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, 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

@Paraguay:People

Population: 5,291,020 (July 1998 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 39% (male 1,061,972; female 1,026,983)
15-64 years: 56% (male 1,483,089; female 1,473,372)
65 years and over: 5% (male 113,298; female 132,306) (July 1998 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.68% (1998 est.)

Birth rate: 32.21 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Death rate: 5.29 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.86 male(s)/female (1998 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 37.39 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 72.23 years
male: 70.27 years
female: 74.29 years (1998 est.)

Total fertility rate: 4.26 children born/woman (1998 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Paraguayan(s)
adjective: Paraguayan

Ethnic groups: mestizo (mixed Spanish and Amerindian) 95%, white plus
Amerindian 5%

Religions: Roman Catholic 90%, Mennonite and other Protestant
denominations

Languages: Spanish (official), Guarani

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 92.1%
male: 93.5%
female: 90.6% (1995 est.)

@Paraguay:Government

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Parag