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

But the vibe around the national team has changed, with Clarke notably positive after warming up for the tournament with a 4-1 win over 10-man Curacao before smashing Bolivia 4-0.

From BBC • Jun. 10, 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

The 62-year-old helped Iraq through the third and fourth rounds of qualification, a tight play-off victory against the United Arab Emirates before the win against Bolivia.

From BBC • Jun. 2, 2026

In a gesture to its longtime, long-suffering ally, Peru symbolically gave two miles of its shoreline to Bolivia in 1992.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann