Bolivia

American  

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

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

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

Example Sentences

Salcedo phoned his family from the hotel at 5 p.m. and said he hoped to arrive in his hometown of Nueva Bolivia, about 300 miles away, the next day.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 30, 2026

Until Bolivia earlier this month, Scotland have never beaten South American opposition, never beaten Brazil in 10 attempts going back 50 years.

From BBC • Jun. 25, 2026

No protest roadblocks remained standing in Bolivia on Tuesday, the government said, as it deployed the army to quell weeks-long demonstrations that had throttled roads nationwide.

From Barron's • Jun. 23, 2026

His stronghold is the Chapare region in central Bolivia, which is now a potential flashpoint.

From Barron's • Jun. 20, 2026

In terms of species richness, Balee told me, the forest islands of Bolivia are comparable to any place in South America.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann