Legend:
Definition of Term
 Arranged
by Countries Field Listing
| Background: |
In the disastrous War of the Triple Alliance (1865-70), Paraguay
lost two-thirds of all adult males and much of its territory.
It stagnated economically for the next half century. In the Chaco
War of 1932-35, large, economically important areas were won from
Bolivia. The 35-year military dictatorship of Alfredo STROESSNER
was overthrown in 1989, and, despite a marked increase in political
infighting in recent years, relatively free and regular presidential
elections have been held since then. |
| Location: |
Central South America, northeast of Argentina |
| Geographic
coordinates: |
23 00 S, 58 00 W |
| Map
references: |
South America |
| Area: |
total: 406,750 sq km
water: 9,450 sq km
land: 397,300 sq km |
| Area
- comparative: |
slightly smaller than California |
| Land
boundaries: |
total: 3,920 km
border countries: Argentina 1,880 km, Bolivia 750 km, Brazil
1,290 km |
| Coastline: |
0 km (landlocked) |
| Maritime
claims: |
none (landlocked) |
| Climate: |
subtropical to temperate; substantial rainfall in the eastern
portions, becoming semiarid in the far west |
| Terrain: |
grassy plains and wooded hills east of Rio Paraguay; Gran Chaco
region west of Rio Paraguay mostly low, marshy plain near the
river, and dry forest and thorny scrub elsewhere |
| Elevation
extremes: |
lowest point: junction of Rio Paraguay and Rio Parana
46 m
highest point: Cerro Pero (Cerro Tres Kandu) 842 m |
| Natural
resources: |
hydropower, timber, iron ore, manganese, limestone |
| Land
use: |
arable land: 5.54%
permanent crops: 0.21%
other: 94.25% (1998 est.) |
| Irrigated
land: |
670 sq km (1998 est.) |
| Natural
hazards: |
local flooding in southeast (early September to June); poorly
drained plains may become boggy (early October to June) |
| Environment
- current issues: |
deforestation; water pollution; inadequate means for waste disposal
present health risks for many urban residents; loss of wetlands
|
| Environment
- international agreements: |
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes,
Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Nuclear Test Ban |
| Geography
- note: |
landlocked; lies between Argentina, Bolivia, and Brazil; population
concentrated in southern part of country
|
| Population: |
5,884,491 (July 2002 est.) |
| Age
structure: |
0-14 years: 38.7% (male 1,156,366; female 1,119,558)
15-64 years: 56.6% (male 1,671,721; female 1,658,683)
65 years and over: 4.7% (male 128,137; female 150,026)
(2002 est.) |
| Population
growth rate: |
2.57% (2002 est.) |
| Birth
rate: |
30.5 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
| Death
rate: |
4.69 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
| Net
migration rate: |
-0.09 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
| Sex
ratio: |
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.85 male(s)/female
total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2002 est.) |
| Infant
mortality rate: |
28.75 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) |
| Life
expectancy at birth: |
total population: 74.16 years
female: 76.77 years (2002 est.)
male: 71.67 years |
| Total
fertility rate: |
4.07 children born/woman (2002 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- adult prevalence rate: |
0.11% (1999 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- people living with HIV/AIDS: |
3,000 (1999 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- deaths: |
220 (1999 est.) |
| Nationality: |
noun: Paraguayan(s)
adjective: Paraguayan |
| Ethnic
groups: |
mestizo (mixed Spanish and Amerindian) 95% |
| Religions: |
Roman Catholic 90%, Mennonite, and other Protestant |
| Languages: |
Spanish (official), Guarani (official) |
| Literacy: |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 92.1%
male: 93.5%
female: 90.6% (1995 est.)
|
| Country
name: |
conventional long form: Republic of Paraguay
conventional short form: Paraguay
local short form: Paraguay
local long form: Republica del Paraguay |
| Government
type: |
constitutional republic |
| Capital: |
Asuncion |
| Administrative
divisions: |
17 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento) and 1
capital city*; Alto Paraguay, Alto Parana, Amambay, Asuncion*,
Boqueron, Caaguazu, Caazapa, Canindeyu, Central, Concepcion, Cordillera,
Guaira, Itapua, Misiones, Neembucu, Paraguari, Presidente Hayes,
San Pedro |
| Independence: |
14 May 1811 (from Spain) |
| National
holiday: |
Independence Day, 14 May (1811) |
| Constitution: |
promulgated 20 June 1992 |
| Legal
system: |
based on Argentine codes, Roman law, and French codes; judicial
review of legislative acts in Supreme Court of Justice |
| Suffrage: |
18 years of age; universal and compulsory up to age 75 |
| Executive
branch: |
chief of state: President Luis Angel GONZALEZ MACCHI
(since 28 March 1999); Vice President Julio Cesar FRANCO (since
NA August 2000) resigned 16 October 2002; position now vacant;
note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Luis Angel GONZALEZ MACCHI
(since 28 March 1999); Vice President Julio Cesar FRANCO (since
NA August 2000) resigned 16 October 2002; position now vacant;
note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
cabinet: Council of Ministers nominated by the president
elections: president and vice president elected on the
same ticket by popular vote for five-year terms; election last
held 10 May 1998 (next to be held NA May 2003)
note: President Luis Angel GONZALEZ MACCHI, formerly president
of the Chamber of Senators, constitutionally succeeded President
Raul CUBAS Grau, who resigned after being impeached soon after
the assassination of Vice President Luis Maria ARGANA; the successor
to ARGANA was decided in an election held in August 2000
election results: Raul CUBAS Grau elected president; percent
of vote - 55.3%; resigned 28 March 1999 |
| Legislative
branch: |
bicameral Congress or Congreso consists of the Chamber of Senators
or Camara de Senadores (45 seats; members are elected by popular
vote to serve five-year terms) and the Chamber of Deputies or
Camara de Diputados (80 seats; members are elected by popular
vote to serve five-year terms)
election results: Chamber of Senators - percent of vote
by party - NA%; seats by party - Colorado Party 25, PLRA 13, PEN
7; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats
by party - Colorado Party 45, PLRA 26, PEN 9
elections: Chamber of Senators - last held 10 May 1998
(next to be held NA May 2003); Chamber of Deputies - last held
10 May 1998 (next to be held NA May 2003) |
| Judicial
branch: |
Supreme Court of Justice or Corte Suprema de Justicia (judges
appointed on the proposal of the Counsel of Magistrates or Consejo
de la Magistratura) |
| Political
parties and leaders: |
Authentic Radical Liberal Party or PLRA [Miguel Abdon SAGUIER];
Christian Democratic Party or PDC [Luis Miguel ANDRADA Nogues];
Febrerista Revolutionary Party or PRF [Oscar ACUNA TORRES]; National
Encounter Party or PEN [Mario PAZ CASTAING]; National Republican
Association - Colorado Party [Nicanor DUARTE FRUTOS] |
| Political
pressure groups and leaders: |
Ahorristas Estafados or AE; National Workers Central or CNT; Paraguayan
Workers Confederation or CPT; Roman Catholic Church; Unitary Workers
Central or CUT |
| International
organization participation: |
CCC, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA,
IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent),
ITU, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur, MONUC, NAM (observer), OAS, OPANAL,
OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMEE, UPU,
WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO |
| Diplomatic
representation in the US: |
chief of mission: Ambassador Leila Teresa RACHID COWLES
chancery: 2400 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC
20008
consulate(s) general: Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami,
New Orleans, New York
FAX: [1] (202) 234-4508
telephone: [1] (202) 483-6960 through 6962 |
| Diplomatic
representation from the US: |
chief of mission: Ambassador John F. KEANE
embassy: 1776 Avenida Mariscal Lopez, Casilla Postal 402,
Asuncion
mailing address: Unit 4711, APO AA 34036-0001
telephone: [595] (21) 213-715
FAX: [595] (21) 213-728 |
| Flag
description: |
three equal, horizontal bands of red (top), white, and blue with
an emblem centered in the white band; unusual flag in that the
emblem is different on each side; the obverse (hoist side at the
left) bears the national coat of arms (a yellow five-pointed star
within a green wreath capped by the words REPUBLICA DEL PARAGUAY,
all within two circles); the reverse (hoist side at the right)
bears the seal of the treasury (a yellow lion below a red Cap
of Liberty and the words Paz y Justicia (Peace and Justice) capped
by the words REPUBLICA DEL PARAGUAY, all within two circles)
|
| Economy
- overview: |
Paraguay has a market economy marked by a large informal sector.
The informal sector features both reexport of imported consumer
goods to neighboring countries as well as the activities of thousands
of microenterprises and urban street vendors. Because of the importance
of the informal sector, accurate economic measures are difficult
to obtain. A large percentage of the population derives their
living from agricultural activity, often on a subsistence basis.
The formal economy grew by an average of about 3% annually in
1995-97, but GDP declined slightly in 1998, 1999, and 2000. On
a per capita basis, real income has stagnated at 1980 levels.
Most observers attribute Paraguay's poor economic performance
to political uncertainty, corruption, lack of progress on structural
reform, substantial internal and external debt, and deficient
infrastructure. |
| GDP: |
purchasing power parity - $26.2 billion (2001 est.) |
| GDP
- real growth rate: |
0% (2001 est.) |
| GDP
- per capita: |
purchasing power parity - $4,600 (2001 est.) |
| GDP
- composition by sector: |
agriculture: 29%
industry: 26%
services: 45% (2000 est.) |
| Population
below poverty line: |
36% (2001 est.) |
| Household
income or consumption by percentage share: |
lowest 10%: 1%
highest 10%: 44% (1998) (1998) |
| Distribution
of family income - Gini index: |
58 (1998) |
| Inflation
rate (consumer prices): |
7.2% (2001 est.) |
| Labor
force: |
2 million (2000 est.) |
| Labor
force - by occupation: |
agriculture 45% |
| Unemployment
rate: |
17.8% (2001 est.) |
| Budget: |
revenues: $1.3 billion
expenditures: $2 billion, including capital expenditures
of $700 million (1999 est.) |
| Industries: |
sugar, cement, textiles, beverages, wood products |
| Industrial
production growth rate: |
0% (2000 est.) |
| Electricity
- production: |
53.056 billion kWh (2000) |
| Electricity
- production by source: |
fossil fuel: 0%
hydro: 100%
other: 0% (2000)
nuclear: 0% |
| Electricity
- consumption: |
1.95 billion kWh (2000) |
| Electricity
- exports: |
47.392 billion kWh (2000) |
| Electricity
- imports: |
0 kWh (2000) |
| Agriculture
- products: |
cotton, sugarcane, soybeans, corn, wheat, tobacco, cassava (tapioca),
fruits, vegetables; beef, pork, eggs, milk; timber |
| Exports: |
$2.2 billion f.o.b. (2001 est.) |
| Exports
- commodities: |
electricity, soybeans, feed, cotton, meat, edible oils |
| Exports
- partners: |
Brazil 39%, Uruguay 14%, Argentina 11% (2000) |
| Imports: |
$2.7 billion f.o.b. (2001 est.) |
| Imports
- commodities: |
road vehicles, consumer goods, tobacco, petroleum products, electrical
machinery |
| Imports
- partners: |
Argentina 25.4%, Brazil 24.5%, Uruguay 3.8% (2000) |
| Debt
- external: |
$2.9 billion (2001 est.) |
| Economic
aid - recipient: |
$NA |
| Currency: |
guarani (PYG) |
| Currency
code: |
PYG |
| Exchange
rates: |
guarani per US dollar - 4,783.0 (January 2002), 4,107.7 (2001),
3,486.4 (2000), 3,119.1 (1999), 2,726.5 (1998), 2,177.9 (1997);
note - since early 1998, the exchange rate has operated as a managed
float; prior to that, the exchange rate was determined freely
in the market |
| Fiscal
year: |
calendar year
|
| Railways: |
total: 971 km
standard gauge: 441 km 1.435-m gauge
note: there are 470 km of various gauges that are privately
owned
narrow gauge: 60 km 1.000-m gauge |
| Highways: |
total: 25,901 km
paved: 3,067 km
unpaved: 22,834 km (2001) |
| Waterways: |
3,100 km |
| Ports
and harbors: |
Asuncion, Villeta, San Antonio, Encarnacion |
| Merchant
marine: |
total: 21 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 34,623
GRT/36,821 DWT
ships by type: cargo 14, chemical tanker 1, petroleum tanker
3, roll on/roll off 3
note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here
as a flag of convenience: Argentina 2, Japan 1 (2002 est.) |
| Airports: |
899 (2001) |
| Airports
- with paved runways: |
total: 11
over 3,047 m: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 4 (2002) |
| Airports
- with unpaved runways: |
total: 868
1,524 to 2,437 m: 27
914 to 1,523 m: 323
under 914 m: 518 (2002)
|
|
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