Map of Paraguay | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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Background: Paraguay achieved its independence from Spain in 1811. In the disastrous War of the Triple Alliance (1865-70) - between Paraguay and Argentina Brazil and Uruguay - Paraguay lost two-thirds of its adult males and much of its territory. The country stagnated economically for the next half century. Following the Chaco War of 1932-35 with Bolivia Paraguay gained a large part of the Chaco lowland region. The 35-year military dictatorship of Alfredo STROESSNER ended in 1989 and despite a marked increase in political infighting in recent years Paraguay has held relatively free and regular presidential elections since the country's return to democracy.


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Location: Central South America northeast of Argentina southwest of Brazil

Geographic coordinates: 23 00 S 58 00 W

Map reference

Area
Rank: 60
Land: 397,302 km²
Water: 9,450 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than California

Land boundaries
Border countries: (3) Argentina 1880 km; Bolivia 750 km; Brazil 1365 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 highest point: Cerro Pero 842 m

Natural resources: hydropower timber iron ore manganese limestone

Land use
Permanent crops: 0.22%
Other: 90.19% (2011)

Irrigated land: 670 km² (2003)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources: 336 km³ (2011)

Natural hazards: local flooding in southeast (early September to June); poorly drained plains may become boggy (early October to June)

Geography
Note: landlocked; lies between Argentina Bolivia and Brazil; population concentrated in southern part of country


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Population: 6,623,252 (July 2013 est.)
Rank: 104
Growth rate: 1.23% (2013 est.)
Growth rate rank: 96
Below poverty line: 34.7% (2010 est.)

Nationality
Adjective: Paraguayan

Ethnic groups: mestizo (mixed Spanish and Amerindian) 95% other 5%

Languages: Spanish (official) Guarani (official)

Religions: Roman Catholic 89.6% Protestant 6.2% other Christian 1.1% other or unspecified 1.9% none 1.1% (2002 census)

Demographic profile:

Age structure
15-24 years: 20.8% (male 692,006/female 684,297)
25-54 years: 39% (male 1,294,037/female 1,290,376)
55-64 years: 6.9% (male 234,803/female 224,862)
65 years and over: 6.4% (male 198,529/female 227,685) (2013 est.)

Dependency ratios
Youth dependency ratio: 52.2 %
Elderly dependency ratio: 8.8 %
Potential support ratio: 11.4 (2013)

Median age
Male: 26.1 years
Female: 26.5 years (2013 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.23% (2013 est.)
Rank: 96

Birth rate: 16.95 births/1000 population (2013 est.)
Rank: 119

Death rate: 4.61 deaths/1000 population (2013 est.)
Rank: 200

Net migration rate: -0.08 migrant(s)/1000 population (2013 est.)
Rank: 114

Population distribution

Urbanization
Rate of urbanization: 2.5% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Major urban areas
Population: ASUNCION (capital) 1.977 million (2009)

Environment
Current issues: deforestation; water pollution; inadequate means for waste disposal pose health risks for many urban residents; loss of wetlands
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 1 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.87 male(s)/female
Total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2013 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth: 22.9

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Rank: 86
Male: 25.21 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 17.57 deaths/1000 live births (2013 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Rank: 74
Male: 73.97 years
Female: 79.35 years (2013 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.01 children born/woman (2013 est.)
Rank: 129

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 79.4%

Drinking water source:

Current health expenditure

Physicians density: 1.11 physicians/1000 population (2002)

Hospital bed density: 1.3 beds/1000 population (2011)

Sanitation facility access:

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.3% (2009 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 87
People living with hivaids: 13,000 (2009 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 89
Deaths: fewer than 500 (2009 est.)
Deaths rank: 90

Major infectious diseases
Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea hepatitis A and typhoid fever
Vectorborne disease: dengue fever (2013)

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 17.9% (2008)
Rank: 110

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 3.4% (2005)
Rank: 102

Education expenditures: 4.1% of GDP (2010)
Rank: 108

Literacy
Total population: 93.9%
Male: 94.8%
Female: 92.9% (2010 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Male: 12 years
Female: 12 years (2010)

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional short form: Paraguay
Local long form: Republica del Paraguay
Local short form: Paraguay

Government type: constitutional republic

Capital
Geographic coordinates: 25 16 S 57 40 W
Time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington DC during Standard Time)
Daylight saving time: +1hr begins first Sunday in October; ends fourth Sunday in March

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

Dependent areas

Independence: 14 May 1811 (from Spain)

National holiday: Independence Day 14 May 1811 (observed 15 May)

Constitution: several previous; latest approved and promulgated 20 June 1992; amended 2011 (2011)

Legal system: civil law system with influences from Argentine Spanish Roman and French civil law models; judicial review of legislative acts in Supreme Court of Justice

International law organization participation: accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory until the age of 75

Executive branch
Head of government: President Horacio CARTES (since 15 August 2013); Vice President Juan AFARA Maciel (since 15 August 2013)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed 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 on 21 April 2013 (next to be held in April 2018)
Election results: Horacio CARTES elected president; percent of vote - Horacio CARTES 45.8% Efrain ALEGRE 36.94% Mario FERREIRO 5.88% Anibal CARRILLO 3.32% other 8.06%

Legislative branch: bicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional consists of the Chamber of Senators or Camara de Senadores (45 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) and the Chamber of Deputies or Camara de Diputados (80 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
Elections: Chamber of Senators - last held on 21 April 2013 (next to be held in April 2018); Chamber of Deputies - last held on 21 April 2013 (next to be held in April 2018)
Election results: Chamber of Senators - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - ANR 19 PLRA 12 FG 5 PDP 3 Avanza Pais 2 UNACE 2 PEN 1 PPQ 1; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - ANR 44 PLRA 27 Avanza Pais 2 PEN 2 UNACE 2 FG 1 PPQ 1 other 1

Judicial branch
Judge selection and term of office: justices proposed by the Council of Magistrates or Consejo de la Magistratura a 6-member independent body and appointed by the Chamber of Senators with presidential concurrence; judges appointed until mandatory retirement at age 75
Subordinate courts: appellate courts; first instance courts; minor courts including justices of the peace

Political parties and leaders:

International organization participation: CAN (associate) CD CELAC FAO G-11 G-77 IADB IAEA IBRD ICAO ICRM IDA IFAD IFC IFRCS ILO IMF IMO Interpol IOC IOM IPU ISO (correspondent) ITSO ITU ITUC (NGOs) LAES LAIA Mercosur (suspended) MIGA MINURSO MINUSTAH MONUSCO NAM (observer) OAS OPANAL OPCW PCA UN UNASUR UNCTAD UNESCO UNFICYP UNIDO Union Latina UNISFA UNMIL UNMISS UNOCI UNWTO UPU WCO WHO WIPO WMO WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chancery: 2,400 Massachusetts Avenue NW Washington DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 483-6,960 through 6,962
In the us FAX: [1] (202) 234-4,508
In the us consulate general: Los Angeles Miami New York
From the us: Ambassador James H. THESSIN (since 8 September 2011)
From the us embassy: 1776 Avenida Mariscal Lopez Casilla Postal 402 Asuncion
From the us mailing address: Unit 4,711 DPO AA 34,036-0001
From the us telephone: [595] (21) 213-715
From the us 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 a circular seal of the treasury (a yellow lion below a red Cap of Liberty and the words PAZ Y JUSTICIA (Peace and Justice)); red symbolizes bravery and patriotism white represents integrity and peace and blue denotes liberty and generosity

National symbols: lion

National anthem
Lyrics and music: Francisco Esteban ACUNA de Figueroa/disputed

National heritage


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Economy overview: Landlocked Paraguay has a market economy distinguished by a large informal sector featuring re-export of imported consumer goods to neighboring countries as well as the activities of thousands of microenterprises and urban street vendors. A large percentage of the population especially in rural areas derives its living from agricultural activity often on a subsistence basis. Because of the importance of the informal sector accurate economic measures are difficult to obtain. On a per capita basis real income has stagnated at 1980 levels. The economy grew rapidly between 2003 and 2008 as growing world demand for commodities combined with high prices and favorable weather to support Paraguay's commodity-based export expansion. Paraguay is the sixth largest soy producer in the world. Drought hit in 2008 reducing agricultural exports and slowing the economy even before the onset of the global recession. The economy fell 3.8% in 2009 as lower world demand and commodity prices caused exports to contract. The government reacted by introducing fiscal and monetary stimulus packages. Growth resumed at a 13% level in 2010 the highest in South America but slowed to about 4% in 2011 as the stimulus subsided. In 2012 severe drought and outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease led to a drop in beef and other agricultural exports and the economy contracted about 0.5%. Political uncertainty corruption limited progress on structural reform and deficient infrastructure are the main obstacles to long-term growth.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 101

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 198

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 146

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use
Government consumption: 12.7%
Investment in fixed capital: 15.1%
Investment in inventories: 0.4%
Exports of goods and services: 51.3%
Imports of goods and services: -48.6%: (2012 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Industry: 18.2%
Services: 65.5% (2012 est.)

Agriculture products: cotton sugarcane soybeans corn wheat tobacco cassava (tapioca) fruits vegetables; beef pork eggs milk; timber

Industries: sugar cement textiles beverages wood products steel metallurgic electric power

Industrial production growth rate: 3.7% (2012 est.)
Rank: 77

Labor force: 3.137 million (2012 est.)
Rank: 104
By occupation industry: 18.5%
By occupation services: 55% (2008)

Unemployment rate: 6.6% (2011 est.)
Rank: 76

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 34.7% (2010 est.)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Highest 10: 41.1% (2010 est.)

Distribution of family income gini index: 57.7 (1998)
Rank: 13

Budget
Expenditures: $5.109 billion (2012 est.)
Surplus or deficit: -1.7% of GDP (2012 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 77

Taxes and other revenues: 18.1% of GDP (2012 est.)
Rank: 177

Public debt: 12.8% of GDP (2011 est.)
Rank: 139

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 8.3% (2011 est.)
Rank: 114

Central bank discount rate: 6% (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 57

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 28.94% (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 6

Stock of narrow money: $3.642 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 107

Stock of broad money: $8.452 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
Rank: 106

Stock of domestic credit: $7.786 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 99

Market value of publicly traded shares:
Rank: 116

Current account balance: $288.8 million (2011 est.)
Rank: 52

Exports: $12.52 billion (2011 est.)
Rank: 88
Commodities: soybeans feed cotton meat edible oils wood leather
Partners: Uruguay 17.7% Brazil 16.4% Argentina 15.6% Russia 12% (2012)

Imports: $11.68 billion (2011 est.)
Rank: 94
Commodities: road vehicles consumer goods tobacco petroleum products electrical machinery tractors chemicals vehicle parts
Partners: Brazil 24.2% China 19.5% Argentina 18.3% US 11.5% (2012)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $4.983 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 92

Debt external: $6.013 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 113

Stock of direct foreign investment at home: $3.627 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 90

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad: $121.3 million (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 86

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Production: 53.53 billion kWh (2010 est.)
Production rank: 48
Consumption: 6.778 billion kWh (2010 est.)
Consumption rank: 100
Exports: 46.12 billion kWh (2011 est.)
Exports rank: 4
Imports: 0 kWh (2012 est.)
Imports rank: 118
Installed generating capacity: 8.816 million kW (2010 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 60
Generation sources fossil fuels: 0.1% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 207
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 158
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 99.9% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 3
Generation sources other renewable sources: 0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 109

Coal

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 2000 bbl/day (2012 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 106
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 167
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 108
Crude oil proven reserves: 0 bbl (1 January 2013 es)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 174

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products production rank: 119
Products consumption: 26,820 bbl/day (2011 est.)
Products consumption rank: 120
Products exports: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products exports rank: 205
Products imports: 31,290 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products imports rank: 89

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2011 est.)
Production rank: 180
Consumption: 0 m³ (2010 est.)
Consumption rank: 185
Exports: 0 m³ (2011 est.)
Exports rank: 162
Imports: 0 m³ (2011 est.)
Imports rank: 114
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2013 es)
Proven reserves rank: 182

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 3.987 million Mt (2011 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 132

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 376,000 (2012)
Main lines in use rank: 107
Mobile cellular: 6.79 million (2012)
Mobile cellular rank: 95

Telephone system
Domestic: deficiencies in provision of fixed-line service have resulted in a rapid expansion of mobile-cellular services fostered by competition among multiple providers
International: country code - 595; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2010)

Broadcast media: 6 privately owned TV stations; about 75 commercial and community radio stations; 1 state-owned radio network (2010)

Internet
Country code: .py
Hosts: 280,658 (2012)
Hosts rank: 65
Users: 1.105 million (2009)
Users rank: 94

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures: 1.5% of GDP (2012)
Rank: 98

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; conscript service obligation is 12 months for Army 24 months for Navy; volunteers for the Air Force must be younger than 22 years of age with a secondary school diploma (2012)

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 799 (2013)
Rank: 9
With paved runways over 3047 m: 3
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 7
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 5 (2013)
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 23
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 290
With unpaved runways: 471 (2013)

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways
Rank: 132
Standard gauge: 36 km 1.435-m gauge (2008)

Roadways
Rank: 95
Paved: 4,860 km
Unpaved: 27,199 km (2010)

Waterways: 3,100 km (primarily on the Paraguay and Paraná river systems) (2012)
Rank: 33

Merchant marine
Rank: 96
By type: cargo 13 container 3 passenger 1 petroleum tanker 1 roll on/roll off 1
Foreign owned: 6 (Argentina 5 Netherlands 1) (2010)

Ports and terminals: Asuncion Villeta San Antonio Encarnacion


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Disputes international: unruly region at convergence of Argentina-Brazil-Paraguay borders is locus of money laundering smuggling arms and illegal narcotics trafficking and fundraising for extremist organizations

Refugees and internally displaced persons

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; weak border controls extensive corruption and money-laundering activity especially in the Tri-Border Area; weak anti-money-laundering laws and enforcement