Transport in Bolivia

Transport in Bolivia is mostly by road. The railways were historically important in Bolivia, but now play a relatively small part in the country's transport system. Because of the country's geography, aviation is also important.

Railways

Total: 3,504 km (single track)
Narrow gauge (metre gauge):

• 3,504 km 1,000 mm (3 ft 3 ³⁄₈ in) gauge; (2006)
• The eastern and western networks are joined only via Argentina, due to slow progress on a direct link.
  • The map on page 522 of the 1969/1970 edition of JANE'S shows a link between Cuevos and Zudañez as being "under construction".

Rail links with adjacent countries

• Argentina - yes - 1,000 mm (3 ft 3 ³⁄₈ in) both countries
• Brazil - yes - 1,000 mm gauge both countries
• Chile - yes - 1,000 mm gauge both countries; break of gauge where Chile is 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) gauge
• Peru - Shipping from 1,000 mm railhead in Guaqui to 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 ¹⁄₂ in) railhead in Puno across Lake Titicaca, see Peru train ferry

Maps

• UN Map

Towns served by rail

Roadways

total: 62,479 km
paved: 3,749 km (including 27 km of expressways)
unpaved: 58,730 km (2004)

Road construction in Bolivia is difficult due to its geography and lack of resources to completely develop an advanced road network. However, it maintains a small network of 4-lane freeways which are the following:

• 1 Oruro - Patacamaya (Expected to be completed in a few years, extending to La Paz). Length: 114 km.
• 4 Cochabamba - Quillacollo. Length: 14 km.
• 4 Santa Cruz de la Sierra - Montero. Length: 48 km.

The main national roads are:

• RN1 Desaguadero, border with Peru - La Paz - Oruro - Potosí - Tarija - Bermejo, border with Argentina.
• RN2 Copacabana, border with Peru - La Paz.
• RN3 La Paz - San Borja - Trinidad.
• RN4 Tambo Quemado, border with Chile - Cochabamba - Montero - Santa Cruz de la Sierra - Puerto Suárez, border with Brazil.
• RN5 La Palizada - Sucre - Potosí - Border with Chile.
• RN6 Oruro - Sucre - Chaco, border with Paraguay.
• RN7 Cochabamba - Samaipata - Santa Cruz de la Sierra.
• RN8 Yucumo - Riberalta - Guayaramerín, border with Brazil.
• RN9 Guayaramerín, border with Brazil - Trinidad - Santa Cruz de la Sierra - Yacuíba, border with Argentina
• RN10 Montero - San Matías, border with Brazil.
• RN 14 Potosí - Villazón, border with Argentina.

Waterways

10,000 km of commercially navigable waterways (2007)

Pipelines

• Crude oil 2,745 km
• Liquid petroleum gas 47 km
• Natural gas 4,883 km
• Refined products 1,589 (2008)

Ports and harbors

Seaports

• In October 2010, Peru granted Bolivia port facilities and a free-trade zone as part of larger series of agreements strengthening bilateral relations between the two countries. Bolivia was granted about 1.4 square miles (3.6 km²) of port facilities on a 99-year lease at the Port of Ilo on Peru's southern Pacific coast. A similar agreement, signed by then Bolivian president Jaime Paz Zamora in 1992, never materialized for a lack of investment in infrastructure. Bolivia has free port privileges in the maritime ports of Argentina, Brazil, and Chile.

Lake Titicaca

• Guaqui

Amazon basin

Puerto Guayamerin Puerto Suárez Riberalta San Pedro de Tiquina

Puerto Horquilla Puerto Villarroel Trinidad Rurrenabaque

Paraguay River (international waterway)

• Puerto Aguirre
• Puerto Busch
• Puerto Quijarro

Merchant marine

total: 23 ships (1,000 gross register tons (GRT) or over) totaling 116,373 GRT/182,283 tonnes deadweight (DWT)
ships by type: (2008)

Bulk carriers 1 Cargo ships 11 Carrier ships 1 Chemical tankers 3

Passenger/cargo ships 1 Petroleum tanker 7 Reefer ships 1 Specialized tankers 1

Airports

1,009 (2008)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 16 over 3,047 m: 4 2,438 to 3,047 m: 4 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2008)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 993 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 4 1,524 to 2,437 m: 58 914 to 1,523 m: 186 under 914 m: 744 (2008)

See also

• Bolivia
• Rail transport by country

References

This article was adapted from the CIA World Factbook 2009.