274 lines
22 KiB
Plaintext
274 lines
22 KiB
Plaintext
PARAGUAY
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GEOGRAPHY
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Total area: 406,750 km2; land area: 397,300 km2
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Comparative area: slightly smaller than California
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Land boundaries: 3,920 km total; Argentina 1,880 km, Bolivia
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750 km, Brazil 1,290 km
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Coastline: none--landlocked
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Maritime claims: none--landlocked
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Disputes: short section of the boundary with Brazil (just west of
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Guaira Falls on the Rio Parana) has not been determined
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Climate: varies from temperate in east to semiarid in far west
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Terrain: grassy plains and wooded hills east of Rio Paraguay;
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Gran Chaco region west of Rio Paraguay mostly low, marshy plain near
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the river, and dry forest and thorny scrub elsewhere
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Natural resources: iron ore, manganese, limestone, hydropower,
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timber
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Land use: arable land 20%; permanent crops 1%; meadows and
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pastures 39%; forest and woodland 35%; other 5%; includes irrigated
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NEGL%
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Environment: local flooding in southeast (early September to June);
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poorly drained plains may become boggy (early October to June)
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Note: landlocked; buffer between Argentina and Brazil
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PEOPLE
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Population: 4,798,739 (July 1991), growth rate 2.9% (1991)
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Birth rate: 35 births/1,000 population (1991)
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Death rate: 6 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
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Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
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Infant mortality rate: 47 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
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Life expectancy at birth: 67 years male, 72 years female (1991)
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Total fertility rate: 4.7 children born/woman (1991)
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Nationality: noun--Paraguayan(s); adjective--Paraguayan
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Ethnic divisions: mestizo (Spanish and Indian) 95%, white and
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Indian 5%
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Religion: Roman Catholic 90%; Mennonite and other Protestant
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denominations
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Language: Spanish (official) and Guarani
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Literacy: 90% (male 92%, female 88%) age 15 and over can
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read and write (1990 est.)
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Labor force: 1,300,000; agriculture 44%, industry and commerce
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34%, services 18%, government 4% (1986)
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Organized labor: about 2% of labor force
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GOVERNMENT
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Long-form name: Republic of Paraguay
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Type: republic
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Capital: Asuncion
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Administrative divisions: 19 departments (departamentos,
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singular--departamento); Alto Paraguay, Alto Parana, Amambay,
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Boqueron, Caaguazu, Caazapa, Canindeyu, Central, Chaco,
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Concepcion, Cordillera, Guaira, Itapua, Misiones, Neembucu,
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Nueva Asuncion, Paraguari, Presidente Hayes, San Pedro
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Independence: 14 May 1811 (from Spain)
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Constitution 25 August 1967
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Legal system: based on Argentine codes, Roman law, and French
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codes; judicial review of legislative acts in Supreme Court of Justice;
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does not accept compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
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National holiday: Independence Days, 14-15 May (1811)
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Executive branch: president, Council of Ministers (cabinet),
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Council of State
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Legislative branch: bicameral Congress (Congreso)
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consists of an upper chamber or Chamber of Senators (Camara de
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Senadores) and a lower chamber or Chamber of Deputies (Camara de
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Diputados)
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Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Justice (Corte Suprema de
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Justicia)
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Leaders:
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Chief of State and Head of Government--President Gen. Andres
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RODRIGUEZ Pedotti (since 15 May 1989)
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Political parties and leaders:
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Colorado Party, Luis Maria ARGANA, acting president;
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Authentic Radical Liberal Party (PLRA), Juan Manuel BENITEZ Florentin;
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Christian Democratic Party (PDC), Jorge Dario CRISTALDO;
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Febrerista Revolutionary Party (PRF), Euclides ACEVEDO;
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Popular Democratic Party (PDP), Hugo RICHER
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Suffrage: universal and compulsory at age 18 and up to age 60
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Elections:
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President--last held 1 May 1989 (next to be held February 1993);
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results--Gen. RODRIGUEZ 75.8%, Domingo LAINO 19.4%;
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Chamber of Senators--last held 1 May 1989 (next to be held by
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May 1993);
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results--percent of vote by party NA;
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seats--(36 total) Colorado Party 24, PLRA 10, PLR 1, PRF 1;
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Chamber of Deputies--last held on 1 May 1989 (next to be held by
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May 1994);
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results--percent of vote by party NA;
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seats--(72 total) Colorado Party 48, PLRA 19, PRF 2, PDC 1, PL 1, PLR 1
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Communists: Oscar Creydt faction and Miguel Angel SOLER faction
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(both illegal); 3,000 to 4,000 (est.) party members and sympathizers in
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Paraguay, very few are hard core; party beginning to return from exile is
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small and deeply divided
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Other political or pressure groups: Confederation of Workers (CUT);
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Roman Catholic Church
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Member of: AG (observer), CCC, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD,
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ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ITU, LAES,
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LAIA, LORCS, OAS, OPANAL, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL,
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WHO, WIPO, WMO
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Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Marcos MARTINEZ MENDIETA;
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Chancery at 2400 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone
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(202) 483-6960 through 6962; there are Paraguayan Consulates General in
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New Orleans and New York, and a Consulate in Houston;
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US--Ambassador Jon GLASSMAN; Embassy at 1776 Avenida Mariscal
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Lopez, Asuncion (mailing address is C. P. 402, Asuncion, or APO Miami
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34036-0001); telephone 595 (21) 213-715
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Flag: three equal, horizontal bands of red (top), white, and blue
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with an emblem centered in the white band; unusual flag in that the
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emblem is different on each side; the obverse (hoist side at the left)
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bears the national coat of arms (a yellow five-pointed star within a
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green wreath capped by the words REPUBLICA DEL PARAGUAY, all within
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two circles); the reverse (hoist side at the right) bears the seal of the
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treasury (a yellow lion below a red Cap of Liberty and the words Paz y
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Justicia (Peace and Justice) capped by the words REPUBLICA DEL
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PARAGUAY, all within two circles)
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ECONOMY
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Overview: The economy is predominantly agricultural. Agriculture,
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including forestry, accounts for about 25% of GNP, employs about 45% of
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the labor force, and provides the bulk of exports. Paraguay has no known
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significant mineral or petroleum resources but does have a large
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hydropower potential. Since 1981 economic performance has declined
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compared with the boom period of 1976-81, when real GDP grew at an
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average annual rate of nearly 11%. During 1982-86 real GDP fell in three
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of five years, inflation jumped to an annual rate of 32%, and
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foreign debt rose. Factors responsible for the erratic behavior of the
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economy were the completion of the Itaipu hydroelectric dam, bad weather
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for crops, and weak international commodity prices for agricultural
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exports. In 1987 the economy experienced a minor recovery because of
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improved weather conditions and stronger international prices for key
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agricultural exports. The recovery continued through 1990, on the
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strength of bumper crops in 1988-89. The government, however, must
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follow through on promises of reforms needed to deal with escalating
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inflation, large fiscal deficits, growing debt arrearages, and falling
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reserves.
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GDP: $4.6 billion, per capita $1,000; real growth rate 3.5%
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(1990 est.)
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Inflation rate (consumer prices): 44% (1990 est.)
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Unemployment rate: 12% (1989 est.)
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Budget: revenues $1.2 billion; expenditures $1.2 billion,
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including capital expenditures of $487 million (1991)
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Exports: $980 million (registered f.o.b., 1990 est.);
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commodities--cotton, soybean, timber, vegetable oils, coffee,
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tung oil, meat products;
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partners--EC 37%, Brazil 25%, Argentina 10%, Chile 6%, US 6%
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Imports: $1.4 billion (registered c.i.f., 1990 est.);
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commodities--capital goods 35%, consumer goods 20%, fuels and
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lubricants 19%, raw materials 16%, foodstuffs, beverages, and tobacco
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10%;
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partners--Brazil 30%, EC 20%, US 18%, Argentina 8%, Japan 7%
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External debt: $1.7 billion (1989 est.)
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Industrial production: growth rate 5.9% (1989 est.); accounts
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for 16% of GDP
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Electricity: 5,169,000 kW capacity; 15,144 million kWh produced,
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3,250 kWh per capita (1990)
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Industries: meat packing, oilseed crushing, milling, brewing,
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textiles, other light consumer goods, cement, construction
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Agriculture: accounts for 25% of GDP and 44% of labor force; cash
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crops--cotton, sugarcane; other crops--corn, wheat, tobacco, soybeans,
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cassava, fruits, and vegetables; animal products--beef, pork, eggs,
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milk; surplus producer of timber; self-sufficient in most foods
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Illicit drugs: illicit producer of cannabis for the international
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drug trade; important transshipment point for Bolivian cocaine headed
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for the US and Europe
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Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $172
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million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments
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(1970-88), $1.05 billion
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Currency: guarani (plural--guaranies);
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1 guarani (G) = 100 centimos
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Exchange rates: guaranies (G) per US$1--1,204.5 (October 1989),
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1,056.2 (1989), 550.00 (fixed rate 1986-February 1989), 339.17 (1986),
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306.67 (1985)
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Fiscal year: calendar year
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COMMUNICATIONS
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Railroads: 970 km total; 440 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, 60 km
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1.000-meter gauge, 470 km various narrow gauge (privately owned)
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Highways: 21,960 km total; 1,788 km paved, 474 km gravel, and
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19,698 km earth
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Inland waterways: 3,100 km
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Ports: Asuncion
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Merchant marine: 14 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 18,743
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GRT/22,954 DWT; includes 12 cargo, 2 petroleum, oils, and lubricants
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(POL) tanker; note--1 naval cargo ship is sometimes used commercially
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Civil air: 4 major transport aircraft
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Airports: 851 total, 738 usable; 6 with permanent-surface runways;
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1 with runways over 3,659 m; 2 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 60 with
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runways 1,220-2,439 m
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Telecommunications: principal center in Asuncion; fair intercity
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microwave net; 78,300 telephones; stations--40 AM, no FM, 5 TV, 7
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shortwave; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
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DEFENSE FORCES
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Branches: Army, Navy (including Naval Air and Marines), Air Force
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Manpower availability: males 15-49, 1,130,690; 823,136 fit for
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military service; 51,415 reach military age (17) annually
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Defense expenditures: $84 million, 1.4% of GDP (1988 est.)
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