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.
Government type: constitutional republic
Capital: Asuncion
Currency: 1 guarani (G) = 100 centimos
Geography of Paraguay
Location: Central South America, northeast of Argentina
Geographic coordinates: 23 00 S, 58 00 W
Area:
total: 406,750 sq km
land: 397,300 sq km
water: 9,450 sq km
Land boundaries:
total: 3,920 km
border countries: Argentina 1,880 km, Bolivia 750 km, Brazil 1,290 km
Coastline: 0 km (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 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 sq km (1993 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 (an estimated 2 million
hectares of forest land were lost from 1958-85); water pollution; inadequate
means for waste disposal present health risks for many urban residents.
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.
People of Paraguay
Paraguay's population is distributed unevenly throughout the country. The
vast majority of the people live in the eastern region, most within 160
kilometers (100 mi.) of Asuncion, the capital and largest city. The Chaco,
which accounts for about 60% of the territory, is home to less than 2% of
the population. Ethnically, culturally, and socially, Paraguay has one of
the most homogeneous populations in South America. About 95% of the people
are of mixed Spanish and Guarani Indian descent. Little trace is left of the
original Guarani culture except the language, which is understood by 90% of
the population. About 75% of all Paraguayans speak Spanish. Guarani and
Spanish are official languages. Germans, Japanese, Koreans, ethnic Chinese,
Arabs, Brazilians, and Argentines are among those who have settled in
Paraguay.
Population: 6,347,884 (July 2005 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 38.9%
15-64 years: 56.39%
65 years and over: 4.71%
Population growth rate: 2.6%
Birth rate: 30.88 births/1,000 population
Death rate: 4.75 deaths/1,000 population
Net migration rate: -0.09 migrant(s)/1,000 population
Infant mortality rate: 29.78 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 73.92 years
male: 71.44 years
female: 76.52 years
Total fertility rate: 4.11 children born/woman
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 (spoken by most of rural population)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 92.1%
male: 93.5%
female: 90.6% (1995 est.)
SOURCES: The World Factbook, U.S. Department of State |