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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.
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Common Name: Paraguay
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Local Official Name: Paraguay
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Abbreviated Name: Republic of Paraguay
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Official Name: Republica del Paraguay
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Official Script Name: Paraguay
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Local Common Name: Paraguay
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Former Name: Paraguay
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Territory of: NA
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Head of State: President Nicanor DUARTE FRUTOS
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Government Type: constitutional republic
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Independence: 1811 May 14 (from Spain)
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Constitution: promulgated 1992 June 20
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National Holiday: Independence Day, 14 May
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International Organization Participation: CAN (associate), CSN, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur, MIGA, MINUSTAH, MONUC, NAM (observer), OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOCI, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
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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
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Dependent Areas: NA
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Legal System: based on Argentine codes, Roman law, and French codes; judicial review of legislative acts in Supreme Court of Justice
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Suffrage: 18 years
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Executive, Legislative and Judicial Branches: Executive Branch:
chief of state: President Nicanor DUARTE FRUTOS (since 15 August 2003); Vice President Luis CASTIGLIONI Joria (since 15 August 2003); 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 Luis CASTIGLIONI Joria (since 15 August 2003)
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 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%
Legislatve 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 27 April 2003 (next to be held April 2008); Chamber of Deputies - last held 27 April 2003 (next to be held 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
note: as of January 2006, changes in party affiliation has led to the composition of the legislature as follows: Chamber of Senators - seats by party - ANR 18, PLRA 12, UNACE 5, PQ 7, PPS 2, PEN 1; Chamber of Deputies - seats by party - ANR 39, PLRA 21, UNACE 8, PQ 10, PPS 2
Judicial Branch:
Supreme Court of Justice or Corte Suprema de Justicia (judges appointed on the proposal of the Council of Magistrates or Consejo de la Magistratura)
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Party Leaders: Asociacion Nacional Republicana - Colorado Party or ANR [Herminio CACERES, interim president]; Movimiento Union Nacional de Ciudadanos Eticos or UNACE [Enrique GONZALEZ Quintana, acting chairman]; 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
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International Disputes: 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
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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
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Location of Paraguay: Central South America, northeast of Argentina
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Continent: South America
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Land Area Total: 406,750 sq km
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Region: Southern American |
Land Area Land: 397,300 sq km
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Capitol City: Asuncion
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Land Area Water: 9,450 sq km
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Current: -4
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Latitude: 023 00 S
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Border Boundary Land: 3,920 km
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Longitude: 058 00 W
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Border Boundary Coastline: 0 km
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Arable Land: 7.47 %
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Pastures: 0.00 %
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Crops: 0.24 %
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Woodlands and Forests: 0.00
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Highest Elevation: 842 m
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Location: Cerro Pero (Cerro Tres Kandu)
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Lowest Elevation: 46 m
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Location: junction of Rio Paraguay and Rio Parana
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Largest City in Paraguay: Asunci?n
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Asunci?n Largest City Population: 1,224,000
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Threatened Species: 48
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Environmental Issues: deforestation; water pollution; inadequate means for waste disposal present health risks for many urban residents; loss of wetlands
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Environmental 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
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Irrigated Land: 670
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Bordering Countries: Argentina 1,880 km, Bolivia 750 km, Brazil 1,290 km
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Natural Resources: hydropower, timber, iron ore, manganese, limestone
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Geographical 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
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Comparative Area of Paraguay: slightly smaller than California
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Paraguay's Geography: landlocked; lies between Argentina, Bolivia, and Brazil; population concentrated in southern part of country
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Click Here for detailed information about the weather conditions in Paraguay.
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General Climate: subtropical to temperate; substantial rainfall in the eastern portions, becoming semiarid in the far west
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Natural Hazards: local flooding in southeast (early September to June); poorly drained plains may become boggy (early October to June)
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Economic 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 near-zero growth in 1998-2001 and contracted by 2.3 percent in 2002, in response to regional contagion and an outbreak of hoof-and-mouth disease. 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 2005, posting modest growth each year.
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GDP: $29,110,000,000 USD
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Currency: guarani
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GDP per Capita: $4,600 USD
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Currency Code: PYG
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GDP Growth Rate: 2.70 %
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One $USD Equals: %fincurrencyequals% PYG
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Currency Exchange Rate History: guarani per US dollar - 6,178 (2005), 5,974.6 (2004), 6,424.3 (2003), 5,716.3 (2002), 4,105.9 (2001)
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GDP of Agriculture: 22.40 %
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GDP of Industry: 20.70 %
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GDP of Services: 56.90 % |
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Inflation Rate: 6.80 % |
Population in Poverty: 32.00 %
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Unemployment Rate: 16.00 %
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Tourism: 269,000.00 visitors each year
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Consumption by lowest 10%: 0.50 %
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Budget Revenue in USD: $1,334,000,000 USD
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Consumption by upper 10%: 43.80 %
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Budget Expenditures in USD: $1,370,000,000 USD
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Electricity Production: 51,290,000,000 kWh
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Electricity Exports: 44,170,000,000 kWh
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Electricity Consumption: 3,528,000,000 kWh
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Electricity Imports: 0 kWh
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Electricity Production by Source:
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Fossil Fuel Electricity Production: 0.04%
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Nuclear Electricity Production: 0.00%
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Hydro Electricity Production: 99.85%
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Other Electricity Production: 0.11%
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Oil Production: 0 barrels per day
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Natural Gas Production: 0 cu m
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Oil Consumption: 25,000 barrels per day
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Natural Gas Consumption: 0 cu m
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Oil Exports: 0 barrels per day
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Natural Gas Exports: 0 cu m
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Oil Imports: 0 barrels per day
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Natural Gas Imports: 0 cu m
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Proven Oil Reserves: 0 barrels
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Proven Natural Gas Reserves: 0 cu m
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External Debt: $3,450,000,000 USD |
Received in economic aid: $0 USD
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Donated in economic aid: $0 USD
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Agricultural Products: cotton, sugarcane, soybeans, corn, wheat, tobacco, cassava (tapioca), fruits, vegetables; beef, pork, eggs, milk; timber
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Primary Industries: sugar, cement, textiles, beverages, wood products, steel, metallurgic, electric power
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Industrial Growth Rate: 0.00 %
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Import Amount in USD: $3,832,000,000 USD - road vehicles, consumer goods, tobacco, petroleum products, electrical machinery
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Import Partners: Brazil 26.8%, Argentina 21.1%, US 20.8%, China 9.5%
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Export Amount in USD: $3,130,000,000 USD - soybeans, feed, cotton, meat, edible oils, electricity, wood, leather
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Export Partners: Uruguay 26.7%, Brazil 15.2%, Argentina 4.8%, Chile 4.7%
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GINI Index: 56.80%
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Labor Force Number of People: 2,680,000
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Labor Force by Occupations: agriculture 45%
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Radio Broadcast Stations: 79 |
Number of People with Radios: 925,000 |
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Television Broadcast Stations: 5 |
Number of People with Televisions: 990,000 |
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Number of People with Mainline Telephones: 320,300 |
Number of People with Mobile Phones: 1,887,000 |
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Internet Service Providers: 13,178 |
Internet Users: 200,000 |
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Internet Country Code: .py |
Newspapers: 43 |
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Two Letter Country Code: PA |
Weights and Measures: |
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Phone Country Code: 595 |
Electricity Voltage: 220 Volts |
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Telephone Systems: 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)
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Highways: 14,986 km |
Railways: 36 km
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Gas And Oil Pipelines: 0 km |
Waterways: 3,100 km
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Airports: 12 |
Heliports: 0
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Motor Vehicles: 63 per 1,000 people |
CO2 Emissions: 3,814,000 Metric Tons of CO2 per year |
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Per capita CO2 emissions: 0.70 Metric Tons of CO2 per year |
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Merchant Marines: total: 21 ships (1000 GRT or over) 34,749 GRT/39,280 DWT
by type: cargo 15, livestock carrier 1, passenger 1, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 2, roll on/roll off 1
foreign-owned: 3 (Argentina 3)
registered in other countries: 1 (Ecuador 1)
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Ports and Harbors: Asuncion, Villeta, San Antonio, Encarnacion
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Population: 6,506,464 people type - nationality |
Birth Rate: 29.10 births per 1,000 people |
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Population Density: 14.00 people per sq km |
Death Rate: 4.49 deaths per 1,000 people |
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Population Growth: 2.45% per year |
Fertility Rate per Women: 3.89 babies born per woman |
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Population Male 0-14: 1,245,149 |
Population Female 0-14: 1,204,970 |
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Population Male 15-64: 1,878,761 |
Population Female 15-64: 1,862,266 |
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Population Male 65+: 145,899 |
Population Female 65+: 169,419 |
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Population 0-14: 37.70% |
Literacy Rate: 94.00% |
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Population 15-64: 57.50% |
Literacy rate of Males: 94.90% |
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Population 65+: 4.80% |
Literacy rate of Females: 93.00% |
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Population that is Male: 50.50
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Population that is Female: 49.50% |
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Life expectancy at birth in years: 75.10 years |
Infant mortality rate - baby deaths per 1000 births: 24.78 Babies die per 1,000 births |
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Life expectancy at birth for Males: 72.56 years |
Life expectancy at birth for Females: 77.78 years |
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Rate of AIDS/HIV infection: 0.50%
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Number of people living with AIDS or HIV: 15,000
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Number of people who died of AIDS: 600 |
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Disease Risk:
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Diseases:
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Net Migration Rate per 1,000 people: -0.08
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Nationality: PARAGUAYAN
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Ethnic Groups: mestizo (mixed Spanish and Amerindian) 95%, other 5%
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Primary Language: Spanish
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Other Languages: Spanish (official), Guarani (official)
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Primary Religion: Roman Catholic
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Other Religions: Roman Catholic 90%, Mennonite and other Protestant 10%
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Branches: Army, National Navy (Armada Nacional, includes Naval Aviation, Marine Corps, General Naval Prefecture), Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Paraguay, FAP)
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Manpower Fit to Serve: 18 years
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Manpower Available: 2,687,747 People
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Manpower Fit to Serve: 2,244,212 People
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Amount of Manpower Available each Year: 125,275 People per year
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Expenditures: $0 USD per year
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Expenditures as a Percentage of GDP: 0.90
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Note: Phrasebase uses a variety of sources when compiling the facts and information presented above. This information is continually updated throughout the year.
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