Ecuador (2002) | Paraguay (2001) | |
Administrative divisions | 22 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia); Azuay, Bolivar, Canar, Carchi, Chimborazo, Cotopaxi, El Oro, Esmeraldas, Galapagos, Guayas, Imbabura, Loja, Los Rios, Manabi, Morona-Santiago, Napo, Orellana, Pastaza, Pichincha, Sucumbios, Tungurahua, Zamora-Chinchipe | 17 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento) and one capital city; Alto Paraguay, Alto Parana, Amambay, Asuncion (city), Boqueron, Caaguazu, Caazapa, Canindeyu, Central, Concepcion, Cordillera, Guaira, Itapua, Misiones, Neembucu, Paraguari, Presidente Hayes, San Pedro |
Age structure | 0-14 years: 35.4% (male 2,415,764; female 2,337,095)
15-64 years: 60.2% (male 4,007,495; female 4,090,957) 65 years and over: 4.4% (male 276,482; female 319,701) (2002 est.) |
0-14 years:
38.9% (male 1,133,306; female 1,097,360) 15-64 years: 56.39% (male 1,622,743; female 1,610,659) 65 years and over: 4.71% (male 124,321; female 145,750) (2001 est.) |
Agriculture - products | bananas, coffee, cocoa, rice, potatoes, manioc (tapioca), plantains, sugarcane; cattle, sheep, pigs, beef, pork, dairy products; balsa wood; fish, shrimp | cotton, sugarcane, soybeans, corn, wheat, tobacco, cassava (yucca), fruits, vegetables; beef, pork, eggs, milk; timber |
Airports | 205 (2001) | 915 (2000 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 61
over 3,047 m: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 4 1,524 to 2,437 m: 18 914 to 1,523 m: 18 under 914 m: 18 (2002) |
total:
11 over 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 4 (2000 est.) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 144
914 to 1,523 m: 31 under 914 m: 113 (2002) |
total:
904 1,524 to 2,437 m: 29 914 to 1,523 m: 340 under 914 m: 535 (2000 est.) |
Area | total: 283,560 sq km
land: 276,840 sq km water: 6,720 sq km note: includes Galapagos Islands |
total:
406,750 sq km land: 397,300 sq km water: 9,450 sq km |
Area - comparative | slightly smaller than Nevada | slightly smaller than California |
Background | The "Republic of the Equator" was one of three countries that emerged from the collapse of Gran Colombia in 1830 (the others being Colombia and Venezuela). Between 1904 and 1942, Ecuador lost territories in a series of conflicts with its neighbors. A border war with Peru that flared in 1995 was resolved in 1999. | In the disastrous War of the Triple Alliance (1865-70), Paraguay lost two-thirds of all adult males and much of its territory. It stagnated economically for the next half century. In the Chaco War of 1932-35, large, economically important areas were won from Bolivia. The 35-year military dictatorship of Alfredo STROESSNER was overthrown in 1989, and, despite a marked increase in political infighting in recent years, relatively free and regular presidential elections have been held since then. |
Birth rate | 25.47 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) | 30.88 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $5.6 billion
expenditures: planned $5.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001 est.) |
revenues:
$1.3 billion expenditures: $2 billion, including capital expenditures of $700 million (1999 est.) |
Capital | Quito | Asuncion |
Climate | tropical along coast, becoming cooler inland at higher elevations; tropical in Amazonian jungle lowlands | subtropical to temperate; substantial rainfall in the eastern portions, becoming semiarid in the far west |
Coastline | 2,237 km | 0 km (landlocked) |
Constitution | 10 August 1998 | promulgated 20 June 1992 |
Country name | conventional long form: Republic of Ecuador
conventional short form: Ecuador local long form: Republica del Ecuador local short form: Ecuador |
conventional long form:
Republic of Paraguay conventional short form: Paraguay local long form: Republica del Paraguay local short form: Paraguay |
Currency | US dollar (USD) | guarani (PYG) |
Death rate | 5.36 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) | 4.75 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Debt - external | $14 billion (2001) (2001) | $3 billion (2000 est.) |
Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Kristie Anne KENNEY
embassy: Avenida 12 de Octubre y Avenida Patria, Quito mailing address: APO AA 34039 telephone: [593] (2) 256-2890 FAX: [593] (2) 250-2052 consulate(s) general: Guayaquil |
chief of mission:
Ambassador David N. GREENLEE 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 |
Diplomatic representation in the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Ivonne A-BAKI
chancery: 2535 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009 telephone: [1] (202) 234-7200 FAX: [1] (202) 667-3482 consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, Newark, Philadelphia, and San Francisco |
chief of mission:
Ambassador Leila RACHID chancery: 2400 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 483-6960 through 6962 FAX: [1] (202) 234-4508 consulate(s) general: Detroit (honorary), Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Juan (honorary) |
Disputes - international | none | - |
Economic aid - recipient | $120 million (2001) (2001) | $NA |
Economy - overview | Ecuador has substantial oil resources and rich agricultural areas. Because the country exports primary products such as oil, bananas, and shrimp, fluctuations in world market prices can have a substantial domestic impact. Ecuador joined the World Trade Organization in 1996, but has failed to comply with many of its accession commitments. The aftermath of El Nino and depressed oil market of 1997-98 drove Ecuador's economy into a free-fall in 1999. The beginning of 1999 saw the banking sector collapse, which helped precipitate an unprecedented default on external loans later that year. Continued economic instability drove a 70% depreciation of the currency throughout 1999, which forced a desperate government to "dollarize" the currency regime in 2000. The move stabilized the currency, but did not stave off the ouster of the government. Gustavo NOBOA, who assumed the presidency in January 2000, has managed to pass substantial economic reforms and mend relations with international financial institutions. Ecuador completed its first standby agreement since 1986 when the IMF Board approved a 10 December 2001 disbursement of $96 million, the final installment of a $300 million standby credit agreement. | Paraguay has a market economy marked by a large informal sector. The informal 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 their living from agricultural activity, often on a subsistence basis. The formal economy grew by an average of about 3% annually in 1995-97, but GDP declined slightly in 1998 and 1999. On a per capita basis, real income has stagnated at 1980 levels. Most observers attribute Paraguay's poor economic performance to political uncertainty, corruption, lack of progress on structural reform, substantial internal and external debt, and deficient infrastructure. Growth rebounded slightly in 2000. |
Electricity - consumption | 9.667 billion kWh (2000) | 1.915 billion kWh (1999) |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2000) | 46.03 billion kWh (1999) |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2000) | 0 kWh (1999) |
Electricity - production | 10.395 billion kWh (2000) | 51.554 billion kWh (1999) |
Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel: 25%
hydro: 75% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2000) |
fossil fuel:
0.07% hydro: 99.79% nuclear: 0% other: 0.15% (1999) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Chimborazo 6,267 m |
lowest point:
junction of Rio Paraguay and Rio Parana 46 m highest point: Cerro Pero (Cerro Tres Kandu) 842 m |
Environment - current issues | deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; water pollution; pollution from oil production wastes in ecologically sensitive areas of the Galapagos Islands | deforestation (an estimated 2 million hectares of forest land were lost from 1958-85); water pollution; inadequate means for waste disposal present health risks for many urban residents |
Environment - international agreements | party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Nuclear Test Ban |
Ethnic groups | mestizo (mixed Amerindian and white) 65%, Amerindian 25%, Spanish and others 7%, black 3% | mestizo (mixed Spanish and Amerindian) 95% |
Exchange rates | sucres per US dollar - 25,000.0 (January 2002), 25,000.0 (2001), 24,988.4 (2000), 11,786.8 (1999), 5,446.6 (1998), 3,988.3 (1997)
note: on 13 March 2000, the National Congress approved a new exchange system whereby the US dollar was adopted as the main legal tender in Ecuador for all purposes; on 20 March 2000, the Central Bank of Ecuador started to exchange sucres for US dollars at a fixed rate of 25,000 sucres per US dollar; since 30 April 2000, all transactions are denominated in US dollars |
guarani per US dollar - 3,570.0 (January 2001), 3,486.4 (2000), 3,119.1 (1999), 2,726.5 (1998), 2,177.9 (1997), 2,056.8 (1996); note - since early 1998, the exchange rate has operated as a managed float; prior to that, the exchange rate was determined freely in the market |
Executive branch | chief of state: President Lucio GUTIERREZ (since 15 January 2003); Vice President Alfredo PALACIO (since 15 January 2003); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Lucio GUTIERREZ (since 15 January 2003); Vice President Alfredo PALACIO (since 15 January 2003); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president elections: the president and vice president are elected on the same ticket by popular vote for four-year term (no reelection); election last held 20 October 2002; runoff election held 24 November 2002 (next to be held NA October 2006) election results: results of the 24 November 2002 runoff election - Lucio GUTIERREZ elected president; percent of vote - Lucio GUTIERREZ 54.3%; Alvaro NOBOA 45.7% |
chief of state:
President Luis GONZALEZ MACCHI (since 28 March 1999); vice president Julio Cesar FRANCO (since NA August 2000); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Luis GONZALEZ MACCHI (since 28 March 1999); vice president Julio Cesar FRANCO (since NA August 2000); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Council of Ministers nominated by the president elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for five-year terms; election last held 10 May 1998 (next to be held NA May 2003) election results: Raul CUBAS Grau elected president; percent of vote - 55.3%; resigned 28 March 1999 note: President Luis GONZALEZ MACCHI, formerly president of the Chamber of Senators, constitutionally succeeded President Raul CUBAS Grau, who resigned after being impeached soon after the assassination of Vice President Luis Maria ARGANA; the successor to ARGANA was decided in an election held in August 2000 |
Exports | $4.8 billion (2001 est.) | $3.5 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.) |
Exports - commodities | petroleum, bananas, shrimp, coffee, cocoa, cut flowers, fish | electricity, soybeans, feed, cotton, meat, edible oils |
Exports - partners | US 38%, Peru 6%, Chile 5%, Colombia 5%, Italy 3% (2000) | Brazil, Argentina, EU |
Fiscal year | calendar year | calendar year |
Flag description | three horizontal bands of yellow (top, double width), blue, and red with the coat of arms superimposed at the center of the flag; similar to the flag of Colombia which is shorter and does not bear a coat of arms | 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) |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $39.6 billion (2001 est.) | purchasing power parity - $26.2 billion (2000 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 11%
industry: 25% services: 64% (2000 est.) |
agriculture:
28% industry: 21% services: 51% (1999 est.) |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $3,000 (2001 est.) | purchasing power parity - $4,750 (2000 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 4.3% (2001 est.) | 1% (2000 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 2 00 S, 77 30 W | 23 00 S, 58 00 W |
Geography - note | Cotopaxi in Andes is highest active volcano in world | landlocked; lies between Argentina, Bolivia, and Brazil |
Heliports | 1 (2002) | - |
Highways | total: 43,197 km
paved: 8,165 km unpaved: 35,032 km (2001) |
total:
25,901 km paved: 3,067 km unpaved: 22,834 km (2001) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: 2%
highest 10%: 34% (1995) (1995) |
lowest 10%:
0.7% highest 10%: 46.6% (1995) |
Illicit drugs | significant transit country for cocaine originating in Colombia and Peru; importer of precursor chemicals used in production of illicit narcotics; dollarization may raise the volume of money-laundering activity, especially along the border with Colombia; increased activity on the northern frontier by trafficking groups and Colombian insurgents | illicit producer of cannabis, most or all of which is consumed in South America; transshipment country for Andean cocaine headed for Southern Cone markets and Europe |
Imports | $4.8 billion (2001 est.) | $3.3 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.) |
Imports - commodities | machinery and equipment, chemicals, raw materials, fuels; consumer goods | road vehicles, consumer goods, tobacco, petroleum products, electrical machinery |
Imports - partners | US 25%, Colombia 13%, Japan 8%, Venezuela 8%, Brazil 4% (2000) | Brazil, US, Argentina, Uruguay, EU, Hong Kong |
Independence | 24 May 1822 (from Spain) | 14 May 1811 (from Spain) |
Industrial production growth rate | 5.1% (2001 est.) | 0% (2000 est.) |
Industries | petroleum, food processing, textiles, metal work, paper products, wood products, chemicals, plastics, fishing, lumber | sugar, cement, textiles, beverages, wood products |
Infant mortality rate | 33.02 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) | 29.78 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 22% (2001 est.) | 8% (2000 est.) |
International organization participation | CAN, CCC, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO | CCC, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur, NAM (observer), OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMEE, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 31 (2001) | 4 (2000) |
Irrigated land | 8,650 sq km (1998 est.) | 670 sq km (1993 est.) |
Judicial branch | Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (new justices are elected by the full Supreme Court) | Supreme Court of Justice or Corte Suprema de Justicia (judges appointed on the proposal of the Counsel of Magistrates or Consejo de la Magistratura) |
Labor force | 3.7 million (urban) | 2 million (2000 est.) |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture 30%, industry 25%, services 45% (2001 est.) | agriculture 45% |
Land boundaries | total: 2,010 km
border countries: Colombia 590 km, Peru 1,420 km |
total:
3,920 km border countries: Argentina 1,880 km, Bolivia 750 km, Brazil 1,290 km |
Land use | arable land: 5.69%
permanent crops: 5.15% other: 89.16% (1998 est.) |
arable land:
6% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 55% forests and woodland: 32% other: 7% (1993 est.) |
Languages | Spanish (official), Amerindian languages (especially Quechua) | Spanish (official), Guarani (official) |
Legal system | based on civil law system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction | based on Argentine codes, Roman law, and French codes; judicial review of legislative acts in Supreme Court of Justice |
Legislative branch | unicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional (123 seats; 20 members are popularly elected at-large nationally to serve four-year terms; 103 members are popularly elected by province to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 31 May 1998 (next to be held 20 October 2002) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - DP 32, PSC 27, PRE 24, ID 18, P-NP 9, FRA 5, PCE 3, MPD 2, CFP 1; note - defections by members of National Congress are commonplace, resulting in frequent changes in the numbers of seats held by the various parties |
bicameral Congress or Congreso consists of the Chamber of Senators or Camara de Senadores (45 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) and the Chamber of Deputies or Camara de Diputados (80 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: Chamber of Senators - last held 10 May 1998 (next to be held NA May 2003); Chamber of Deputies - last held 10 May 1998 (next to be held NA May 2003) election results: Chamber of Senators - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - Colorado Party 25, PLRA 13, PEN 7; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - Colorado Party 45, PLRA 26, PEN 9 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 71.61 years
male: 68.79 years female: 74.57 years (2002 est.) |
total population:
73.92 years male: 71.44 years female: 76.52 years (2001 est.) |
Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 90.1% male: 92% female: 88.2% (1995 est.) |
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write total population: 92.1% male: 93.5% female: 90.6% (1995 est.) |
Location | Western South America, bordering the Pacific Ocean at the Equator, between Colombia and Peru | Central South America, northeast of Argentina |
Map references | South America | South America |
Maritime claims | continental shelf: claims continental shelf between mainland and Galapagos Islands
territorial sea: 200 NM |
none (landlocked) |
Merchant marine | total: 33 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 239,876 GRT/393,680 DWT
ships by type: cargo 2, chemical tanker 3, liquefied gas 1, passenger 3, petroleum tanker 23, specialized tanker 1 note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Chile 1, Greece 1 (2002 est.) |
total:
20 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 31,066 GRT/35,441 DWT ships by type: cargo 14, chemical tanker 1, petroleum tanker 3, roll on/roll off 2 (2000 est.) |
Military branches | Army, Navy (including Marines), Air Force, National Police | Army, Navy (includes Naval Air and Marines), Air Force |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | $720 million (FY98) | $125 million (FY98) |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 3.4% (FY98) | 1.4% (FY98) |
Military manpower - availability | males age 15-49: 3,468,678 (2002 est.) | males age 15-49:
1,388,436 (2001 est.) |
Military manpower - fit for military service | males age 15-49: 2,337,944 (2002 est.) | males age 15-49:
1,001,516 (2001 est.) |
Military manpower - military age | 20 years of age (2002 est.) | 17 years of age |
Military manpower - reaching military age annually | males: 132,978 (2002 est.) | males:
58,359 (2001 est.) |
National holiday | Independence Day (independence of Quito), 10 August (1809) | Independence Day, 14 May (1811) |
Nationality | noun: Ecuadorian(s)
adjective: Ecuadorian |
noun:
Paraguayan(s) adjective: Paraguayan |
Natural hazards | frequent earthquakes, landslides, volcanic activity; floods; periodic droughts | local flooding in southeast (early September to June); poorly drained plains may become boggy (early October to June) |
Natural resources | petroleum, fish, timber, hydropower | hydropower, timber, iron ore, manganese, limestone |
Net migration rate | -0.53 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) | -0.09 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Pipelines | crude oil 800 km; petroleum products 1,358 km | - |
Political parties and leaders | Concentration of Popular Forces or CFP [Averroes BUCARAM]; Democratic Left or ID [Rodrigo BORJA Cevallos]; Ecuadorian Conservative Party or PCE [Jacinto JIJON Y CAMANO]; Independent National Movement or MIN [Eliseo AZUERO]; Pachakutik-New Country or P-NP [Miguel LLUCO]; Popular Democracy or DP [Dr. Juan Manuel FUERTES]; Popular Democratic Movement or MPD [Gustavo TERAN Acosta]; Radical Alfarista Front or FRA [Fabian ALARCON, director]; Roldosist Party or PRE [Abdala BUCARAM Ortiz, director]; Social Christian Party or PSC [Pascual DEL CIOPPO] | Authentic Radical Liberal Party or PLRA [Miguel Abdon SAGUIER]; Christian Democratic Party or PDC [Adalina GUITERREZ DE GALEANO]; Febrerista Revolutionary Party or PRF [Carlos Maria LJUBETIC]; National Encounter or PEN [Euclides ACEVEDO]; National Republican Association - Colorado Party [acting president Bader RACHID LICHI] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador or CONAIE [Leonidas IZA, president]; Coordinator of Social Movements or CMS [F. Napoleon SANTOS]; Federation of Indigenous Evangelists of Ecuador or FEINE [Marco MURILLO, president]; National Federation of Indigenous Afro-Ecuatorianos and Peasants or FENOCIN [Pedro DE LA CRUZ, president]; Popular Front or FP [Luis VILLACIS] | Ahorristas Estafados or AE; National Workers Central or CNT; Paraguayan Workers Confederation or CPT; Roman Catholic Church; Unitary Workers Central or CUT |
Population | 13,447,494 (July 2002 est.) | 5,734,139 (July 2001 est.) |
Population below poverty line | 70% (2001 est.) | 36% (2000 est.) |
Population growth rate | 1.96% (2002 est.) | 2.6% (2001 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Esmeraldas, Guayaquil, La Libertad, Manta, Puerto Bolivar, San Lorenzo | Asuncion, Villeta, San Antonio, Encarnacion |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 392, FM 35, shortwave 29 (2001) | AM 46, FM 27, shortwave 6 (three inactive) (1998) |
Radios | 5 million (2001) | 925,000 (1997) |
Railways | total: 965 km
narrow gauge: 965 km 1.067-m gauge (2000 est.) |
total:
971 km standard gauge: 441 km 1.435-m gauge narrow gauge: 60 km 1.000-m gauge note: there are 470 km of various gauges that are privately owned |
Religions | Roman Catholic 95% | Roman Catholic 90%, Mennonite, and other Protestant |
Sex ratio | at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.86 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2002 est.) |
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: 0.85 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2001 est.) |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal, compulsory for literate persons ages 18-65, optional for other eligible voters | 18 years of age; universal and compulsory up to age 75 |
Telephone system | general assessment: generally elementary but being expanded
domestic: facilities generally inadequate and unreliable international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) |
general assessment:
meager telephone service; principal switching center is Asuncion domestic: fair microwave radio relay network international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) |
Telephones - main lines in use | 1,115,272 (1999) | 290,475 (2001) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 384,000 (1999) | 510,000 (2001) |
Television broadcast stations | 7 (plus 14 repeaters) (2001) | 4 (2001) |
Terrain | coastal plain (costa), inter-Andean central highlands (sierra), and flat to rolling eastern jungle (oriente) | 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 |
Total fertility rate | 3.05 children born/woman (2002 est.) | 4.11 children born/woman (2001 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 14%; note - widespread underemployment (2001 est.) | 16% (2000 est.) |
Waterways | 1,500 km | 3,100 km |