Digraph: BL
Type: republic
Capital: La Paz (seat of government); Sucre (legal capital and seat of judiciary)
Administrative divisions: 9 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento); Chuquisaca, Cochabamba, Beni, La Paz, Oruro, Pando, Potosi, Santa Cruz, Tarija
Independence: 6 August 1825 (from Spain)
National holiday: Independence Day, 6 August (1825)
Constitution: 2 February 1967
Legal system: based on Spanish law and Code Napoleon; has not accepted
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age, universal and compulsory (married); 21
years of age, universal and compulsory (single)
Executive branch:
chief of state and head of government: President Gonzalo SANCHEZ DE
LOZADA Bustamente (since 6 August 1993); Vice President Victor Hugo
CARDENAS Conde (since 6 August 1993); election last held 6 June 1993
(next to be held May 1997); results - Gonzalo SANCHEZ DE LOZADA (MNR)
34%, Hugo BANZER Suarez (ADN/MIR alliance) 20%, Carlos PALENQUE Aviles
(CONDEPA) 14%, Max FERNANDEZ Rojas (UCS) 13%, Antonio ARANIBAR Quiroga
(MBL) 5%; no candidate received a majority of the popular vote;
Gonzalo SANCHEZ DE LOZADA won a congressional runoff election on 4
August 1993 after forming a coalition with Max FERNANDEZ and Antonio
ARANIBAR; FERNANDEZ left the coalition in 1994
cabinet: Cabinet; appointed by the president from panel proposed by
the Senate