Land and Resources, Natural Resources

Deposits of metallic ores are large and varied. Mineral resources include tin, lead, silver, copper, antimony, zinc, sulfur, bismuth, gold, and tungsten. Salt, petroleum, and natural gas are also found. The soil of certain regions, notably the valleys east of Santa Cruz (the Valle), is extremely fertile. The output of hydroelectric plants in 1999 amounted to 1.5 billion kilowatt-hours, 42 percent of Bolivia’s total.