Main page Compare countries Index countries Index fields

Query:
##ciekawa_strona##

Compare Paraguay (2002) - European Union (2004)

Compare Paraguay (2002) z European Union (2004)

 Paraguay (2002)European Union (2004)
 ParaguayEuropean Union
Administrative divisions 17 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento) and 1 capital city*; Alto Paraguay, Alto Parana, Amambay, Asuncion*, Boqueron, Caaguazu, Caazapa, Canindeyu, Central, Concepcion, Cordillera, Guaira, Itapua, Misiones, Neembucu, Paraguari, Presidente Hayes, San Pedro -
Age structure 0-14 years: 38.7% (male 1,156,366; female 1,119,558)


15-64 years: 56.6% (male 1,671,721; female 1,658,683)


65 years and over: 4.7% (male 128,137; female 150,026) (2002 est.)
0-14 years: 16.3%


15-64 years: 67.2%


65 years and over: 16.6% (July 2004 est.)
Agriculture - products cotton, sugarcane, soybeans, corn, wheat, tobacco, cassava (tapioca), fruits, vegetables; beef, pork, eggs, milk; timber wheat, barley, oilseeds, sugar beets, wine, grapes, dairy products, cattle, sheep, pigs, poultry, fish
Airports 899 (2001) total: 3,130


with paved runways: 1,834


with unpaved runways: 1,296 (2003)
Airports - with paved runways total: 11


over 3,047 m: 3


1,524 to 2,437 m: 4


914 to 1,523 m: 4 (2002)
-
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 868


1,524 to 2,437 m: 27


914 to 1,523 m: 323


under 914 m: 518 (2002)
-
Area total: 406,750 sq km


land: 397,300 sq km


water: 9,450 sq km
total: 3,976,372 sq km
Area - comparative slightly smaller than California less than one-half the size of the US
Background 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. Following the two devastating World Wars of the first half of the 20th century, a number of European leaders in the late 1940s became convinced that the only way to establish a lasting peace was to unite the two chief belligerent nations - France and Germany - both economically and politically. In 1950, the French Foreign Minister Robert SCHUMAN proposed an eventual union of all of Europe, the first step of which would be the integration of the coal and steel industries of Western Europe. The following year the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) was set up when six members, Belgium, France, West Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands, signed the Treaty of Paris.

The ECSC was so successful that within a few years the decision was made to integrate other parts of the countries' economies. In 1957, the Treaties of Rome created the European Economic Community (EEC) and the European Atomic Energy Community (EURATOM), and the six member states undertook to eliminate trade barriers among themselves by forming a common market. In 1967, the institutions of all three communities were formally merged into the European Community (EC), creating a single Commission, a single Council of Ministers, and the European Parliament. Members of the European Parliament were initially selected by national parliaments, but in 1979 the first direct elections were undertaken and they have been held every five years since.

In 1973, the first enlargement of the EC took place with the addition of Denmark, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. The 1980s saw further membership expansion with Greece joining in 1981 and Spain and Portugal in 1986. The 1992 Treaty of Maastricht laid the basis for further forms of cooperation in foreign and defense policy, in judicial and internal affairs, and in the creation of an economic and monetary union - including a common currency. This further integration created the European Union (EU). In 1995, Austria, Finland, and Sweden joined to the EU, raising the membership total to 15.

A new currency, the euro, was launched in world money markets on 1 January 1999; it became the unit of exchange for all of the EU states except Great Britain, Sweden, and Denmark. In 2002, citizens of the 12 euro-area countries began using euro banknotes and coins. Ten new countries joined the EU in 2004 - Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia - bringing the current membership to 25. In order to ensure that the EU can continue to function efficiently with an expanded membership, the 2003 Treaty of Nice set forth rules streamlining the size and procedures of EU institutions. An EU Constitutional Treaty, signed in Rome on 29 October 2004, gives member states two years to ratify the document before it is scheduled to take effect on 1 November 2006.

Despite the expansion of membership and functions, "Eurosceptics" in various countries have raised questions about the erosion of national cultures and the imposition of a flood of regulations from the EU capital in Brussels. Failure by member states to ratify the constitution or the inability of newcomer countries to meet euro currency standards might force a loosening of some EU agreements and perhaps lead to several levels of EU participation. These "tiers" might eventually range from an "inner" core of politically integrated countries to a looser "outer" economic association of members.
Birth rate 30.5 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) 10.2 births/1,000 population (July 2004 est.)
Budget revenues: $1.3 billion


expenditures: $2 billion, including capital expenditures of $700 million (1999 est.)
-
Capital Asuncion Brussels, Belgium
Climate subtropical to temperate; substantial rainfall in the eastern portions, becoming semiarid in the far west cold temperate; potentially subarctic in the north to temperate; mild wet winters; hot dry summers in the south
Coastline 0 km (landlocked) 65,413.9 km
Constitution promulgated 20 June 1992 based on a series of treaties: the Treaty of Paris, which set up the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) in 1951; the Treaties of Rome, which set up the European Economic Community (EEC) and the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom) in 1957; the Single European Act in 1986; the Treaty on European Union (Maastrict) in 1992; the Treaty of Amsterdam in 1997; and the Treaty of Nice in 2001; note - a new draft Constitutional Treaty, signed on 29 October 2004 in Rome, gives member states two years for ratification either by parliamentary vote or national referendum before it is scheduled to take effect on 1 November 2006
Country name conventional long form: Republic of Paraguay


conventional short form: Paraguay


local long form: Republica del Paraguay


local short form: Paraguay
-
Currency guarani (PYG) euro; pound (Cyprus), koruna (Czech Republic), krone (Denmark), kroon (Estonia), forint (Hungary), lat (Latvia), litas (Lithuania), lira (Malta), zloty (Poland), koruna (Slovakia), tolar (Slovenia), krona (Sweden), pound (UK)
Death rate 4.69 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) 10 deaths/1,000 population (July 2004 est.)
Debt - external $2.9 billion (2001 est.) $NA
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission: Ambassador John F. KEANE


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
chief of mission: Ambassador Rockwell SCHNABEL


embassy: 13 Zinnerstraat (Rue Zinner), B-1000 Brussels


mailing address: same as above


telephone: [32] (2) 508-2222


FAX: [32] (2) 512-5720
Diplomatic representation in the US chief of mission: Ambassador Leila Teresa RACHID COWLES


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 Orleans, New York
chief of mission: Ambassador John BRUTON


chancery: 2300 M Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20037


telephone: [1] (202) 862-9500


FAX: [1] (202) 429-1766
Disputes - international none -
Economic aid - donor - $NA
Economic aid - recipient $NA -
Economy - overview 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, 1999, and 2000. 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. Domestically, the European Union attempts to lower trade barriers, adopt a common currency, and move toward convergence of living standards. Internationally, the EU aims to bolster Europe's trade position and its political and economic power. Because of the great differences in per capita income (from $10,000 to $28,000) and historic national animosities, the European Community faces difficulties in devising and enforcing common policies. For example, both Germany and France since 2003 have flouted the member states' treaty obligation to prevent their national budgets from running more than a 3% deficit. In 2004, the EU admitted 10 central and eastern European countries that are, in general, less advanced technologically and economically than the existing 15. The Economic and Monetary Union (EMU), an associated organization, introduced the euro as the common currency on 1 January 1999. The UK, Sweden, and Denmark do not now participate; the 10 new countries may choose to join the EMU when they meet its fiscal and monetary criteria and the member states so agree.
Electricity - consumption 1.95 billion kWh (2000) 2.635 trillion kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports 47.392 billion kWh (2000) 234.8 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (2000) 245.7 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - production 53.056 billion kWh (2000) 2.822 trillion kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source fossil fuel: 0%


hydro: 100%


nuclear: 0%


other: 0% (2000)
-
Elevation extremes lowest point: junction of Rio Paraguay and Rio Parana 46 m


highest point: Cerro Pero (Cerro Tres Kandu) 842 m
lowest point: Lammefjord, Denmark -7 m; Zuidplaspolder, Netherlands -7 m


highest point: Mount Blanc, France/Italy 4,807 m
Environment - current issues deforestation; water pollution; inadequate means for waste disposal present health risks for many urban residents; loss of wetlands NA
Environment - international 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
Hazardous Wastes, Biodiversity, Air Pollution, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Tropical Timber 82, Tropical Timber 94, Ozone Layer Protection, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Law of the Sea, Desertification, Climate Change; has signed, but not yet ratified: Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants
Ethnic groups mestizo (mixed Spanish and Amerindian) 95% -
Exchange rates guarani per US dollar - 4,783.0 (January 2002), 4,107.7 (2001), 3,486.4 (2000), 3,119.1 (1999), 2,726.5 (1998), 2,177.9 (1997); 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 euros per US dollar - 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001)
Executive branch chief of state: President Luis Angel GONZALEZ MACCHI (since 28 March 1999); Vice President Julio Cesar FRANCO (since NA August 2000) resigned 16 October 2002; position now vacant; note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government


head of government: President Luis Angel GONZALEZ MACCHI (since 28 March 1999); Vice President Julio Cesar FRANCO (since NA August 2000) resigned 16 October 2002; position now vacant; 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 Angel 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
chief of union: President of the European Commission Jose DURAO BARROSO (since 22 November 2004)


cabinet: European Commission (composed of 25 members, one from each member country; each commissioner responsible for one or more policy areas)


elections: the president of the European Commission is designated by member governments; the president-designate then chooses the other Commission members; the European Parliament confirms the entire Commission for a five-year term; election last held 18 November 2004 (next to be held 2009)


election results: European Parliament approved the European Commission by an approval vote of 449-149 with 82 abstentions


note: the European Council brings together heads of state and government and the president of the European Commission and meets at least twice a year; its aim is to provide the impetus for the major political issues relating to European integration and to issue general policy guidelines
Exports $2.2 billion f.o.b. (2001 est.) 6.429 million bbl/day (2001)
Exports - commodities electricity, soybeans, feed, cotton, meat, edible oils machinery, motor vehicles, aircraft, plastics, pharmaceuticals and other chemicals, fuels, iron and steel, nonferrous metals, wood pulp and paper products, textiles, meat, dairy products, fish, alcoholic beverages.
Exports - partners Brazil 39%, Uruguay 14%, Argentina 11% (2000) NA
Fiscal year calendar year NA
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) on a blue field, 12 five-pointed gold stars arranged in a circle, representing the union of the peoples of Europe; the number of stars is fixed
GDP purchasing power parity - $26.2 billion (2001 est.) purchasing power parity - $11.05 trillion (2004 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 29%


industry: 26%


services: 45% (2000 est.)
agriculture: 2.3%


industry: 28.3%


services: 69.4% (2004 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $4,600 (2001 est.) purchasing power parity - $25,700 (2004 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 0% (2001 est.) 1% (2004 est.)
Geographic coordinates 23 00 S, 58 00 W -
Geography - note landlocked; lies between Argentina, Bolivia, and Brazil; population concentrated in southern part of country -
Heliports - 94 (2003)
Highways total: 25,901 km


paved: 3,067 km


unpaved: 22,834 km (2001)
total: 4,634,810 km (including 56,704 km of expressways)


paved: 4,161,318 km


unpaved: 473,492 km (1999-2000)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: 1%


highest 10%: 44% (1998) (1998)
lowest 10%: 2.9%


highest 10%: 25.2% (1995 est.)
Illicit drugs major illicit producer of cannabis, most or all of which is consumed in South America; transshipment country for Andean cocaine headed for Brazil, other Southern Cone markets, Europe, and US; corruption and some money-laundering activity, especially in the Tri-Border Area -
Imports $2.7 billion f.o.b. (2001 est.) 16.97 million bbl/day (2001)
Imports - commodities road vehicles, consumer goods, tobacco, petroleum products, electrical machinery machinery, vehicles, aircraft, plastics, crude oil, chemicals, textiles, metals, foodstuffs, clothing
Imports - partners Argentina 25.4%, Brazil 24.5%, Uruguay 3.8% (2000) NA
Independence 14 May 1811 (from Spain) 7 February 1992 (Maastricht Treaty signed establishing the EU); 1 November 1993 (Maastricht Treaty entered into force)
Industrial production growth rate 0% (2000 est.) 0.8% (2004 est.)
Industries sugar, cement, textiles, beverages, wood products among the world's largest and most technologically advanced industries, including iron and steel, aluminum, petroleum, coal, cement, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, automobiles, aircraft, railroad equipment, shipbuilding, electrical power equipment, machine tools, electronics, telecommunications equipment, fishing, food processing, furniture, paper, textiles and clothing, tourism
Infant mortality rate 28.75 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) total: 5.3 deaths/1,000 live births (July 2004 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 7.2% (2001 est.) 2% (2004 est.)
International organization participation CCC, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur, MONUC, NAM (observer), OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMEE, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO European Union: ASEAN (dialogue member), ARF (dialogue member), EBRD, IDA, OAS (observer), OECD, WTO


European Commission: Australian Group, CBSS, CERN, FAO, G-10, NSG (observer), UN (observer)


European Central Bank: BIS


European Investment Bank: WADB (nonregional member)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 4 (2000) -
Irrigated land 670 sq km (1998 est.) 115,807 sq km
Judicial branch Supreme Court of Justice or Corte Suprema de Justicia (judges appointed on the proposal of the Counsel of Magistrates or Consejo de la Magistratura) European Court of Justice (ensures that the treaties are interpreted and applied correctly) - 25 Justices (one from each member state) appointed for a six-year term; note - for the sake of efficiency, the court can sit with 11 justices known as the "Grand Chamber"; Court of First Instance - 25 justices appointed for a six-year term
Labor force 2 million (2000 est.) 211.1 million
Labor force - by occupation agriculture 45% agriculture 4.3%, industry 29%, services 66.8% (2000)
Land boundaries total: 3,920 km


border countries: Argentina 1,880 km, Bolivia 750 km, Brazil 1,290 km
total: 11,214.8 km


border countries: Albania 282 km, Andorra 120.3 km, Belarus 1,050 km, Bulgaria 494 km, Croatia 999 km, Holy See 3.2 km, Liechtenstein 34.9 km, Macedonia 246 km, Monaco 4.4 km, Norway 2,348 km, Romania 443 km, Russia 2,257 km, San Marino 39 km, Serbia and Montenegro 151 km, Switzerland 1,811 km, Turkey 206 km, Ukraine 726 km


note: data for European Continent only
Land use arable land: 5.54%


permanent crops: 0.21%


other: 94.25% (1998 est.)
arable land: NA


permanent crops: NA
Languages Spanish (official), Guarani (official) Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Maltese, Polish, Portuguese, Slovak, Slovene, Spanish, Swedish; note - only official languages are listed
Legal system based on Argentine codes, Roman law, and French codes; judicial review of legislative acts in Supreme Court of Justice -
Legislative branch 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
Council of the European Union (25 member-state ministers having 321 votes; the number of votes is roughly proportional to member-states' population); note - the Council is the main decision-making body of the EU; European Parliament (732 seats; seats allocated among member states by proportion to population); members elected by direct universal suffrage for a five-year term


elections: last held 10-13 June 2004 (next to be held June 2009)


election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats by party - EPP-ED 268, PES 202, ALDE 88, Greens/EFA 42, EUL/NGL 41, IND/DEM 36, UEN 27, independents 28
Life expectancy at birth total population: 74.16 years


male: 71.67 years


female: 76.77 years (2002 est.)
total population: 78.1 years


male: 74.9 years


female: 81.4 years (July 2004 est.)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 92.1%


male: 93.5%


female: 90.6% (1995 est.)
-
Location Central South America, northeast of Argentina Europe between Eastern Europe and the North Atlantic Ocean
Map references South America Europe
Maritime claims none (landlocked) NA
Merchant marine total: 21 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 34,623 GRT/36,821 DWT


ships by type: cargo 14, chemical tanker 1, petroleum tanker 3, roll on/roll off 3


note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Argentina 2, Japan 1 (2002 est.)
-
Military - note - In October 2004, the European Union heads of government signed a "constitutional treaty" that offers possibilities - with some limits - for increased defense and security cooperation. If ratified, in a process that may take some two years, this treaty will in effect make operational the European Security and Defense Policy (ESDP) approved in the 2000 Nice Treaty. Despite limits of cooperation for some EU members, development of a European military planning unit is likely to continue. So is creation of a rapid-reaction military force and a humanitarian aid system, which the planning unit will support. France, Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Italy continue to press for wider coordination. The five-nation Eurocorps - created in 1992 by France, Germany, Belgium, Spain, and Luxembourg - has already deployed troops and police on peacekeeping missions to Bosnia-Herzegovina, Macedonia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo and assumed command of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan in August 2004. Eurocorps directly commands the 5,000-man Franco-German Brigade and the Multinational Command Support Brigade and will command EUFOR, which will take over from SFOR in Bosnia in December 2004. Other troop contributions are under national command - committments to provide 67,100 troops were made at the Helsinki EU session in 2000. Some 56,000 EU troops were actually deployed in 2003. In August 2004, the new European Defense Agency, tasked with promoting cooperative European defense capabilities, began operations. As of November 2004, Germany, the United Kingdom, and France had proposed creation of three 1,500-man rapid-reaction "battle groups."
Military branches Army, Navy (includes Naval Air and Marines), Air Force -
Military expenditures - dollar figure $125 million (FY98) -
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 1.4% (FY98) -
Military manpower - availability males age 15-49: 1,427,160 (2002 est.) -
Military manpower - fit for military service males age 15-49: 1,028,935 (2002 est.) -
Military manpower - military age 17 years of age (2002 est.) -
Military manpower - reaching military age annually males: 58,359 (2002 est.) -
National holiday Independence Day, 14 May (1811) Europe Day 9 May (1950); note - a Union-wide holiday, the day that Robert Schuman proposed the creation of an organized Europe
Nationality noun: Paraguayan(s)


adjective: Paraguayan
-
Natural hazards local flooding in southeast (early September to June); poorly drained plains may become boggy (early October to June) flooding along coasts; avalanches in mountainous area; earthquakes in the south; volcanic eruptions in Italy; periodic droughts in Spain; ice floes in the Baltic
Natural resources hydropower, timber, iron ore, manganese, limestone iron ore, arable land, natural gas, petroleum, coal, copper, lead, zinc, hydropower, uranium, potash, fish
Net migration rate -0.09 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) 1.5 migrant(s)/1,000 population (July 2004 est.)
Political parties and leaders Authentic Radical Liberal Party or PLRA [Miguel Abdon SAGUIER]; Christian Democratic Party or PDC [Luis Miguel ANDRADA Nogues]; Febrerista Revolutionary Party or PRF [Oscar ACUNA TORRES]; National Encounter Party or PEN [Mario PAZ CASTAING]; National Republican Association - Colorado Party [Nicanor DUARTE FRUTOS] Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe or ALDE [Graham R. WATSON]; Independence/Democracy Group or IND/DEM [Jens-Peter BONDE and Nigel FARAGE]; Group of Greens/European Free Alliance or Greens/EFA [Monica FRASSONI and Daniel Marc COHN-BENDIT]; Socialist Group in the European Parliament or PES [Martin SCHULZ]; Confederal Group of the European United Left-Nordic Green Left or EUL/NGL [Francis WURTZ]; European People's Party-European Democrats or EPP-ED [Hans-Gert POETTERING]; Union for Europe of the Nations Group or UEN [Brian CROWLEY and Cristiana MUSCARDINI]
Political pressure groups and leaders Ahorristas Estafados or AE; National Workers Central or CNT; Paraguayan Workers Confederation or CPT; Roman Catholic Church; Unitary Workers Central or CUT -
Population 5,884,491 (July 2002 est.) 456,285,839 (July 2004 est.)
Population below poverty line 36% (2001 est.) NA
Population growth rate 2.57% (2002 est.) 0.17% (July 2004 est.)
Ports and harbors Asuncion, Villeta, San Antonio, Encarnacion Antwerp (Belgium), Barcelona (Spain), Bremen (Germany), Copenhagen (Denmark), Gdansk (Poland), Hamburg (Germany), Helsinki (Finland), Las Palmas (Canary Islands, Spain), Le Havre (France), Lisbon (Portugal), London (UK), Marseille (France), Naples (Italy), Peiraiefs or Piraeus (Greece), Riga (Latvia), Rotterdam (Netherlands), Stockholm (Sweden), Talinn (Estonia)
Radio broadcast stations AM 46, FM 27, shortwave 6 (three inactive) (1998) AM 866, FM 13,396, shortwave 73 (1998); note - sum of individual country radio broadcast stations; there is also a European-wide station (Euroradio)
Radios 925,000 (1997) -
Railways 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
total: 222,293 km


broad gauge: 28,438 km


standard gauge: 186,405 km


narrow gauge: 7,427 km


other: 23 km (2003)
Religions Roman Catholic 90%, Mennonite, and other Protestant Roman Catholic, Protestant, Orthodox, Muslim, Jewish
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: 0.85 male(s)/female


total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2002 est.)
at birth: NA


under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female


65 years and older: 0.69 male(s)/female


total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (July 2004 est.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal and compulsory up to age 75 18 years of age; universal
Telephone system general assessment: meager telephone service; principal switching center is Asuncion


domestic: fair microwave radio relay network


international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
note - see individual country entries of member states
Telephones - main lines in use 290,475 (2001) 238,763,162 (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular 510,000 (2001) 314,644,700 (2002)
Television broadcast stations 4 (2001) 2,791 (1995); note - does not include repeaters; sum of indiviual country television broadcast stations; there is also a European-wide station (Eurovision)
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 fairly flat along the Baltic and Atlantic coast; mountainous in the central and southern areas
Total fertility rate 4.07 children born/woman (2002 est.) 1.48 children born/woman (July 2004 est.)
Unemployment rate 17.8% (2001 est.) 9.1% (2004 est.)
Waterways 3,100 km 53,512 km
Sitemap: Compare countries listing (map site) | Country listing (map site)
Links: Add to favorites | Information about this website | Stats | Polityka prywatnosci
This page was generated in ##czas## s. Size this page: ##rozmiar_strony## kB.