FACTS

Location: Central South America, southwest of Brazil

Area (only Total) total: 6,940 km

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

Population: 9,247,816 (July 2008 est.)

Main Language (only first): Spanish

Government type: republic

Capital (Name): La Paz (administrative capital)

Capital (Time Difference): UTC+4

Independence: 6 August 1825 (from Spain)

National holiday: Independence Day, 6 August (1825)

HOLIDAYS

January 1 New Year's Day

February 2 Fiesta de la Virgen de Candelaria, Copacabana, Lake Titicaca*

February 10 Fiesta, Oruro*

March 21 Good Friday

March 24 Easter Monday

May 1 Labour Day

May 25 Fiesta, Sucre*

June 7 Corpus Christi

July 16 Fiesta, La Paz*

August 6 Independence Day

September 15 Fiesta, Cochabamba*

September 24 Fiesta, Santa Cruz, Pando*

November 1 All Saints Day

November 10 Fiesta, Potosi*

November 18 Fiesta, Beni*

December 25 Christmas Day

*Festivals

Non-Holiday Observances

May 27 Mothers' Day

Weekend Saturday, Sunday