| Location |
Central South
America, southwest of Brazil |
| Geographic
coordinates |
17 00 S, 65
00 W |
| Map
references |
South America |
| Area |
total: 1,098,580
sq km
land: 1,084,390 sq km
water : 14,190 sq km |
| Land
boundaries: |
total : 6,743
km |
| border
countries |
Argentina 832
km, Brazil 3,400 km, Chile 861 km, Paraguay 750 km, Peru 900 km |
| Coastline |
0 km (landlocked) |
| Maritime
claims |
none (landlocked) |
| Climate |
varies with
altitude; humid and tropical to cold and semiarid |
| Terrain |
rugged Andes
Mountains with a highland plateau (Altiplano), hills, lowland plains
of the Amazon Basin |
| Elevation
extremes |
lowest point
: Rio Paraguay 90 m
highest point: Cerro Illimani 6,882 m |
| Natural
resources |
tin, natural
gas, petroleum, zinc, tungsten, antimony, silver, iron, lead, gold,
timber |
| Land
use |
arable land:
2%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 24%
forests and woodland : 53%
other: 21% (1993 est.) |
| Irrigated
land |
1,750 sq km
(1993 est.) |
| Natural
hazards |
cold, thin air
of high plateau is obstacle to efficient fuel combustion, as well
as to physical activity by those unaccustomed to it from birth; flooding
in the northeast (March-April) |
Environment
current issues |
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 |
Environment
international agreements |
party to: Biodiversity,
Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes,
Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber
94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Marine Dumping,
Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection |
| note |
landlocked;
shares control of Lago Titicaca, world's highest navigable lake (elevation
3,805 m), with Peru |
|