eing expanded

Airports: 1 (1996 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total : 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (on Woody Island) (1996 est.)

Military

Military - note: occupied by China

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international: occupied by China, but claimed by Taiwan and
Vietnam
______________________________________________________________________

PARAGUAY

@Paraguay:Geography

Location: Central South America, northeast of Argentina

Geographic coordinates: 23 00 S, 58 00 W

Map references: South America

Area:
total: 406,750 sq km
land: 397,300 sq km
water: 9,450 sq km

Area - comparative: slightly smaller than California

Land boundaries:
total: 3,920 km
border countries: 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
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 have been 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, Endangered Species, Hazardous
Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Desertification, Nuclear Test Ban

Geography - note: landlocked; lies between Argentina, Bolivia, and
Brazil

@Paraguay:People

Population: 5,651,634 (July 1997 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 40% (male 1,163,416; female 1,113,654)
15-64 years: 56% (male 1,571,685; female 1,564,757)
65 years and over: 4% (male 109,547; female 128,575) (July 1997 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.62% (1997 est.)

Birth rate: 30.47