Bolivia 🇧🇴
Bolivia is a country in South America with a population of 12,224,110. Its capital is Sucre. The official currency is BOB, and the main languages are Spanish.
Quick facts
- Capital: Sucre
- Continent: South America
- Population: 12,224,110
- Area: 1,098,581 km²
- Density: 11.1 people per km²
- Currency: BOB
- Languages: Spanish
- ISO code: BO
Where Bolivia sits
Bolivia 🇧🇴 is one of 12 countries in South America, with its capital at Sucre. It covers 1,098,581 square kilometres — 27th in the world — and is home to about 12,224,110 people, 80th globally.
The countries it shares a continent with include Brazil, Colombia, Argentina, Peru and Venezuela. If you are learning geography region by region — which works far better than alphabetically, because memory for places is spatial — those are the ones to learn alongside it.
How Bolivia compares
Raw figures are hard to hold on their own, so it helps to anchor them. In population, Bolivia sits closest to Tunisia and Belgium. In land area, its nearest counterparts are Ethiopia and Colombia.
At 11.1 people per square kilometre it is about 5.3 times below the world average of 59.4. It ranks higher by area than by population, so it is more spacious than its population alone suggests.
Spanish is an official language in 20 countries here, among them Argentina, Chile, Colombia and Costa Rica, and 15 others. The BOB is used by Bolivia and no one else.
To see Bolivia next to every other country, sort the country rankings by population, area or density; its currency and languages are listed alongside every other country's in world currencies and world languages.
How to remember Bolivia
Bolivia has two capitals: Sucre is the constitutional capital and seat of the courts, while the president and parliament sit in La Paz. The quiz answer is Sucre. For the flag, think of a traffic light lying on its side: red, yellow (amber), green, from top to bottom.
The flag of Bolivia: red, yellow and green
🇧🇴 The flag is three horizontal stripes of red, yellow and green, with the coat of arms in the centre of the state flag. Red stands for bravery and the blood of national heroes, yellow for the nation's mineral resources, and green for the fertility of the land. Since 2009 the Wiphala, a square flag of many colours representing the country's ethnic groups, has also been a national symbol.
Region and neighbours
Bolivia is a landlocked country in central South America, with the Andes and the high Altiplano plateau in the west and tropical lowlands to the east and north. It shares land borders with 5 countries: Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, Chile and Peru. Bolivia is landlocked, with no coast on the open ocean.
- Brazil 🇧🇷 — capital Brasília
- Paraguay 🇵🇾 — capital Asunción
- Argentina 🇦🇷 — capital Buenos Aires
- Chile 🇨🇱 — capital Santiago
- Peru 🇵🇪 — capital Lima
Three facts about Bolivia
- The Salar de Uyuni is the largest salt flat in the world.
- Lake Titicaca is the highest commercially navigable lake in the world and the largest lake in South America.
- Nevado Sajama, 6,542 m high, is Bolivia's highest point.
Sources: Wikipedia: Bolivia, Wikipedia: Flag of Bolivia, Wikipedia: Sucre, CIA World Factbook.
Quiz yourself on Bolivia
- South American capitals quiz — match Bolivia to Sucre
- South American flags quiz — spot the Bolivia flag among its neighbours
- Landlocked countries quiz — Bolivia has no sea coast
Quizzes that include Bolivia
Three angles are worth covering for any country — where it is, what its flag looks like, and what its capital is. For Bolivia those are:
- South America map quiz — place it on a blank map
- South America flags quiz — identify its flag among its neighbours
- South America capitals quiz — match it to Sucre
- Bolivia capital quiz — five quick questions starting with Bolivia
- Daily Map Challenge — five countries to find on a blank world map, the same five for everyone each day
Doing all three for one continent before moving on is far more efficient than learning flags globally, then capitals globally, then the map.
Read more about Bolivia
- Capital of Bolivia: Sucre — the capital in detail, with size and density rankings
- All 12 countries of South America
Nearby countries
- Argentina 🇦🇷 — capital Buenos Aires
- Brazil 🇧🇷 — capital Brasília
- Chile 🇨🇱 — capital Santiago
- Colombia 🇨🇴 — capital Bogotá
- Ecuador 🇪🇨 — capital Quito
- Guyana 🇬🇾 — capital Georgetown
- Paraguay 🇵🇾 — capital Asunción
- Peru 🇵🇪 — capital Lima
- Suriname 🇸🇷 — capital Paramaribo
- Uruguay 🇺🇾 — capital Montevideo
- Venezuela 🇻🇪 — capital Caracas
Frequently asked questions
What are the colours of the Bolivia flag?
The flag of Bolivia is three horizontal stripes of red, yellow and green, with the coat of arms in the centre of the state flag. Red stands for bravery and the blood of national heroes, yellow for the nation's mineral resources, and green for the fertility of the land. Since 2009 the Wiphala, a square flag of many colours representing the country's ethnic groups, has also been a national symbol.
Which countries border Bolivia?
Bolivia shares land borders with Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, Chile and Peru.
How can I remember the capital of Bolivia?
Bolivia has two capitals: Sucre is the constitutional capital and seat of the courts, while the president and parliament sit in La Paz. The quiz answer is Sucre. For the flag, think of a traffic light lying on its side: red, yellow (amber), green, from top to bottom.