South America

Bolivia has an area of 424,164 sq. mi (1,098,581 sq. km), and is the only landlocked country in South America besides Paraguay. The western part of the country, which borders on Ecuador and Chile, is covered by the Andes mountains, and like most of this part of the Andes, it contains many active volcanoes. In the southern part of the range, the land becomes more arid, and in many places salt marshes are found. Among these is Lake Poopo, which lies 12,120 ft (3,690 m) above sea level. This saline lake is only 10 ft (3 m) deep. In the northern part of the range, the land becomes more habitable, and it is here that Lake Titicaca, which is shared with Peru, is found.

The eastern lowlands of Bolivia are divided into two distinct regions. In the north, the fertile Llanos de Mamore is well-watered and is thickly covered with vegetation. The southeastern section, called the Gran Chaco, is a semiarid savanna region.