Paraguay
Republic of Paraguay
Capital: Asuncion
History
Paraguay achieved its independence from Spain in 1811. In the disastrous War of the Triple Alliance (1865-70) - between Paraguay and Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay - Paraguay lost two-thirds of all its adult males and much of its territory. The country stagnated economically for the next half century. Following the Chaco War of 1932-35 with Bolivia, Paraguay gained a large part of the Chaco lowland region. The 35-year military dictatorship of Alfredo STROESSNER ended in 1989, and, despite a marked increase in political infighting in recent years, Paraguay has held relatively free and regular presidential elections since the country's return to democracy.
Geography
Metric Units
|
Total Area
|
406,752
sq km
|
| Land Boundaries |
3,995
km
|
| Border Countries |
Argentina 1,880 km, Bolivia 750 km, Brazil 1,365 km |
| Coastline |
0
km
|
| 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 |
| Minimum Elevation |
46
m
|
| Maximum Elevation |
842
m
|
| Climate |
subtropical to temperate; substantial rainfall in the eastern portions, becoming semiarid in the far west |
| Natural Resources |
hydropower, timber, iron ore, manganese, limestone |
| Arable Land |
9.59% |
| Permanent Crops |
0.22% |
Economy
Budget & Debt
Trade
| Exports |
$4.7 billion |
| Export Items |
soybeans, feed, cotton, meat, edible oils, wood, leather |
| Export Partners |
Uruguay 15%, Brazil 11.4%, Argentina 10.2%, Chile 8.3%, Russia 6.6%, Netherlands 5.4%, Germany 4.3% (2011) |
| Imports |
$9.7 billion |
| Import Items |
road vehicles, consumer goods, tobacco, petroleum products, electrical machinery, tractors, chemicals, vehicle parts |
| Import Partners |
Brazil 27.5%, China 16.9%, US 15%, Argentina 14.8%, Chile 4.4% (2011) |
People
Energy
