 260 sq miles)

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Bolivia Cultural  

1. Republic in western South America, bordered by Chile and Peru to the west, Brazil to the north and east, Paraguay to the southeast, and Argentina to the south. Sucre is its constitutional capital and its largest city; La Paz is its administrative capital.

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Discover More

The Bolivian government has long fought widespread drug production and trafficking in the country.

Simón Bolívar founded Bolivia in 1825 after winning independence from Spanish rule.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• Bolivian
  adjective
• pro-Bolivian
  adjective
• anti-Bolivian
  adjective
• pseudo-Bolivian
  adjective

Example Sentences

Scotland had an easier time in qualifying and won its past two World Cup tuneups, beating Curacao and Bolivia by a combined score of 8-1.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 10, 2026

This preparation was never about Curacao and Bolivia, it was about getting enough positivity to propel them into Haiti week.

From BBC • Jun. 6, 2026

The Santa Cruz region is an agricultural breadbasket for Bolivia, supplying food to the country's western areas.

From Barron's • Jun. 6, 2026

Fifteen minutes before Scotland began taking Bolivia to the cleaners at the Sports Illustrated Stadium, a weather warning was issued by New Jersey's department of environmental protection.

From BBC • Jun. 6, 2026

The Spanish shipped silver from the mines of Bolivia to Manila in the Philippines, and bought Asian products there.

From "Sugar Changed the World: A Story of Magic, Spice, Slavery, Freedom, and Science" by Marc Aronson