from
CIA World Factbook 2006
Paraguay
Introduction
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.
Geography
Location: Central South America, northeast of Argentina
Geographic 23 00 S, 58 00 W
coordinates:
Map South America
references:
Area: total: 406,750 sq km
land: 397,300 sq km
water: 9,450 sq km
Area - slightly smaller than California
comparative:
Land total: 3,920 km
boundaries: border countries: Argentina 1,880 km, Bolivia 750 km,
Brazil 1,290 km
Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)
Maritime none (landlocked)
claims:
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 lowest point: junction of Rio Paraguay and Rio Parana
extremes: 46 m
highest point: Cerro Pero (Cerro Tres Kandu) 842 m
Natural hydropower, timber, iron ore, manganese, limestone
resources:
Land use: arable land: 7.47%
permanent crops: 0.24%
other: 92.29% (2005)
Irrigated 670 sq km (2003)
land:
Natural local flooding in southeast (early September to June);
hazards: poorly drained plains may become boggy (early October
to June)
Environment - deforestation; water pollution; inadequate means for
current waste disposal pose health risks for many urban
issues: residents; loss of wetlands
Environment - party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
international Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered
agreements: Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer
Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected
agreements
Geography - landlocked; lies between Argentina, Bolivia, and
note: Brazil; population concentrated in southern part of
country
People
Population: 6,506,464 (July 2006 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 37.7% (male 1,245,149/female 1,204,970)
15-64 years: 57.5% (male 1,878,761/female 1,862,266)
65 years and over: 4.8% (male 145,899/female 169,419)
(2006 est.)
Median age: total: 21.3 years
male: 21.1 years
female: 21.6 years (2006 est.)
Population 2.45% (2006 est.)
growth rate:
Birth rate: 29.1 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate: 4.49 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration -0.08 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
rate:
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: 0.86 male(s)/female
total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant total: 24.78 deaths/1,000 live births
mortality male: 29.4 deaths/1,000 live births
rate: female: 19.92 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life total population: 75.1 years
expectancy at male: 72.56 years
birth: female: 77.78 years (2006 est.)
Total 3.89 children born/woman (2006 est.)
fertility
rate:
HIV/AIDS - 0.5% (2003 est.)
adult
prevalence
rate:
HIV/AIDS - 15,000 (1999 est.)
people living
with HIV/AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - 600 (2003 est.)
deaths:
Nationality: noun: Paraguayan(s)
adjective: Paraguayan
Ethnic groups: mestizo (mixed Spanish and Amerindian) 95%, other 5%
Religions: Roman Catholic 90%, Mennonite and other Protestant 10%
Languages: Spanish (official), Guarani (official)
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 94%
male: 94.9%
female: 93% (2003 est.)
Government
Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Paraguay
conventional short form: Paraguay
local long form: Republica del Paraguay
local short form: Paraguay
Government constitutional republic
type:
Capital: name: Asuncion
geographic coordinates: 25 16 S, 57 40 W
time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC
during Standard Time)
Administrative 17 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento)
divisions: 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 Independence Day, 14 May 1811 (observed 15 May
holiday: annually)
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; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory up to age 75
Executive chief of state: President Nicanor DUARTE FRUTOS (since
branch: 15 August 2003); Vice President Luis CASTIGLIONI Joria
(since 15 August 2003); note - the president is both
the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Nicanor DUARTE FRUTOS
(since 15 August 2003); Vice President Luis CASTIGLIONI
Joria (since 15 August 2003)
cabinet: Council of Ministers nominated by the
president
elections: president and vice president elected on the
same ticket by popular vote for a single five-year
term; election last held 27 April 2003 (next to be held
April 2008)
election results: Nicanor DUARTE FRUTOS elected
president; percent of vote - Nicanor DUARTE FRUTOS
37.1%, Julio Cesar Ramon FRANCO Gomez 23.9%, Pedro
Nicolas Maraa FADUL Niella 21.3%, Guillermo SANCHEZ
Guffanti 13.5%, other 4.2%
Legislative bicameral Congress or Congreso consists of the Chamber
branch: 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)
elections: Chamber of Senators - last held 27 April
2003 (next to be held April 2008); Chamber of Deputies
- last held 27 April 2003 (next to be held April 2008)
election results: Chamber of Senators - percent of vote
by party - NA; seats by party - ANR 16, PLRA 12, UNACE
7, PQ 7, PPS 2, PEN 1; Chamber of Deputies - percent of
vote by party - NA%; seats by party - ANR 37, PLRA 21,
UNACE 10, PQ 10, PPS 2
note: as of January 2006, changes in party affiliation
has led to the composition of the legislature as
follows: Chamber of Senators - seats by party - ANR 18,
PLRA 12, UNACE 5, PQ 7, PPS 2, PEN 1; Chamber of
Deputies - seats by party - ANR 39, PLRA 21, UNACE 8,
PQ 10, PPS 2
Judicial Supreme Court of Justice or Corte Suprema de Justicia
branch: (judges appointed on the proposal of the Council of
Magistrates or Consejo de la Magistratura)
Political Asociacion Nacional Republicana - Colorado Party or ANR
parties and [Herminio CACERES, interim president]; Movimiento Union
leaders: Nacional de Ciudadanos Eticos or UNACE [Enrique
GONZALEZ Quintana, acting chairman]; Patria Querida
(Beloved Fatherland Party) or PQ [Pedro Nicolas Maraa
FADUL Niella]; Partido Encuentro Nacional or PEN [Luis
TORALES Kennedy]; Partido Liberal Radical Autentico or
PLRA [Blas LLANO]; Partido Pais Solidario or PPS
[Carlos Alberto FILIZZOLA Pallares]
note: Nicanor DUARTE FRUTOS on leave as party leader of
the Colorado Party or ANR while serving as President of
Paraguay; Lino Cesar OVIEDO Silva, leader of UNACE, is
currently serving a ten-year prison term
Political Ahorristas Estafados or AE; National Coordinating Board
pressure of Campesino Organizations or MCNOC [Luis AGUAYO];
groups and National Federation of Campesinos or FNC [Odilon
leaders: ESPINOLA]; National Workers Central or CNT [Secretary
General Juan TORRALES]; Paraguayan Workers
Confederation or CPT; Roman Catholic Church; Unitary
Workers Central or CUT [Jorge Guzman ALVARENGA
Malgarejo]
International CAN (associate), CSN, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD,
organization ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO,
participation: IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent),
ITU, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur, MIGA, MINUSTAH, MONUC, NAM
(observer), OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOCI, UPU, WCL,
WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
Diplomatic chief of mission: Ambassador James SPALDING Hellmers
representation chancery: 2400 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC
in the US: 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 483-6960 through 6962
FAX: [1] (202) 234-4508
consulate(s) general: Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami,
New York
Diplomatic Ambassador James C. CASON
representation embassy: 1776 Avenida Mariscal Lopez, Casilla Postal
from the US: 402, Asuncion
mailing address: Unit 4711, APO AA 34036-0001
telephone: [595] (21) 213-715
FAX: [595] (21) 213-728
Flag three equal, horizontal bands of red (top), white, and
description: 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
Economy - Landlocked Paraguay has a market economy marked by a
overview: large informal sector. This 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 its living from
agricultural activity, often on a subsistence basis.
The formal economy grew by an average of about 3%
annually in 1995-97, but averaged near-zero growth in
1998-2001 and contracted by 2.3 percent in 2002, in
response to regional contagion and an outbreak of
hoof-and-mouth disease. 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. Aided by a firmer
exchange rate and perhaps a greater confidence in the
economic policy of the DUARTE FRUTOS administration,
the economy rebounded between 2003 and 2005, posting
modest growth each year.
GDP $29.11 billion (2005 est.)
(purchasing
power parity):
GDP (official $7.281 billion (2005 est.)
exchange
rate):
GDP - real 2.7% (2005 est.)
growth rate:
GDP - per $4,600 (2005 est.)
capita (PPP):
GDP - agriculture: 22.4%
composition by industry: 20.7%
sector: services: 56.9% (2005 est.)
Labor force: 2.68 million (2005 est.)
Labor force - agriculture: 45%
by occupation: industry: NA%
services: NA%
Unemployment 16% (2005 est.)
rate:
Population 32% (2005 est.)
below poverty
line:
Household lowest 10%: 0.5%
income or highest 10%: 43.8% (1998)
consumption by
percentage
share:
Distribution 56.8 (1999)
of family
income - Gini
index:
Inflation rate 6.8% (2005 est.)
(consumer
prices):
Investment 19.4% of GDP (2005 est.)
(gross fixed):
Budget: revenues: $1.334 billion
expenditures: $1.37 billion; including capital
expenditures of $700 million (2005 est.)
Public debt: 36% of GDP (2005 est.)
Agriculture - cotton, sugarcane, soybeans, corn, wheat, tobacco,
products: cassava (tapioca), fruits, vegetables; beef, pork,
eggs, milk; timber
Industries: sugar, cement, textiles, beverages, wood products,
steel, metallurgic, electric power
Industrial 0% (2000 est.)
production
growth rate:
Electricity - 51.29 billion kWh (2003)
production:
Electricity - fossil fuel: 0%
production by hydro: 99.9%
source: nuclear: 0%
other: 0.1% (2001)
Electricity - 3.528 billion kWh (2003)
consumption:
Electricity - 44.17 billion kWh (2003)
exports:
Electricity - 0 kWh (2003)
imports:
Oil - 0 bbl/day (2003 est.)
production:
Oil - 25,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)
consumption:
Oil - exports: NA bbl/day
Oil - imports: NA bbl/day
Natural gas - 0 cu m (2003 est.)
production:
Natural gas - 0 cu m (2003 est.)
consumption:
Current $-255 million (2005 est.)
account
balance:
Exports: $3.13 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Exports - soybeans, feed, cotton, meat, edible oils, electricity,
commodities: wood, leather
Exports - Uruguay 26.7%, Brazil 15.2%, Argentina 4.8%, Chile 4.7%
partners: (2005)
Imports: $3.832 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Imports - road vehicles, consumer goods, tobacco, petroleum
commodities: products, electrical machinery
Imports - Brazil 26.8%, Argentina 21.1%, US 20.8%, China 9.5%
partners: (2005)
Reserves of $1.297 billion (2005 est.)
foreign
exchange and
gold:
Debt - $3.45 billion (2005 est.)
external:
Economic aid - $NA
recipient:
Currency guarani (PYG)
(code):
Currency code: PYG
Exchange guarani per US dollar - 6,178 (2005), 5,974.6 (2004),
rates: 6,424.3 (2003), 5,716.3 (2002), 4,105.9 (2001)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones - 320,300 (2005)
main lines in
use:
Telephones - 1.887 million (2005)
mobile
cellular:
Telephone general assessment: meager telephone service; principal
system: switching center is in Asuncion
domestic: fair microwave radio relay network
international: country code - 595; satellite earth
station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Radio AM 46, FM 27, shortwave 6 (three inactive) (1998)
broadcast
stations:
Radios: 925,000 (1997)
Television 5 (2003)
broadcast
stations:
Televisions: 990,000 (2001)
Internet .py
country code:
Internet 13,178 (2006)
hosts:
Internet 4 (2000)
Service
Providers
(ISPs):
Internet 200,000 (2005)
users:
Transportation
Airports: 881 (2006)
Airports - total: 12
with paved over 3,047 m: 3
runways: 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
914 to 1,523 m: 4 (2006)
Airports - total: 869
with unpaved 1,524 to 2,437 m: 26
runways: 914 to 1,523 m: 325
under 914 m: 518 (2006)
Railways: total: 36 km
standard gauge: 36 km 1.435-m gauge (2005)
Roadways: total: 29,500 km
paved: 14,986 km
unpaved: 14,514 km (1999)
Waterways: 3,100 km (2005)
Merchant total: 21 ships (1000 GRT or over) 34,749 GRT/39,280
marine: DWT
by type: cargo 15, livestock carrier 1, passenger 1,
passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 2, roll on/roll off
1
foreign-owned: 3 (Argentina 3)
registered in other countries: 1 (Ecuador 1) (2006)
Ports and Asuncion, Villeta, San Antonio, Encarnacion
terminals:
Military
Military Army, National Navy (Armada Nacional, includes Naval
branches: Aviation, Marine Corps, General Naval Prefecture), Air
Force (Fuerza Aerea Paraguay, FAP) (2006)
Military 18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military
service age service; conscript service obligation - 12 months for
and Army, 24 months for Navy (2004)
obligation:
Manpower males age 18-49: 1,345,022
available for females age 18-49: 1,342,725 (2005 est.)
military
service:
Manpower fit males age 18-49: 1,109,166
for military females age 18-49: 1,135,046 (2005 est.)
service:
Manpower males age 18-49: 63,058
reaching females age 18-49: 62,217 (2005 est.)
military
service age
annually:
Military $53.1 million (2003 est.)
expenditures -
dollar figure:
Military 0.9% (2003 est.)
expenditures -
percent of
GDP:
Transnational
Issues
Disputes - unruly region at convergence of
international: Argentina-Brazil-Paraguay borders is locus of money
laundering, smuggling, arms and illegal narcotics
trafficking, and fundraising for extremist
organizations
Illicit drugs: major illicit producer of cannabis, most or all of
which is consumed in Brazil, Argentina, and Chile;
transshipment country for Andean cocaine headed for
Brazil, other Southern Cone markets, and Europe;
corruption and some money-laundering activity,
especially in the Tri-Border Area; weak
anti-money-laundering laws and enforcement