Bolivia, republic in central South America, bounded on the north and east by Brazil, on the southeast by Paraguay, on the south by Argentina, and on the west by Chile and Peru. Bolivia is one of the two South American countries without direct access to the sea. The capital of Bolivia is Sucre.

Land and Resources
The Andes mountain range is the principal feature of Bolivia, which extends generally north to south across the western part of the country. Forming two ranges in Bolivia, is the Andes. The western range runs along the Chilean border, and the eastern, the main range, crosses the west central part of Bolivia.

Physiographic Regions
Bolivia is divided into three distinct regions; the Altiplano, or plateau region; the Yungas, a series of forested and well-watered valleys embracing the eastern mountain slopes and valleys; and the llanos, or the Amazon-Chaco lowlands. In the northern part of the Altiplano, where the bulk of the population and industry of Bolivia is found, is Lake Titicaca, the highest large, navigable lake in the world. Stretching east and northeast from the mountains are the great Amazonian plains containing large grassy tracts and, along the rivers, dense tropical forests

Climate
Although situated entirely within the Tropics, Bolivia has, as a result of its varied elevation, a wide range of climate. In the higher regions the climate is cold and dry, where as in the lower-lying regions the climate is warmer.

Plants and Animals
Because of the wide variations in elevation, there are a variety of plant and animal species. The llama, found chiefly on the Altiplano, is an efficient beast of burden. Alpaca and vicuña also inhabit the plateau, and monkeys, puma, jaguar, armadillo, and a variety of reptiles, birds, and insects are found predominantly in the tropical Amazon Basin.