_Economy
_#_Overview: no economic activity

_*_Communications
_#_Ports: small Chinese port facilities on Woody Island and
Duncan Island currently under expansion

_#_Airports: 1 on Woody Island

_*_Defense Forces
_#_Note: occupied by China
_%_
_@_Paraguay
_*_Geography
_#_Total area: 406,750 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

_*_People
_#_Population: 4,798,739 (July 1991), growth rate 2.9% (1991)

_#_Birth rate: 35 births/1,000 population (1991)

_#_Death rate: 6 deaths/1,000 population (1991)

_#_Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)

_#_Infant mortality rate: 47 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)

_#_Life expectancy at birth: 67 years male, 72 years female (1991)

_#_Total fertility rate: 4.7 children born/woman (1991)

_#_Nationality: noun--Paraguayan(s); adjective--Paraguayan

_#_Ethnic divisions: mestizo (Spanish and Indian) 95%, white and
Indian 5%

_#_Religion: Roman Catholic 90%; Mennonite and other Protestant
denominations

_#_Language: Spanish (official) and Guarani

_#_Literacy: 90% (male 92%, female 88%) age 15 and over can
read and write (1990 est.)

_#_Labor force: 1,300,000; agriculture 44%, industry and commerce
34%, services 18%, government 4% (1986)

_#_Organized labor: about 2% of labor force

_*_Government
_#_Long-form name: Republic of Paraguay

_#_Type: republic

_#_Capital: Asuncion

_#_Administrativ