As Latin America’s longest running civil warappeared to be winding to a close in Colombia in2016, another less known rebel insurgency in

Paraguay was heating up. In late August eight Paraguayansoldiers were killed in an attack in Arroyito, in northernParaguay. The roadside explosion and execution of thesurvivors was thought to have been carried out by theParaguayan People’s Army (EPP). Formally organized in2008 but active for some two decades, the tiny Marxistgroup may have killed asmany as 60 people sinceundertaking its rebellion,which was carried out pri-marily with stolen weaponsand funded through ransomkidnapping.

Vital statisticsBirth rate per 1,000 pop-ulation (2015): 16.4(world avg. 19.5).

Death rate per 1,000population (2015): 4.7(world avg. 8.1).

Life expectancy at birth(2015): male 74.3 years;female 79.8 years.

DemographyPopulation (2016): 6,780,000.Density (2016): persons per sq mi 43.2,persons per sq km 16.7.

Sex distribution (2015): male 50.16%;female 49.84%.

Population projection: (2020) 7,145,000;(2030) 7,932,000.

Major urban areas (2015):Asunción 526,400(2,183,1003); Ciudad del Este290,900 (452,1003); SanLorenzo 250,6004; Luque239,1004; Capiatá 219,8004.

Urban-rural (2014):

Paraguay

Official name: República del Paraguay(Spanish); Tetä Paraguáype (Guaraní)(Republic of Paraguay).

Form of government: multiparty republicwith two legislative houses (Chamber ofSenators [451]; Chamber of Deputies [80]).

Head of state and government: PresidentHoracio Cartes.

Capital: Asunción.Official languages: Spanish; Guaraní.Official religion: none2.Monetary unit: guaraní (plural guaranies; G);valuation (Sept. 1, 2016) 1 U.S.$ = G5,535;1 £ = G7,362.

Ethnic composition (2000):

Age breakdown (2015):

Religious affiliation (2002):

Area and populationarea population area population

2011 2011Departments sq km estimate Departments sq km estimate

Alto Paraguay 82,349 11,245Alto Paraná 14,895 769,692Amambay 12,933 125,474Boquerón 91,669 59,429Caaguazú 11,474 481,911Caazapá 9,496 151,349Canindeyú 14,667 187,555Central 2,465 2,144,591Concepción 18,051 190,194Cordillera 4,948 279,959Guairá 3,846 197,528

Itapúa 16,525 540,711Misiones 9,556 117,8744eembucú 12,147 83,977Paraguarí 8,705 239,601Presidente Hayes 72,907 105,130San Pedro 20,002 358,668

Capital districtAsunción 117 516,897TOTAL 406,752 6,561,785

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National economyBudget (2014). Revenue: G27,896,000,000,000 (tax revenue 60.5%, of

which VAT 31.1%, corporate taxes 11.8%; nontax rev-enue [including grants] 39.5%). Expenditures: G30,848,-000,000,000 (current expenditure 75.4%, of which wagesand salaries 40.2%; capital expenditure 24.6%).

Population economically active (2015): total 3,800,000;participation rates: age 10 and over, male 74.0%; female50.0%; unemployed 5.0%, of which youth (ages 15–24)12.0%.

Average household size (2011): 4.0.Production (metric tons except as noted). Agriculture,forestry, fishing (2014): soybeans 9,975,000, sugarcane6,372,000, corn (maize) 3,200,000, cassava 3,060,000,wheat 840,000, rice 804,000, oranges 229,5307, palm

fruit oil 151,290, rapeseed 112,000, sunflower seeds 111,600, maté86,0007, pineapples 63,0607, bananas 62,4007, tung nuts 52,285, sesameseeds 41,400, mangoes, mangosteens, and guavas 32,0937; livestock(number of live animals) 14,465,581 cattle, 1,229,760 pigs, 60,0007 bee-hives; roundwood (2015) 11,062,202 cu m, of which fuelwood 63%;fisheries production 24,500 (from aquaculture 31%). Mining and quar-rying (2014): crushed and broken stone 14,800,000; gypsum 4,500.Manufacturing (value added in G’000,000,000; 2010): food and foodproducts 4,404; beverages and tobacco products 1,751; textiles andwearing apparel 1,030; cement, bricks, and ceramics 776; wood andwood products 463; machinery and apparatus 445; chemicals andchemical products 401. Energy production (consumption): electricity(kW-hr; 2012) 60,235,000,000 ([2013] 12,665,000,000), by source(2013): renewable energy 100%, of which hydroelectric 100%; coal(metric tons; 2011) none (1,000); crude petroleum, none (none);petroleum products (metric tons; 2011) none (1,627,000); natural gas,none (none).

Gross national income (GNI; 2015): U.S.$28,044,000,000 (U.S.$4,220per capita); purchasing power parity GNI (U.S.$8,670 per capita).

Public debt (external, outstanding; 2014): U.S.$3,698,563,000.Land use as % of total land area (2011): in temporary crops or left fal-low 9.8%, in permanent crops 0.2%, in pasture 42.8%, forest area43.8%.

MilitaryTotal active duty personnel (November 2015):

10,650 (army 71.4%, navy 18.3%, air force10.3%); reserve 164,500. Military expendi-ture as percentage of GDP (2015): 1.1%;per capita expenditure U.S.$47.

Foreign tradeImports (2014): U.S.$11,299,300,000 (machinery andapparatus 22.7%, mineral fuels [significantlyrefined petroleum products] 15.0%, transportationequipment 11.2%, chemicals and chemical prod-ucts 9.3%, food products, beverages, and tobacco7.7%).Major import sources (2013):

Exports (2014): U.S.$9,656,500,000 (soybeans 23.9%,electricity 22.6%, meat products 14.2%, cereals6.4%, vegetable oil 5.0%).Major export destinations (2013):

Transport and communicationsTransport. Railroads (2014): route length22 mi, 36 km8; passenger-km, n.a.; metricton-km cargo (2002) 1,000,000. Roads(2010): total length 19,921 mi, 32,059km (paved 15%). Vehicles (2013):passenger cars 260,812; trucks 185,903.

Education and healthLiteracy (2010): percentage of total population age15 and over literate 93.9%; males literate 94.8%;females literate 92.9%.

Health (2013): physicians 10,465 (1 per 633 persons);hospital beds 6,977 (1 per 949 persons); infant mor-tality rate per 1,000 live births (2015) 20.1; under-nourished population (2005–07) 600,000 (10% oftotal population based on the consumption of aminimum daily requirement of 1,820 calories).

1Excludes former presidents serving as senators-for-life but having no voting power. 2RomanCatholicism, though not official, enjoys special recognition in the constitution. 3Urban agglomeration.4Within Asunción urban agglomeration. 5Taxes on products. 6Includes 171,901 unemployed. 72013.8A 30-km tourist train and a 6-km link to the Argentine railways. 9Subscribers.

Internet resources for further information:• Dirección General de Estadística, Encuestas y Censos www.dgeec.gov.py• Banco Central del Paraguay www.bcp.gov.py

Structure of gross domestic product and labour force2013

in value % of total labour % of labourG’000,000,000 value force force

Agriculture, forestry, fishing 24,460.0 19.6 767,233 22.3Mining and quarrying 172.4 0.1 328,262 9.5Manufacturing 13,179.6 10.6Construction 8,699.0 7.0 214,167 6.2Public utilities 10,141.5 8.1 22,743 0.7Transp. and commun. 7,206.0 5.8 135,980 3.9Trade, hotels, restaurants 18,688.5 15.0 843,082 24.5Finance, real estate 9,706.5 7.8 166,275 4.8Pub. admin., defense 14,774.0 11.8 795,149 23.1Services 6,285.2 5.0Other 11,540.45 9.25 173,8296 5.06

TOTAL 124,853.1 100.0 3,446,720 100.0

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Communications units unitsnumber per 1,000 number per 1,000

Medium date in ’000s persons Medium date in ’000s persons

TelephonesCellular 2015 7,4129 1,0549

Landline 2015 384 55

Internet users 2009 1,000 158Broadband 2015 2219 319

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