Area comparison map:

slightly less than three times the size of Montana

Land boundaries:
total: 7,252 km
[see also: Land boundaries - total country ranks ]
border countries (5): Argentina 942 km, Brazil 3403 km, Chile 942 km, Paraguay 753 km, Peru 1212 km

Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)
[see also: Coastline country ranks ]

Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)

Climate:
varies with altitude; humid and tropical to cold and semiarid
More Climate Details

Terrain:
rugged Andes Mountains with a highland plateau (Altiplano), hills, lowland plains of the Amazon Basin

Elevation:
mean elevation: 1,192 m
[see also: Elevation - mean elevation country ranks ]
lowest point: Rio Paraguay 90 m
highest point: Nevado Sajama 6,542 m

Natural resources:
tin, natural gas, petroleum, zinc, tungsten, antimony, silver, iron, lead, gold, timber, hydropower

Land use:
agricultural land: 34.3% (2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - agricultural land country ranks ]
arable land: 3.6% (2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - arable land country ranks ]
permanent crops: 0.2% (2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - permanent crops country ranks ]
permanent pasture: 30.5% (2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - permanent pasture country ranks ]
forest: 52.5% (2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - forest country ranks ]
other: 13.2% (2011 est.)
[see also: Land use country ranks ]

Irrigated land:
3,000 sq km (2012)
[see also: Irrigated land country ranks ]

Population distribution:
a high altitude plain in the west between two cordillera of the Andes, known as the Altiplano, is the focal area for most of the population; a dense settlement pattern is also found in and around the city of Santa Cruz, located on the eastern side of the Andes

Natural hazards:
flooding in the northeast (March to April)

volcanism: volcanic activity in Andes Mountains on the border with Chile; historically active volcanoes in this region are Irruputuncu (5,163 m), which last erupted in 1995, and the Olca-Paruma volcanic complex (5,762 m to 5,167 m)

Environment - current issues:
the clearing of land for agricultural purposes and the international demand for tropical timber are contributing to deforestation; soil erosion from overgrazing and poor cultivation methods (including slash-and-burn agriculture); desertification; loss of biodiversity; industrial pollution of water supplies used for drinking and irrigation

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Marine Life Conservation

Geography - note:
note 1: landlocked; shares control of Lago Titicaca, world's highest navigable lake (elevation 3,805 m), with Peru

note 2: the southern regions of Peru and the extreme northwestern part of Bolivia are considered to be the place of origin for the common potato