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• The Republic of Bolivia is a nation in central South America bordered by Brazil to the north and east, Paraguay and Argentina to the south, and Chile and Peru to the west. Much of Bolivia is comprised of the Altiplano, a high-altitude plateau formed by the Andes Mountains. Lake Titicaca, which forms part of Bolivia's northwestern border with Peru, is the world's highest navigable body of water at an altitude of more than 12,000 feet.Metro News: Top destinations to visit in 2009 (December 31, 2008)

  On January 14, 2009, Bolivian President Evo Morales announced his government would sever all diplomatic ties with Israel in the wake of the Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip.CNN: Bolivia breaks ties with Israel over Gaza (January 14, 2009)

• Fast Facts

  1. Capital: Sucre (official), La Paz (administrative)
  2. President: Juan Evaristo Morales AymaBBC News: Bolivia President
  3. Official languages: Spanish, Quechua, Aymara
  4. Area: 1.1 million sq km (424,164 sq miles)BBC News: Bolivia
  5. Population: 9,247,816 (July 2008)The CIA World Factbook: Bolivia
  6. Independence: August 6, 1825The CIA World Factbook: Bolivia
  7. Currency: Boliviano (BOB)
  8. Country code: +591Country Codes: Bolivia
  9. Time zone: BOT (GMT-4)Greenwich Mean Time: Bolivia
  10. Climate: Humid and tropical to cold and semiarid

• Brief History

  Bolivia derived its name from Simon Bolovar, the South American revolutionary who helped achieve independence for several Latin American countries. In 1825, Bolivia declared its independence from Spain. Originally, Bolivia had access to the Pacific Ocean, but during the War of the Pacific between 1879 and 1883, Chile annexed the former Bolivian province of Litoral, leaving Bolivia landlocked. During its history, Bolivia's government has endured more than 200 coups or counter-coups. In 2006, Bolivia elected its first indigenous president, Juan Evaristo Morales Ayma, better known as Evo Morales. Morales has since nationalized the nation's oil and gas industry.

• Breaking Ties with Israel

  In January 2009, Bolivia announced it would sever diplomatic ties with Israel. Bolivian President Evo Morales said the decision was made because of what he called Israel's "grave attacks against...humanity" during an offensive in the Gaza Strip. Morales also said he wanted several high-ranking Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, charged with "genocide."Al Jazeera: Bolivia cuts Israel ties over Gaza (January 14, 2009)

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