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 relatively free and regular presidential elections have been held since then.

Geographic coordinates: 23 00 S, 58 00 W

Map reference: South America

Area
Total: 406,750 km²
Land: 397,300 km²
Water: 9,450 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than California

Land boundaries
Total: 3,920 km
Border countries: (3) Argentina 1,880 km; , Bolivia 750 km; , Brazil 1,290 km

Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims: none (landlocked)

Climate: subtropical; 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
Extremes highest point: Cerro San Rafael 850 m

Natural resources: hydropower, timber, iron ore, manganese, limestone

Land use
Arable land: 6%
Permanent crops: 0%
Permanent pastures: 55%
Forests and woodland: 32%
Other: 7% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 670 km² (1993 est.)

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: 5,291,020 (July 1998 est.)
Growth rate: 2.68% (1998 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Paraguayan(s)
Adjective: Paraguayan

Ethnic groups: mestizo (mixed Spanish and Amerindian) 95%, white plus Amerindian 5%

Languages: Spanish (official), Guarani

Religions: Roman Catholic 90%, Mennonite and other Protestant denominations

Age structure
0-14 years: 39% (male 1,061,972; female 1,026,983)
15-64 years: 56% (male 1,483,089; female 1,473,372)
65 years and over: 5% (male 113,298; female 132,306) (July 1998 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.68% (1998 est.)

Birth rate: 32.21 births/1000 population (1998 est.)

Death rate: 5.29 deaths/1000 population (1998 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.1 migrant(s)/1000 population (1998 est.)

Environment
Current issues: deforestation (an estimated 2 million hectares of forest land have been lost from 1958-85; water pollution; inadequate means for waste disposal present health risks for many urban residents
International agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
International agreements signed but not ratified: Nuclear Test Ban

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 (1998 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 37.39 deaths/1000 live births (1998 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 72.23 years
Male: 70.27 years
Female: 74.29 years (1998 est.)

Total fertility rate: 4.26 children born/woman (1998 est.)

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 long form: Republica del Paraguay
Local short form: Paraguay

Government type: republic

Capital: Asuncion

Administrative divisions: 18 departments (departamentos, singular_departamento; 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 Days, 14-15 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; does not accept compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory up to age 60

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Juan Carlos WASMOSY (since 15 August 1993) and Vice President Roberto Angel SEIFART (since 15 August 1993); note_the president is both the chief of state and head of government: ead of
Government: President Juan Carlos WASMOSY (since 15 August 1993) and Vice President Roberto Angel SEIFART (since 15 August 1993); 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 9 May 1993 (next to be held 10 May 1998)
Election results: Juan Carlos WASMOSY elected president; percent of vote_Juan Carlos WASMOSY 40.09%, Domingo LAINO 32.06%, Guillermo CABALLERO VARGAS 23.04%

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)
Elections: Chamber of Senators_last held 9 May 1993 (next to be held 10 May 1998); Chamber of Deputies_last held 9 May 1993 (next to be held 10 May 1998)
Election results: Chamber of Senators_percent of vote by party_NA; seats by party - Colorado Party 20, PLRA 17, EN 8; Chamber of Deputies_percent of vote by party_NA; seats by party_Colorado Party 38, PLRA 33, EN 9

Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Justice (Corte Suprema de Justicia), judges appointed on the proposal of the Counsel of Magistrates (Consejo de la Magistratura)

International organization participation: AG (observer), CCC, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur, OAS, OPANAL, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Jorge G. Andres PRIETO CONTI
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 consulates general: Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Maura A. HARTY
From the us embassy: 1776 Avenida Mariscal Lopez, Casilla Postal 402, Asuncion
From the us mailing address: Unit 4,711, APO 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 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 (electronics, whiskeys, perfumes, cigarettes, and office equipment) to neighboring countries as well as the activities of thousands of microenterprises and urban street vendors. The formal sector is largely oriented toward services. A large percentage of the population derive their living from agricultural activity, often on a subsistence basis. The formal economy has grown an average of about 3% over the past five years. However, population has increased at about the same rate over the same period, leaving per capita income nearly stagnant. The WASMOSY government has continued to pursue its economic reform agenda, albeit with limited success because of in-fighting in the ruling party and resistance from the opposition. Paraguay's ongoing integration into Mercosur (the Southern Cone Common Market) offers potential for investment and growth.

Real gdp growth rate: 2.6% (1997 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity: $3,900 (1997 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 26.4%
Industry: 24.9%
Services: 48.7% (1995)

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

Industries: meat packing, oilseed crushing, milling, brewing, textiles, other light consumer goods, cement, construction

Industrial production growth rate: 5.1% (1995)

Labor force
Total: 1.8 million (1995 est.)
By occupation: agriculture 45%

Unemployment rate: 8.2% (urban) (1996 est.)

Budget
Revenues: $1.25 billion
Expenditures: $1.66 billion, including capital expenditures of $357 million (1995 est.)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Exports: total value:$1.1 billion (f.o.b., 1997 est.)
Commodoties: cotton, soybeans, timber, vegetable oils, meat products, coffee, tung oil
Partners: Brazil 48%, Netherlands 22%, Argentina 9%, US 4%, Uruguay 3%, Chile 2% (1997)

Imports: total value:$2.5 billion (c.i.f., 1996 est.)
Commodoties: capital goods, consumer goods, foodstuffs, raw materials, fuels
Partners: Brazil 29%, US 22%, Argentina 14%, Hong Kong 9% (1995)

Debt external: $1.3 billion (1996)

Exchange rates: guaranies (G) per US$ 2,528.8 (January 1998), 2,191.0 (1997), 2,062.8 (1996), 1,970.4 (1995), 1,911.5 (1994), 1,744.3 (1993)

Electricity
Capacity: 6.533 million kW (1995)
Production: 40.05 billion kWh (1995)
Production note: exported about 36.96 billion kWh of electricity to Brazil
Consumption per capita: 577 kWh (1995)

Telephones: 88,730 (1985 est.)

Telephone system: meager telephone service; principal switching center is Asuncion
Domestic: fair microwave radio relay network
International: satellite earth station_1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $94 million (1994)
Percent of gdp: 0.6% (1994)

Airports: 948 (1997 est.)
With paved runways total: 10
With paved runways over 3047 m: 3
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 3
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 4 (1997 est.)
With unpaved runways total: 938
With unpaved runways over 3047 m: 1
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 29
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 353
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 555 (1997 est.)

Railways
Total: 971 km
Standard gauge: 441 km 1.435-m gauge
Narrow gauge: 60 km 1.000-m gauge
Other gauge: 470 km various gauges (privately owned)

Waterways: 3,100 km

Merchant marine
Total: 19 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 26,442 GRT/32,510 DWT
Ships by type: cargo 14, chemical tanker 1, oil tanker 3, roll-on/roll-off 1 (1997 est.)

Disputes international: short section of the boundary with Brazil, just west of Salto del Guaira (Guaira Falls) on the Rio Parana, has not been precisely delimited

Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis for the international drug trade; transshipment country for Bolivian cocaine headed for Europe and the US