_#_Unemployment rate: 12% (1989 est.)

_#_Budget: revenues $1.2 billion; expenditures $1.2 billion,
including capital expenditures of $487 million (1991)

_#_Exports: $980 million (registered f.o.b., 1990 est.);

commodities--cotton, soybean, timber, vegetable oils, coffee,
tung oil, meat products;

partners--EC 37%, Brazil 25%, Argentina 10%, Chile 6%, US 6%

_#_Imports: $1.4 billion (registered c.i.f., 1990 est.);

commodities--capital goods 35%, consumer goods 20%, fuels and
lubricants 19%, raw materials 16%, foodstuffs, beverages, and tobacco
10%;

partners--Brazil 30%, EC 20%, US 18%, Argentina 8%, Japan 7%

_#_External debt: $1.7 billion (1989 est.)

_#_Industrial production: growth rate 5.9% (1989 est.); accounts
for 16% of GDP

_#_Electricity: 5,169,000 kW capacity; 15,144 million kWh produced,
3,250 kWh per capita (1990)

_#_Industries: meat packing, oilseed crushing, milling, brewing,
textiles, other light consumer goods, cement, construction

_#_Agriculture: accounts for 25% of GDP and 44% of labor force; cash
crops--cotton, sugarcane; other crops--corn, wheat, tobacco, soybeans,
cassava, fruits, and vegetables; animal products--beef, pork, eggs,
milk; surplus producer of timber; self-sufficient in most foods

_#_Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis for the international
drug trade; important transshipment point for Bolivian cocaine headed
for the US and Europe

_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $172
million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments
(1970-88), $1.05 billion

_#_Currency: guarani (plural--guaranies);
1 guarani (0) = 100 centimos

_#_Exchange rates: guaranies (0) per US$1--1,204.5 (October 1989),
1,056.2 (1989), 550.00 (fixed rate 1986-February 1989), 339.17 (1986),
306.67 (1985)

_#_Fiscal year: calendar year

_*_Communications
_#_Railroads: 970 km total; 440 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, 60 km
1.000-meter gauge, 470 km various narrow gauge (privately owned)

_#_Highways: 21,960 km total; 1,788 km paved, 474 km gravel, and
19,698 km earth

_#_Inland waterways: 3,100 km

_#_Ports: Asuncion

_#_Merchant marine: 14 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 18,743
GRT/22,954 DWT; includes 12 cargo, 2 petroleum, oils, and lubricants
(POL) tanker; note--1 naval cargo ship is sometimes used commercially

_#_Civil air: 4 major transport aircraft

_#_Airports: 851 total, 738 usable;