CNOC [Luis AGUAYO]; National Federation
of Campesinos or FNC [Odilon ESPINOLA]; National Workers Central or
CNT [Secretary General Juan TORRALES]; Paraguayan Workers
Confederation or CPT; Roman Catholic Church; Unitary Workers Central
or CUT [Jorge Guzman ALVARENGA Malgarejo]

International organization participation:
CAN (associate), CSN, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt,
ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU,
ISO (correspondent), ITU, ITUC, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur, MIGA,
MINUSTAH, MONUC, NAM (observer), OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCL,
WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador James SPALDING Hellmers
chancery: 2400 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 483-6960 through 6962
FAX: [1] (202) 234-4508
consulate(s) general: Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:
Ambassador James C. CASON
embassy: 1776 Avenida Mariscal Lopez, Casilla Postal 402, Asuncion
mailing address: Unit 4711, APO AA 34036-0001
telephone: [595] (21) 213-715
FAX: [595] (21) 213-728

Flag description:
three equal, horizontal bands of red (top), white, and blue with an
emblem centered in the white band; unusual flag in that the emblem
is different on each side; the obverse (hoist side at the left)
bears the national coat of arms (a yellow five-pointed star within a
green wreath capped by the words REPUBLICA DEL PARAGUAY, all within
two circles); the reverse (hoist side at the right) bears the seal
of the treasury (a yellow lion below a red Cap of Liberty and the
words Paz y Justicia (Peace and Justice) capped by the words
REPUBLICA DEL PARAGUAY, all within two circles)

Economy Paraguay

Economy - overview:
Landlocked Paraguay has a market economy marked by a large informal
sector. This sector features both reexport of imported consumer
goods to neighboring countries, as well as the activities of
thousands of microenterprises and urban street vendors. Because of
the importance of the informal sector, accurate economic measures
are difficult to obtain. A large percentage of the population
derives its living from agricultural activity, often on a
subsistence basis. The formal economy grew by an average of about 3%
annually in 1995-97, but averaged n