Editing Bolivia (section)

== Geography ==
{{Main|Geography of Bolivia}}
[[File:Bolivia Topography.png|left|thumb|Topographical map of Bolivia]]

Bolivia is located in the central zone of South America, between 57°26'–69°38'W and 9°38'–22°53'S. With an area of {{convert|1098581|km2|sqmi|sp=us}}, Bolivia is the world's 28th-largest country, and the fifth largest country in South America,<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2147rank.html | title=Country Comparison :: Area | work=[[The World Factbook]] | publisher=[[Central Intelligence Agency]] | access-date=12 February 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140209041128/https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2147rank.html | archive-date=9 February 2014 | url-status=dead}}</ref> extending from the [[Andes|Central Andes]] through part of the ''[[Gran Chaco]]'', [[Pantanal]] and as far as the [[Amazon rainforest|Amazon]]. The geographic center of the country is the so-called ''Puerto Estrella'' ("Star Port") on the [[Río Grande (Bolivia)|Río Grande]], in [[Ñuflo de Chávez Province]], [[Santa Cruz Department, Bolivia|Santa Cruz Department]].

The geography of the country exhibits a great variety of terrain and climates. Bolivia has a high level of [[biodiversity]],<ref>{{Cite web|date=21 May 2016|title=The top 10 most biodiverse countries|url=https://news.mongabay.com/2016/05/top-10-biodiverse-countries/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210219020710/https://news.mongabay.com/2016/05/top-10-biodiverse-countries/|archive-date=19 February 2021|access-date=23 February 2021|website=Mongabay Environmental News|quote=Several countries — Bolivia&nbsp;... narrowly missed the top 10. For some plant and animal groups, some of these countries do make their respective top 10s}}</ref> considered one of the greatest in the world, as well as several [[ecoregion]]s with ecological sub-units such as the ''[[Altiplano]]'', [[tropical rainforest]]s (including [[Amazon rainforest]]), dry [[valley]]s, and the ''[[Chiquitania]]'', which is a [[Tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands|tropical savanna]].{{Citation needed|date=February 2021|reason=First claim about biodiversity is substaintiated, but the rest of the sentence's source is unclear.}} These areas feature enormous variations in altitude, from an elevation of {{convert|6542|m|ft|sp=us}} above sea level in [[Nevado Sajama]] to nearly {{convert|70|m|ft|sp=us}} along the [[Paraguay River]]. Although a country of great geographic diversity, Bolivia has remained a [[landlocked country]] since the [[War of the Pacific]]. [[Puerto Suárez]], [[San Matías, Santa Cruz|San Matías]] and [[Puerto Quijarro]] are located in the [[Pantanal|Bolivian Pantanal]]. In Bolivia [[forest cover]] is around 47% of the total land area, equivalent to 50,833,760&nbsp;ha of forest in 2020, down from 57,804,720&nbsp;ha in 1990. In 2020, naturally regenerating forest covered 50,771,160&nbsp;ha and planted forest covered 62,600&nbsp;ha. Of the naturally regenerating forest 0% was reported to be [[primary forest]] (consisting of native tree species with no clearly visible indications of human activity) and around 24% of the forest area was found within protected areas. For the year 2015, 100% of the forest area was reported to be under [[State ownership|public ownership]].<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://openknowledge.fao.org/server/api/core/bitstreams/a6e225da-4a31-4e06-818d-ca3aeadfd635/content |title=Terms and Definitions FRA 2025 Forest Resources Assessment, Working Paper 194 |publisher=Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations |year=2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Global Forest Resources Assessment 2020, Bolivia |url=https://fra-data.fao.org/assessments/fra/2020/BOL/home/overview |website=Food Agriculture Organization of the United Nations}}</ref>

Bolivia can be divided into three [[Physical geography|physiographic]] regions:
[[File:Sol de Mañana 2018.jpg|thumb|[[Sol de Mañana]] (''Morning Sun'' in Spanish), a geothermal field in [[Eduardo Avaroa Andean Fauna National Reserve]], southwestern Bolivia. The area, characterized by intense volcanic activity, with sulfur spring fields and mud lakes, has indeed no geysers but rather holes that emit pressurized steam up to 50 meters high.]]
[[File:James's Flamingoes in Laguna Colorada, Bolivia.jpg|thumb|[[Laguna Colorada]] in the Puna de Lipez in Potosí]]
*'''The Andean region''' in the southwest spans 28% of the national territory, extending over {{convert|307603|km2|sqmi|sp=us}}. This area is located above {{convert|3000|m|ft|sp=us}} altitude and is located between two big Andean chains, the ''[[Cordillera Occidental (Bolivia)|Cordillera Occidental]]'' ("Western Range") and the ''[[Cordillera Central (Bolivia)|Cordillera Central]]'' ("Central Range"), with some of the highest spots in the Americas such as the [[Nevado Sajama]], with an altitude of {{convert|6542|m|ft|sp=us}}, and the [[Illimani]], at {{convert|6462|m|ft|sp=us}}. Also located in the Cordillera Central is [[Lake Titicaca]], the highest commercially navigable lake in the world and the largest lake in South America;<ref>{{cite web | url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/5080/ | title=Lake Titicaca | publisher=[[UNESCO]] | date=17 June 2005 | access-date=12 February 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140217125355/https://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/5080/ | archive-date=17 February 2014 | url-status=live}}</ref> the lake is shared with Peru. Also in this region are the ''[[Altiplano]]'' and the ''[[Salar de Uyuni]]'', which is the largest [[Salt pan (geology)|salt flat]] in the world and an important source of [[lithium]].
*The '''Sub-Andean region''' in the center and south of the country is an intermediate region between the ''[[Altiplano]]'' and the eastern ''[[Plain|llanos]]'' (plain); this region comprises 13% of the territory of Bolivia, extending over {{convert|142815|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}}, and encompassing the Bolivian valleys and the Yungas region. It is distinguished by its farming activities and its temperate climate.
*The '''Llanos region''' in the northeast comprises 59% of the territory, with {{convert|648163|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}}. It is located to the north of the Cordillera Central and extends from the Andean foothills to the [[Paraguay River]]. It is a region of flat land and small plateaus, all covered by extensive rain forests containing enormous biodiversity. The region is below {{convert|400|m|ft|sp=us}} above sea level.

=== Geology ===
[[File:Koppen-Geiger Map BOL present.svg|thumb|upright=1.4|Bolivia map of Köppen climate classification<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Beck |first1=Hylke E. |last2=Zimmermann |first2=Niklaus E. |last3=McVicar |first3=Tim R. |last4=Vergopolan |first4=Noemi |last5=Berg |first5=Alexis |last6=Wood |first6=Eric F. |title=Present and future Köppen-Geiger climate classification maps at 1-km resolution |journal=Scientific Data |date=30 October 2018 |volume=5 |page=180214 |doi=10.1038/sdata.2018.214|pmid=30375988 |pmc=6207062 |bibcode=2018NatSD...580214B}}</ref>]]

The [[geology of Bolivia]] comprises a variety of different [[lithology|lithologies]] as well as [[plate tectonics|tectonic]] and sedimentary environments. On a synoptic scale, geological units coincide with topographical units. Most elementally, the country is divided into a mountainous western area affected by the [[subduction]] processes in the Pacific and an eastern lowlands of stable [[platform (geology)|platforms]] and [[shield (geology)|shields]].

=== Climate ===
[[File:Chacaltaya, Bolivia.jpg|thumb|[[Chacaltaya]] ski resort, [[La Paz Department (Bolivia)|La Paz Department]]]]
The climate of Bolivia varies drastically from one eco-region to the other, from the tropics in the eastern ''[[Plain|llanos]]'' to a [[polar climate]] in the western Andes. The summers are warm, humid in the east and dry in the west, with rains that often modify temperatures, humidity, winds, [[atmospheric pressure]] and evaporation, yielding very different climates in different areas. When the climatological phenomenon known as ''[[El Niño-Southern Oscillation|El Niño]]''<ref>{{cite web |language=es |url=http://www.itdg.org.pe/archivos/desastres/reportemarzo.pdf |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20050308110026/http://www.itdg.org.pe/archivos/desastres/reportemarzo.pdf |archive-date=8 March 2005 |title=Fortalecimiento de las Capacidades locales para enfrentar El Fenómeno del Niño en Peru y Bolivia |publisher=itdg.org.pe |access-date=14 July 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Deja 56 muertos "El Niño" en Bolivia |publisher=El Financiero |url=http://www.elfinanciero.com.mx/ElFinanciero/Portal/cfpages/contentmgr.cfm?docId=48449&docTipo=1&orderby=docid&sortby=ASC |access-date=14 July 2013 |language=es |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927001813/http://www.elfinanciero.com.mx/ElFinanciero/Portal/cfpages/contentmgr.cfm?docId=48449&docTipo=1&orderby=docid&sortby=ASC |archive-date=27 September 2007}}</ref> takes place, it causes great alterations in the weather. Winters are very cold in the west, and it snows in the mountain ranges, while in the western regions, windy days are more common. The autumn is dry in the non-tropical regions.
*''Llanos''. A [[Humidity|humid]] [[tropical climate]] with an average temperature of {{convert|25|°C|F}}. The wind coming from the [[Amazon rainforest]] causes significant rainfall. In May, there is low precipitation because of dry winds, and most days have clear skies. Even so, winds from the south, called ''surazos'', can bring cooler temperatures lasting several days.
*''[[Altiplano]]''. [[Desert climate|Desert]]-[[Polar climate|Polar]] climates, with strong and cold winds. The average temperature ranges from 15 to 20&nbsp;°C. At night, temperatures descend drastically to slightly above 0&nbsp;°C, while during the day, the weather is dry and [[Sunlight|solar radiation]] is high. [[Ground frost]]s occur every month, and snow is frequent.
*Valleys and ''Yungas''. [[Temperateness|Temperate]] climate. The humid northeastern winds are pushed to the mountains, making this region very humid and rainy. Temperatures are cooler at higher elevations. Snow occurs at altitudes of {{convert|2000|m|ft|sp=us}}.
*''[[Gran Chaco|Chaco]]''. [[Subtropics|Subtropical]] [[semi-arid climate]]. Rainy and humid in January and the rest of the year, with warm days and cold nights.

=== Issues with climate change ===
Bolivia is especially vulnerable to the negative consequences of [[climate change]]. Twenty percent of the world's tropical [[glacier]]s are located within the country,<ref>{{Cite report |url=https://d1tn3vj7xz9fdh.cloudfront.net/s3fs-public/file_attachments/bolivia-climate-change-adaptation-0911_4.pdf|title=Bolivia Climate change, poverty and adaptation|date=October 2009|publisher=Oxfam International|access-date=12 December 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181215222211/https://d1tn3vj7xz9fdh.cloudfront.net/s3fs-public/file_attachments/bolivia-climate-change-adaptation-0911_4.pdf|archive-date=15 December 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> and are more sensitive to change in temperature due to the tropical climate they are located in. Temperatures in the Andes increased by 0.1&nbsp;°C per decade from 1939 to 1998, and more recently the rate of increase has tripled (to 0.33&nbsp;°C per decade from 1980 to 2005),<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Rangecroft|first1=Sally|last2=Harrison|first2=Stephan|last3=Anderson|first3=Karen|last4=Magrath|first4=John|last5=Castel|first5=Ana Paola |last6=Pacheco|first6=Paula|date=November 2013|title=Climate Change and Water Resources in Arid Mountains: An Example from the Bolivian Andes|journal=Ambio|volume=42|issue=7|pages=852–863|doi=10.1007/s13280-013-0430-6 |issn=0044-7447 |pmc=3790128|pmid=23949894|bibcode=2013Ambio..42..852R}}</ref> causing glaciers to recede at an accelerated pace and create unforeseen water shortages in Andean agricultural towns. Farmers have taken to temporary city jobs when there is poor yield for their crops, while others have started permanently leaving the agricultural sector and are migrating to nearby towns for other forms of work;<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Berkes|first1=Fikret|last2=Boillat|first2=Sébastien|date=31 October 2013|title=Perception and Interpretation of Climate Change among Quechua Farmers of Bolivia: Indigenous Knowledge as a Resource for Adaptive Capacity|journal=Ecology and Society|volume=18|issue=4|doi=10.5751/ES-05894-180421 |issn=1708-3087|url=http://dlc.dlib.indiana.edu/dlc/bitstream/handle/10535/9194/ES-2013-5894.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y|access-date=6 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180721042143/http://dlc.dlib.indiana.edu/dlc/bitstream/handle/10535/9194/ES-2013-5894.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y|archive-date=21 July 2018|url-status=live|doi-access=free}}</ref> some view these migrants as the first generation of [[Environmental migrant|climate refugees]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/video/2013/02/05/melting_glaciers_the_slow_disaster_in_the_andes_bolivia|title=Melting glaciers: The Slow Disaster in the Andes|website=World Bank|access-date=12 December 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180301074847/http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/video/2013/02/05/melting_glaciers_the_slow_disaster_in_the_andes_bolivia|archive-date=1 March 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> Cities that are neighbouring agricultural land, like El Alto, face the challenge of providing services to the influx of new migrants; because there is no alternative water source, the city's water source is now being constricted.

Bolivia's government and other agencies have acknowledged the need to instill new policies battling the [[effects of climate change]]. The [[World Bank]] has provided funding through the [[Climate Investment Funds]] (CIF) and are using the Pilot Program for Climate Resilience (PPCR II) to construct new [[irrigation]] systems, protect riverbanks and basins, and work on building water resources with the help of indigenous communities.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2014/07/25/world-bank-fund-climate-change-adaptation-bolivia|title=World Bank to Help Fund Climate Change Adaptation in Bolivia|website=World Bank|access-date=12 December 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181216030915/http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2014/07/25/world-bank-fund-climate-change-adaptation-bolivia|archive-date=16 December 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Biodiversity ===
[[File:Lama glama Laguna Colorada 2.jpg|thumb|Bolivia's national animal,{{citation needed|date=July 2022}} the [[llama]], at [[Laguna Colorada]]]]
Bolivia, with an enormous variety of [[organism]]s and [[ecosystem]]s, is part of the "[[Like-Minded Megadiverse Countries]]".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://pe.biosafetyclearinghouse.net/actividades/2009/grouplmmc.pdf|title=Like Minded Megadiverse Countries|access-date=6 January 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140106190738/http://pe.biosafetyclearinghouse.net/actividades/2009/grouplmmc.pdf|archive-date=6 January 2014|url-status=live}}</ref>

Bolivia's variable altitudes, ranging from {{convert|90|-|6542|m|ft|sp=us}} above sea level, allow for a vast biologic diversity. The territory of Bolivia comprises four types of [[biome]]s, 32 ecological regions, and 199 ecosystems. Within this geographic area there are several natural parks and reserves such as the [[Noel Kempff Mercado National Park]], the [[Madidi National Park]], the [[Tunari National Park]], the [[Eduardo Avaroa Andean Fauna National Reserve]], and the [[Kaa-Iya del Gran Chaco National Park and Integrated Management Natural Area]], among others.

Bolivia boasts over 17,000 species of seed plants, including over 1,200 species of [[fern]], 1,500 species of ''[[marchantiophyta]]'' and [[moss]], and at least 800 species of fungus. In addition, there are more than 3,000 species of [[medicinal plant]]s. Bolivia is considered the place of origin for such species as [[Capsicum pubescens|peppers]] and [[Capsicum|chili peppers]], peanuts, the [[Phaseolus vulgaris|common bean]]s, [[Cassava|yucca]], and several species of palm. Bolivia also naturally produces over 4,000 kinds of potatoes. The country had a 2018 [[Forest Landscape Integrity Index]] mean score of 8.47/10, ranking it 21st globally out of 172 countries.<ref name="FLII-Supplementary">{{cite journal|last1=Grantham|first1=H. S.|last2=Duncan|first2=A.|last3=Evans|first3=T. D.|last4=Jones|first4=K. R.|last5=Beyer|first5=H. L.|last6=Schuster|first6=R.|last7=Walston|first7=J.|last8=Ray|first8=J. C.|last9=Robinson|first9=J. G.|last10=Callow|first10=M.|last11=Clements|first11=T.|last12=Costa|first12=H. M.|last13=DeGemmis|first13=A.|last14=Elsen|first14=P. R.|last15=Ervin|first15=J.|last16=Franco|first16=P.|last17=Goldman|first17=E.|last18=Goetz|first18=S.|last19=Hansen|first19=A.|last20=Hofsvang|first20=E.|last21=Jantz|first21=P.|last22=Jupiter|first22=S.|last23=Kang|first23=A.|last24=Langhammer|first24=P.|last25=Laurance|first25=W. F.|last26=Lieberman|first26=S.|last27=Linkie|first27=M.|last28=Malhi|first28=Y.|last29=Maxwell|first29=S.|last30=Mendez|first30=M.|last31=Mittermeier|first31=R.|last32=Murray|first32=N. J.|last33=Possingham|first33=H.|last34=Radachowsky|first34=J.|last35=Saatchi|first35=S.|last36=Samper|first36=C.|last37=Silverman|first37=J.|last38=Shapiro|first38=A.|last39=Strassburg|first39=B.|last40=Stevens|first40=T.|last41=Stokes|first41=E.|last42=Taylor|first42=R.|last43=Tear|first43=T.|last44=Tizard|first44=R.|last45=Venter|first45=O.|last46=Visconti|first46=P.|last47=Wang|first47=S.|last48=Watson|first48=J. E. M.|title=Anthropogenic modification of forests means only 40% of remaining forests have high ecosystem integrity – Supplementary Material|journal=Nature Communications|volume=11|issue=1|year=2020|page=5978|issn=2041-1723|doi=10.1038/s41467-020-19493-3|pmid=33293507|pmc=7723057|bibcode=2020NatCo..11.5978G |doi-access=free}}</ref>

Bolivia has more than 2,900 animal species, including 398 mammals, over 1,400 birds (about 14% of birds known in the world, being the sixth most diverse country in terms of bird species)<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.bolivia.com/noticias/Autonoticias/DetalleNoticia40938.asp | title=Bolivia es el Sexto País con la Mayor Cantidad de Especies de Aves en el Mundo | trans-title=Bolivia is the Sixth Country with the Highest Number of Bird Species in the World | language=es | publisher=Bolivia.com | date=10 June 2009 | access-date=21 February 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140225080900/http://www.bolivia.com/noticias/AutoNoticias/DetalleNoticia40938.asp | archive-date=25 February 2014 | url-status=live}}</ref>{{Unreliable source?|date=February 2014}}, 204 [[amphibian]]s, 277 reptiles, and 635 fish, all [[fresh water]] fish as Bolivia is a [[landlocked country]]. In addition, there are more than 3,000 types of [[Lepidoptera|butterfly]], and more than 60 [[Domestication|domestic animals]].

In 2020 a new species of snake, the [[mountain fer-de-lance viper]], was discovered in Bolivia.<ref>{{Cite web|author=Aaliyah Harris|title=20 new species found, and lost wildlife rediscovered, in the Bolivian Andes|url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/13/americas/new-species-bolivian-andes-spc-intl-scn/index.html|access-date=3 January 2021|website=CNN|date=14 December 2020|archive-date=2 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210102172335/https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/13/americas/new-species-bolivian-andes-spc-intl-scn/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Environmental policy ===
A [[Ministry of Environment and Water (Bolivia)|Ministry of Environment and Water]] was created in 2006 after the election of [[Evo Morales]], who reversed the [[privatization]] of the water distribution sector in the 1990s by President [[Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada]]. The new [[Bolivian constitution|Constitution]], approved by [[2009 Bolivian constitutional referendum|referendum in 2009]], makes access to water a fundamental right. In July 2010, at the initiative of Bolivia, the United Nations passed a resolution recognizing as "fundamental" the "right to safe and clean drinking water".<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=1 August 2020 |title=Bolivia's melting glaciers |url=https://mondediplo.com/2020/08/06bolivia |access-date= |website= |archive-date=26 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230126012504/https://mondediplo.com/2020/08/06bolivia |url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2013, the [[Law of the Rights of Mother Earth]] was passed, which accords nature the same rights as humans.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Solon |first=Olivia |date=11 April 2011 |title=Bolivia Grants Nature Same Rights as Humans |newspaper=[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]] |url=https://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2011-04/11/bolivia-law-of-mother-nature |url-status=dead |access-date=12 February 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131212174326/http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2011-04/11/bolivia-law-of-mother-nature |archive-date=12 December 2013}}</ref>