Tonga (2005) | Paraguay (2007) | |
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Administrative divisions | 3 island groups; Ha'apai, Tongatapu, Vava'u | 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: 36.2% (male 20,738/female 19,907)
15-64 years: 59.7% (male 33,226/female 33,853) 65 years and over: 4.2% (male 2,031/female 2,667) (2005 est.) |
0-14 years: 37.2% (male 1,262,408/female 1,220,809)
15-64 years: 57.7% (male 1,933,559/female 1,915,033) 65 years and over: 5.1% (male 155,660/female 181,617) (2007 est.) |
Agriculture - products | squash, coconuts, copra, bananas, vanilla beans, cocoa, coffee, ginger, black pepper; fish | cotton, sugarcane, soybeans, corn, wheat, tobacco, cassava (tapioca), fruits, vegetables; beef, pork, eggs, milk; timber |
Airports | 6 (2004 est.) | 838 (2007) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
total: 13
over 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 5 (2007) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 5
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
total: 825
1,524 to 2,437 m: 26 914 to 1,523 m: 267 under 914 m: 532 (2007) |
Area | total: 748 sq km
land: 718 sq km water: 30 sq km |
total: 406,750 sq km
land: 397,300 sq km water: 9,450 sq km |
Area - comparative | four times the size of Washington, DC | slightly smaller than California |
Background | The archipelago of "The Friendly Islands" was united into a Polynesian kingdom in 1845. It became a constitutional monarchy in 1875 and a British protectorate in 1900. Tonga acquired its independence in 1970 and became a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. It remains the only monarchy in the Pacific. | In the disastrous War of the Triple Alliance (1865-70) - between Paraguay and Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay - 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 | 25.18 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) | 28.77 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $39.9 million
expenditures: $52.4 million, including capital expenditures of $1.9 million (FY99/00 est.) |
revenues: $1.705 billion
expenditures: $1.658 billion (2006 est.) |
Capital | Nuku'alofa | name: Asuncion
geographic coordinates: 25 16 S, 57 40 W time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
Climate | tropical; modified by trade winds; warm season (December to May), cool season (May to December) | subtropical to temperate; substantial rainfall in the eastern portions, becoming semiarid in the far west |
Coastline | 419 km | 0 km (landlocked) |
Constitution | 4 November 1875; revised 1 January 1967 | promulgated 20 June 1992 |
Country name | conventional long form: Kingdom of Tonga
conventional short form: Tonga former: Friendly Islands |
conventional long form: Republic of Paraguay
conventional short form: Paraguay local long form: Republica del Paraguay local short form: Paraguay |
Death rate | 5.35 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) | 4.54 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
Debt - external | $63.4 million (2001) | $3.362 billion (2006 est.) |
Diplomatic representation from the US | the US does not have an embassy in Tonga; the ambassador to Fiji is accredited to Tonga | 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 |
Diplomatic representation in the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Fekitamoeloa 'UTOIKAMANU
chancery: 250 East 51st Street, New York, NY 10022 telephone: [1] (917) 369-1025 FAX: [1] (917) 369-1024 consulate(s) general: San Francisco |
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 |
Disputes - international | none | unruly region at convergence of Argentina-Brazil-Paraguay borders is locus of money laundering, smuggling, arms and illegal narcotics trafficking, and fundraising for extremist organizations |
Economic aid - recipient | Australia $5.5 million, New Zealand $2.3 million (FY01/02) | $NA (2005) |
Economy - overview | Tonga, a small, open, South Pacific island economy, has a narrow export base in agricultural goods. Squash, coconuts, bananas, and vanilla beans are the main crops, and agricultural exports make up two-thirds of total exports. The country must import a high proportion of its food, mainly from New Zealand. Tourism is the second largest source of hard currency earnings following remittances. The country remains dependent on external aid and remittances from Tongan communities overseas to offset its trade deficit. The government is emphasizing the development of the private sector, especially the encouragement of investment, and is committing increased funds for health and education. Tonga has a reasonably sound basic infrastructure and well-developed social services. High unemployment among the young, a continuing upturn in inflation, and rising civil service expenditures are major issues facing the government. | 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. 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. Aided by a firmer exchange rate and perhaps a greater confidence in the economic policy of the DUARTE FRUTOS administration, the economy rebounded between 2003 and 2006, posting modest growth each year. |
Electricity - consumption | 23.06 million kWh (2002) | 4.497 billion kWh (2005) |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2002) | 43.79 billion kWh (2005) |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2002) | 0 kWh (2005) |
Electricity - production | 24.79 million kWh (2002) | 50.66 billion kWh (2005) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on Kao Island 1,033 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 results as more and more land is being cleared for agriculture and settlement; some damage to coral reefs from starfish and indiscriminate coral and shell collectors; overhunting threatens native sea turtle populations | deforestation; water pollution; inadequate means for waste disposal pose health risks for many urban residents; loss of wetlands |
Environment - international agreements | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution
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: none of the selected agreements |
Ethnic groups | Polynesian, Europeans about 300 | mestizo (mixed Spanish and Amerindian) 95%, other 5% |
Exchange rates | pa'anga per US dollar - 1.9716 (2004), 2.142 (2003), 2.1952 (2002), 2.1236 (2001), 1.7585 (2000) | guarani per US dollar - 5,672.8 (2006), 6,178 (2005), 5,974.6 (2004), 6,424.3 (2003), 5,716.3 (2002) |
Executive branch | chief of state: King Taufa'ahau TUPOU IV (since 16 December 1965)
head of government: Prime Minister Prince Lavaka ata ULUKALALA (since 3 January 2000) and Deputy Prime Minister James C. COCKER (since NA January 2001) cabinet: cabinet consists of 16 members, 12 appointed by the monarch for life; 4 appointed from among the elected members of the Legislative Assembly including 2 each from the Nobles and Peoples representatives serving three year terms note: there is also a Privy Council that consists of the monarch, the Cabinet, and two governors elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; prime minister and deputy prime minister appointed for life by the monarch |
chief of state: President Nicanor DUARTE FRUTOS (since 15 August 2003); Vice President Francisco OVIEDO Britez (since 21 November 2007); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Nicanor DUARTE FRUTOS (since 15 August 2003); Vice President Francisco OVIEDO Britez (since 21 November 2007) cabinet: Council of Ministers nominated by the president elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for a single five-year term; election last held 27 April 2003 (next to be held in April 2008) election results: Nicanor DUARTE FRUTOS elected president; percent of vote - Nicanor DUARTE FRUTOS 37.1%, Julio Cesar Ramon FRANCO Gomez 23.9%, Pedro Nicolas Maraa FADUL Niella 21.3%, Guillermo SANCHEZ Guffanti 13.5%, other 4.2% |
Exports | NA | NA bbl/day |
Exports - commodities | squash, fish, vanilla beans, root crops | soybeans, feed, cotton, meat, edible oils, electricity, wood, leather |
Exports - partners | Japan 37.1%, China 18.7%, US 17.7%, Taiwan 8.7%, New Zealand 7.4% (2004) | Uruguay 22%, Brazil 17.2%, Russia 11.9%, Argentina 8.8%, Chile 6.9% (2006) |
Fiscal year | 1 July - 30 June | calendar year |
Flag description | red with a bold red cross on a white rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner | 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 - composition by sector | agriculture: 23%
industry: 13% services: 64% (2002 est.) |
agriculture: 21.4%
industry: 18.6% services: 60.1% (2006 est.) |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $2,300 (2002 est.) | - |
GDP - real growth rate | 1.5% (2002 est.) | 4% (2006 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 20 00 S, 175 00 W | 23 00 S, 58 00 W |
Geography - note | archipelago of 169 islands (36 inhabited) | landlocked; lies between Argentina, Bolivia, and Brazil; population concentrated in southern part of country |
Highways | total: 680 km
paved: 184 km unpaved: 496 km (1999 est.) |
- |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA |
lowest 10%: 0.7%
highest 10%: 46.1% (2003) |
Illicit drugs | - | major illicit producer of cannabis, most or all of which is consumed in Brazil, Argentina, and Chile; transshipment country for Andean cocaine headed for Brazil, other Southern Cone markets, and Europe; corruption and some money-laundering activity, especially in the Tri-Border Area; weak anti-money-laundering laws and enforcement |
Imports | NA | NA bbl/day |
Imports - commodities | foodstuffs, machinery and transport equipment, fuels, chemicals | road vehicles, consumer goods, tobacco, petroleum products, electrical machinery |
Imports - partners | New Zealand 37.1%, Fiji 24.3%, Australia 9.1%, China 8.9%, US 6.3% (2004) | China 27%, Brazil 20%, Argentina 13.6%, Japan 8.3%, US 6.4% (2006) |
Independence | 4 June 1970 (from UK protectorate) | 14 May 1811 (from Spain) |
Industrial production growth rate | 8.6% (FY98/99) | 0% (2000 est.) |
Industries | tourism, fishing | sugar, cement, textiles, beverages, wood products, steel, metallurgic, electric power |
Infant mortality rate | total: 12.62 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 13.97 deaths/1,000 live births female: 11.2 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.) |
total: 26.45 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 30.73 deaths/1,000 live births female: 21.96 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 10.3% (2002 est.) | 9.6% (2006 est.) |
International organization participation | ACP, AsDB, C, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ITU, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer) | 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), ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur, MIGA, MINUSTAH, MONUC, NAM (observer), OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO |
Irrigated land | NA | 670 sq km (2003) |
Judicial branch | Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the monarch); Court of Appeal (consists of the Privy Council with the addition of the chief justice of the Supreme Court) | Supreme Court of Justice or Corte Suprema de Justicia (judges appointed on the proposal of the Council of Magistrates or Consejo de la Magistratura) |
Labor force | 33,910 (1996) | 2.706 million (2006 est.) |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture 65% (1997 est.) | agriculture: 45%
industry: NA% services: NA% (2003) |
Land boundaries | 0 km | total: 3,995 km
border countries: Argentina 1,880 km, Bolivia 750 km, Brazil 1,365 km |
Land use | arable land: 23.61%
permanent crops: 43.06% other: 33.33% (2001) |
arable land: 7.47%
permanent crops: 0.24% other: 92.29% (2005) |
Languages | Tongan, English | Spanish (official), Guarani (official) |
Legal system | based on English law | based on Argentine codes, Roman law, and French codes; judicial review of legislative acts in Supreme Court of Justice; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
Legislative branch | unicameral Legislative Assembly or Fale Alea (30 seats - 12 reserved for cabinet ministers sitting ex officio, nine for nobles selected by the country's 33 nobles, and nine elected by popular vote; members serve three-year terms)
elections: last held 21 March 2005 (next to be held in 2008) election results: Peoples Representatives: percent of vote - HRDMT 70%; seats - HRDMT 7, independents 2 |
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 27 April 2003 (next to be held in April 2008); Chamber of Deputies - last held 27 April 2003 (next to be held in April 2008) election results: Chamber of Senators - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - ANR 16, PLRA 12, UNACE 7, PQ 7, PPS 2, PEN 1; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - ANR 37, PLRA 21, UNACE 10, PQ 10, PPS 2 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 69.53 years
male: 67.05 years female: 72.14 years (2005 est.) |
total population: 75.34 years
male: 72.78 years female: 78.02 years (2007 est.) |
Literacy | definition: can read and write Tongan and/or English
total population: 98.9% male: 98.8% female: 99% (1996 est.) |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 94% male: 94.9% female: 93% (2003 est.) |
Location | Oceania, archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand | Central South America, northeast of Argentina |
Map references | Oceania | South America |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation |
none (landlocked) |
Merchant marine | total: 29 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 136,977 GRT/200,751 DWT
by type: cargo 21, chemical tanker 1, liquefied gas 2, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 1, refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 1, vehicle carrier 1 foreign-owned: 7 (Cyprus 1, France 1, Greece 1, Norway 1, Romania 2, United Kingdom 1) (2005) |
total: 22 ships (1000 GRT or over) 39,693 GRT/43,530 DWT
by type: cargo 16, container 1, livestock carrier 1, passenger 1, petroleum tanker 2, roll on/roll off 1 foreign-owned: 5 (Argentina 3, Netherlands 1, Switzerland 1) (2007) |
Military branches | Tonga Defense Services: Ground Forces (Royal Marines, Royal Guard), Maritime Force (includes Air Wing) | Army, National Navy (Armada Nacional, includes Naval Aviation, Marine Corps, General Naval Prefecture), Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Paraguay, FAP) (2006) |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | NA | - |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | NA | 1% (2006 est.) |
National holiday | Emancipation Day, 4 June (1970) | Independence Day, 14 May 1811 (observed 15 May) |
Nationality | noun: Tongan(s)
adjective: Tongan |
noun: Paraguayan(s)
adjective: Paraguayan |
Natural hazards | cyclones (October to April); earthquakes and volcanic activity on Fonuafo'ou | local flooding in southeast (early September to June); poorly drained plains may become boggy (early October to June) |
Natural resources | fish, fertile soil | hydropower, timber, iron ore, manganese, limestone |
Net migration rate | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) | -0.08 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
Political parties and leaders | there are no political parties | Asociacion Nacional Republicana - Colorado Party or ANR [Jose A. ALDERETE]; Movimiento Union Nacional de Ciudadanos Eticos or UNACE [Enrique GONZALEZ Quintana]; Patria Querida (Beloved Fatherland Party) or PQ [Pedro Nicolas Maraa FADUL Niella]; Partido Encuentro Nacional or PEN [Luis TORALES Kennedy]; Partido Liberal Radical Autentico or PLRA [Blas LLANO]; Partido Pais Solidario or PPS [Carlos Alberto FILIZZOLA Pallares]
note: Nicanor DUARTE FRUTOS on leave as party leader of the Colorado Party or ANR while serving as President of Paraguay; Lino Cesar OVIEDO Silva, leader of UNACE, is currently serving a ten-year prison term |
Political pressure groups and leaders | Human Rights and Democracy Movement Tonga or HRDMT [Rev. Simote VEA, chairman] | Ahorristas Estafados or AE; National Coordinating Board of Campesino Organizations or MCNOC [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] |
Population | 112,422 (July 2005 est.) | 6,669,086 (July 2007 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA | 32% (2005 est.) |
Population growth rate | 1.98% (2005 est.) | 2.416% (2007 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Nuku'alofa | - |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 4, shortwave 1 (2004) | AM 46, FM 27, shortwave 6 (3 inactive) (1998) |
Railways | - | total: 36 km
standard gauge: 36 km 1.435-m gauge (2006) |
Religions | Christian (Free Wesleyan Church claims over 30,000 adherents) | Roman Catholic 89.6%, Protestant 6.2%, other Christian 1.1%, other or unspecified 1.9%, none 1.1% (2002 census) |
Sex ratio | at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2005 est.) |
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.034 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.857 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2007 est.) |
Suffrage | 21 years of age; universal | 18 years of age; universal and compulsory up to age 75 |
Telephone system | general assessment: competition between Tonga Telecommunications Corporation (TCC) and Shoreline Communications Tonga (SCT) is accelerating expansion of telecommunications; SCT recently granted authority to develop high-speed digital service for telephone, Internet, and television
domestic: fully automatic switched network international: country code - 676; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) (2004) |
general assessment: meager telephone service; principal switching center is in Asuncion
domestic: fair microwave radio relay network international: country code - 595; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) |
Telephones - main lines in use | 11,200 (2002) | 331,100 (2006) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 9,000 (2004) | 3.233 million (2006) |
Television broadcast stations | 3 (2004) | 5 (2003) |
Terrain | most islands have limestone base formed from uplifted coral formation; others have limestone overlying volcanic base | 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 children born/woman (2005 est.) | 3.84 children born/woman (2007 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 13.3% (1996 est.) | 9.4% (2005 est.) |
Waterways | - | 3,100 km (2007) |