第 209 页

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 appointed 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 20 April 2008 (next to be held April 2013)

election results: Fernando LUGO elected president; percent of vote - Fernando LUGO 40.8%, Blanca OVELAR 30.6%, Lino OVIEDO 21.9%, Pedro FADUL 2.4%, other 4.3%; note - LUGO will take office on 15 August 2008

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 20 April 2008 (next to be held in April 2013); Chamber of Deputies - last held 20 April 2008 (next to be held in April 2013)

election results: Chamber of Senators - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - ANR 15, PLRA 14, UNACE 9, PPQ 4, other 3; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - ANR 30, PLRA 27, UNACE 15, PPQ 3, APC 2, other 3

Judicial branch:

Supreme Court of Justice or Corte Suprema de Justicia (nine judges appointed on the proposal of the Council of Magistrates or Consejo de la Magistratura)

Political parties and leaders:

Alianza Patriotica por el Cambio (Patriotic Alliance for Change) or APC [Fernando LUGO]; Asociacion Nacional Republicana - Colorado Party or ANR [Jose Alberto ALDERETE]; Movimiento Union Nacional de Ciudadanos Eticos or UNACE [Enrique GONZALEZ Quintana]; Patria Querida (Beloved Fatherland Party) or PPQ [Pedro Nicolas Maraa FADUL Niella]; Partido del Movimiento al Socialismo or P-MAS; Partido Encuentro Nacional or PEN [Emilio CAMACHO Paredes]; Partido Liberal Radical Autentico or PLRA [Blas LLANO]; Partido Pais Solidario or PPS [Carlos Alberto FILIZZOLA Pallares]

Political pressure groups and leaders:

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]

International organization participation:

CAN (associate), 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, NAM (observer), OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNASUR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:

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: Los Angeles, Miami, New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:

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

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)

Economy Paraguay

Economy - 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, especially in rural areas, 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, limited progress on structural reform, and deficient infrastructure. The economy rebounded between 2003 and 2007, posting modest growth each year, as growing world demand for commodities combined with high prices and favorable weather to support Paraguay's commodity-based export expansion.

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$27.08 billion (2007 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):

$10.87 billion (2007 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:

6.4% (2007 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):

$4,500 (2007 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: 22.4%

industry: 17.6%

services: 60% (2007 est.)

Labor force:

2.787 million (2007 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:

agriculture: 31%

industry: 17%

services: 52% (2007)

Unemployment rate:

5.6% (2007 est.)

Population below poverty line:

32% (2005 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: 0.7%

highest 10%: 46.1% (2003)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:

56.8 (2008)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

8.1% (2007)

Investment (gross fixed):

18.9% of GDP (2007 est.)

Budget:

revenues: $2.268 billion

expenditures: $2.469 billion (2007)

Public debt:

27.1% of GDP (2007)

Agriculture - products:

cotton, sugarcane, soybeans, corn, wheat, tobacco, cassava (tapioca), fruits, vegetables; beef, pork, eggs, milk; timber

Industries:

sugar, cement, textiles, beverages, wood products, steel, metallurgic, electric power

Industrial production growth rate:

-1% (2007 est.)

Electricity - production:

70 billion kWh (2007)

Electricity - production by source:

fossil fuel: 0%

hydro: 99.9%

nuclear: 0%

other: 0.1% (2001)

Electricity - consumption:

6 billion kWh (2007)

Electricity - exports:

64 billion kWh (2007)

Electricity - imports:

0 kWh (2007)

Oil - production:

0 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - consumption:

28,000 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - exports:

0 bbl/day (2007)

Oil - imports:

25,940 bbl/day (2007)

Oil - proved reserves:

0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)

Natural gas - production:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - exports:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - imports:

0 cu m (2007)

Natural gas - proved reserves:

0 cu m (1 January 2007 est.)

Current account balance:

$162 million (2007 est.)

Exports:

$6.898 billion f.o.b. (2007)

Exports - commodities:

soybeans, feed, cotton, meat, edible oils, electricity, wood, leather

Exports - partners:

Uruguay 22%, Brazil 17.2%, Russia 11.9%, Argentina 8.8%, Chile 6.9% (2006)

Imports:

$7.012 billion f.o.b. (2007)

Imports - commodities:

road vehicles, consumer goods, tobacco, petroleum products, electrical machinery, tractors, chemicals, vehicle parts

Imports - partners:

China 27%, Brazil 20%, Argentina 13.6%, Japan 8.3%, US 6.4% (2006)

Economic aid - recipient:

$51.09 million (2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

$2.463 billion (31 December 2007)

Debt - external:

$3.605 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:

$2.057 million (2007)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:

$NA

Market value of publicly traded shares:

$233.8 million (2005)

Currency (code):

guarani (PYG)

Currency code:

PYG

Exchange rates:

guarani per US dollar - 5,031 (2007), 5,672.8 (2006), 6,178 (2005), 5,974.6 (2004), 6,424.3 (2003)

Fiscal year:

calendar year

Communications Paraguay

Telephones - main lines in use:

331,100 (2006)

Telephones - mobile cellular:

3.233 million (2006)

Telephone system:

general assessment: meager telephone service; principal switching center is in Asuncion

domestic: the fixed-line market is a state monopoly; deficiencies in provision of fixed-line service have resulted in a rapid expansion of mobile-cellular services fostered by competition among multiple providers

international: country code - 595; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations:

AM 41, FM 121, shortwave 6 (3 inactive) (2006)

Radios:

925,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:

5 (2007)

Televisions:

990,000 (2001)

Internet country code:

.py

Internet hosts:

12,497 (2007)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):

4 (2000)

Internet users:

260,000 (2006)

Transportation Paraguay

Airports:

838 (2007)

Airports - with paved runways:

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: 825

1,524 to 2,437 m: 26

914 to 1,523 m: 267

under 914 m: 532 (2007)

Railways:

total: 36 km

standard gauge: 36 km 1.435-m gauge (2006)

Roadways:

total: 29,500 km

paved: 14,986 km

unpaved: 14,514 km (2000)

Waterways:

3,100 km (2007)

Merchant marine:

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)

Ports and terminals:

Asuncion, Villeta, San Antonio, Encarnacion

Military Paraguay

Military branches:

Army, National Navy (Armada Nacional, includes Naval Aviation, Marine Corps, General Naval Prefecture), Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Paraguay, FAP) (2008)

Military service age and obligation:

18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; conscript service obligation - 12 months for Army, 24 months for Navy (2006)

Manpower available for military service:

males age 16-49: 1,589,873

females age 16-49: 1,585,573 (2008 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:

males age 16-49: 1,327,730

females age 16-49: 1,356,989 (2008 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:

males age 16-49: 72,109

females age 16-49: 70,509 (2008 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:

1% (2006 est.)

Transnational Issues Paraguay

Disputes - international:

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

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

This page was last updated on 15 July, 2008

The World Factbook

Peru

Introduction Peru

Background:

Ancient Peru was the seat of several prominent Andean civilizations, most notably that of the Incas whose empire was captured by the Spanish conquistadors in 1533. Peruvian independence was declared in 1821, and remaining Spanish forces defeated in 1824. After a dozen years of military rule, Peru returned to democratic leadership in 1980, but experienced economic problems and the growth of a violent insurgency. President Alberto FUJIMORI's election in 1990 ushered in a decade that saw a dramatic turnaround in the economy and significant progress in curtailing guerrilla activity. Nevertheless, the president's increasing reliance on authoritarian measures and an economic slump in the late 1990s generated mounting dissatisfaction with his regime, which led to his ouster in 2000. A caretaker government oversaw new elections in the spring of 2001, which ushered in Alejandro TOLEDO as the new head of government - Peru's first democratically elected president of Native American ethnicity. The presidential election of 2006 saw the return of Alan GARCIA who, after a disappointing presidential term from 1985 to 1990, returned to the presidency with promises to improve social conditions and maintain fiscal responsibility.

Geography Peru

Location:

Western South America, bordering the South Pacific Ocean, between Chile and Ecuador

Geographic coordinates:

10 00 S, 76 00 W

Map references:

South America

Area:

total: 1,285,220 sq km

land: 1.28 million sq km

water: 5,220 sq km

Area - comparative:

slightly smaller than Alaska

Land boundaries:

total: 7,461 km

border countries: Bolivia 1,075 km, Brazil 2,995 km, Chile 171 km, Colombia 1,800 km, Ecuador 1,420 km

Coastline:

2,414 km

Maritime claims:

territorial sea: 200 nm

continental shelf: 200 nm

Climate:

varies from tropical in east to dry desert in west; temperate to frigid in Andes

Terrain:

western coastal plain (costa), high and rugged Andes in center (sierra), eastern lowland jungle of Amazon Basin (selva)

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m

highest point: Nevado Huascaran 6,768 m

Natural resources:

copper, silver, gold, petroleum, timber, fish, iron ore, coal, phosphate, potash, hydropower, natural gas

Land use:

arable land: 2.88%

permanent crops: 0.47%

other: 96.65% (2005)

Irrigated land:

12,000 sq km (2003)

Total renewable water resources:

1,913 cu km (2000)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic / industrial / agricultural):

total: 20.13 cu km/yr (8%/10%/82%)

per capita: 720 cu m/yr (2000)

Natural hazards:

earthquakes, tsunamis, flooding, landslides, mild volcanic activity

Environment - current issues:

deforestation (some the result of illegal logging); overgrazing of the slopes of the costa and sierra leading to soil erosion; desertification; air pollution in Lima; pollution of rivers and coastal waters from municipal and mining wastes