bolivia

• (republic of bolivia) country in central south america
the republic of bolivia is a country in central america. the main ethnic groups are quechua and aymar . it was a spanish colony from the 16th century until independence in 1825. in 1883, following the war of the pacific against chile, bolivia became a land-locked country. it was ruled by the military from 1964 until 1982. gonzalo sanchez de lozada, of the nationalist revolutionary movement (mnr), was elected president in 1993. bolivia exports tin, natural gas, and coffee. cocaine is illegally exported and drug trafficking is an increasing threat to public order. large foreign debts have often been major economic problems. bolivia is a member of the organization of american states.