750 km2
Land area:
397,300 km2
Comparative area:
slightly smaller than California
Land boundaries:
3,920 km total; Argentina 1,880 km, Bolivia 750 km, Brazil 1,290 km
Coastline:
none - landlocked
Maritime claims:
none - landlocked
Disputes:
short section of the boundary with Brazil (just west of Guaira Falls on the
Rio Parana) has not been determined
Climate:
varies from temperate in east to semiarid in 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
Natural resources:
iron ore, manganese, limestone, hydropower, timber
Land use:
arable land 20%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and pastures 39%; forest and
woodland 35%; other 5%; includes irrigated NEGL%
Environment:
local flooding in southeast (early September to June); poorly drained plains
may become boggy (early October to June)
Note:
landlocked; buffer between Argentina and Brazil

:Paraguay People

Population:
4,929,446 (July 1992), growth rate 2.9% (1992)
Birth rate:
33 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
5 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
0 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
28 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
71 years male, 74 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
4.4 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
noun - Paraguayan(s); adjective - Paraguayan
Ethnic divisions:
mestizo (Spanish and Indian) 95%, white and Indian 5%
Religions:
Roman Catholic 90%; Mennonite and other Protestant denominations
Languages:
Spanish (official) and Guarani
Literacy:
90% (male 92%, female 88%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
Labor force:
1,418,000 (1991 est.); agriculture, industry and commerce, services,
government (1986)
Organized labor:
about 2% of labor force

:Paraguay Government

Long-form name:
Republic of Paraguay
Type:
republic
Capital:
Asuncion
Administrative divisions:
19 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento); Alto Paraguay, Alto
Parana, Amambay, Boqueron, Caaguazu, Caazapa, Canindeyu, Central, Chaco,
Concepcion, Cordillera, Guaira, Itapua, Misiones, Neembucu, Nueva Asuncion,
Paraguari, Presidente Hayes, San Pedro
Independence:
14 Ma