Category Unitary State | Number 9 | |
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Location Plurinational State of Bolivia Populations 110,436 (Pando) – 2,706,359 (La Paz) Areas 37,620 km (14,526 sq mi) (Tarija) – 370,620 km (143,098 sq mi) (Santa Cruz) Government Department government, National government | ||
Bolivia is a unitary state consisting of nine departments. Departments are the primary subdivisions of Bolivia, and possess certain rights under the Constitution of Bolivia. Each department is represented in the federal Plurinational Legislative Assembly—a bicameral legislature consisting of the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies. Each department is represented by four Senators, while Deputies are awarded to each state in proportion to their total population.
Out of the nine departments, La Paz is the most populous, with 2,706,351 inhabitants as of 2012; Pando is the least populous, with a population of 110,436. The largest department by area is Santa Cruz, encompassing 370,621 square kilometres (143,098 sq mi), while the smallest is Tarija, encompassing 37,623 square kilometres (14,526 sq mi).