Location:
Central South America, southwest of Brazil
Geographic coordinates:
17 00 S, 65 00 W
Map references:
South America
Area:
Area - comparative: Land boundaries:
Coastline: Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)
Climate: Terrain: Elevation extremes:
Natural resources: Land use:
Irrigated land: Total renewable water resources: Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
Natural hazards: Environment - current issues: Environment - international agreements:
Geography - note:
total:
1,098,581 sq km
country comparison to the world: 28
land:
1,083,301 sq km
water:
15,280 sq km
slightly less than three times the size of Montana
total:
7,252 km
border countries:
Argentina 942 km, Brazil 3,403 km, Chile 942 km, Paraguay 753 km, Peru 1,212 km
[see also: Land boundaries country ranks ]
0 km (landlocked)
[see also: Coastline country ranks ]
varies with altitude; humid and tropical to cold and semiarid
More Climate Details
rugged Andes Mountains with a highland plateau (Altiplano), hills, lowland plains of the Amazon Basin
lowest point:
Rio Paraguay 90 m
highest point:
Nevado Sajama 6,542 m
tin, natural gas, petroleum, zinc, tungsten, antimony, silver, iron, lead, gold, timber, hydropower
arable land:
3.49%
permanent crops:
0.2%
other:
96.31% (2011)
1,282 sq km (2003)
[see also: Irrigated land country ranks ]
622.5 cu km (2011)
[see also: Total renewable water resources country ranks ]
total:
2.64 cu km/yr (25%/14%/61%)
per capita:
305.8 cu m/yr (2005)
flooding in the northeast (March to April)
volcanism:
volcanic activity in Andes Mountains on the border with Chile; historically active volcanoes in this region are Irruputuncu (elev. 5,163 m), which last erupted in 1995, and Olca-Paruma
the clearing of land for agricultural purposes and the international demand for tropical timber are contributing to deforestation; soil erosion from overgrazing and poor cultivation methods (including slash-and-burn agriculture); desertification; loss of biodiversity; industrial pollution of water supplies used for drinking and irrigation
party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified:
Environmental Modification, Marine Life Conservation
landlocked; shares control of Lago Titicaca, world's highest navigable lake (elevation 3,805 m), with Peru