Bolivia's 112 provinces constitute the second administrative level in the country's three-tier governance structure, serving as intermediaries between the nine departments above them and the municipalities below. Provinces handle regional coordination, territorial planning, and the delivery of public services that extend beyond individual municipal capacities but remain within departmental boundaries. Their administrative functions typically include infrastructure development, agricultural extension services, health facility coordination, and education oversight for rural and peri-urban areas. Provincial authorities work to balance local needs with departmental policies, managing resources and programs across multiple municipalities while maintaining connections to departmental governments. This intermediate level proves particularly important in Bolivia given the country's geographic diversity and the varying administrative capacities of its smaller municipalities.