Paraguay

Paraguay

AREA	406,752 sq km (157,048 sq miles).
POPULATION	5,085,000 (1997).
POPULATION DENSITY	12.5 per sq km.
CAPITAL	Asunción.
CAPITAL POPULATION	546,637 (1994).
GEOGRAPHY	Paraguay is a landlocked country surrounded by Argentina, Bolivia and Brazil, lying some 1440km (900 miles) up the River Paraná from the Atlantic. The River Paraguay, a tributary of the Paraná, divides the country into two sharply contrasting regions. The Oriental zone, which covers 159,800 sq km (61,700 sq miles), consists of undulating country intersected by chains of hills rising to about 600m (2000ft), merging into the Mato Grosso Plateau in the north; the Paraná crosses the area in the east and south. East and southeast of Asunción lie the oldest centres of settlement inhabited by the greater part of the population. This area is bordered to the west by rolling pastures, and to the south by thick primeval forests. The Occidental zone, or Paraguayan Chaco, covers 246,827 sq km (95,300 sq miles). It is a flat alluvial plain, composed mainly of grey clay, which is marked by large areas of permanent swamp in the southern and eastern regions. Apart from a few small settlements, it is sparsely populated.
GOVERNMENT	Republic since 1967. Gained independence from Spain in 1811. Head of State and Government: President Luis Ángel González Macchi since 1999.
LANGUAGE	The official languages are Spanish and Guaraní. Most Paraguayans are bilingual, but prefer to speak Guaraní outside Asunción.
RELIGION	Roman Catholic.
STANDARD TIME	GMT - 4 (GMT - 3 from October to February).
ELECTRICITY	220 volts AC, 50Hz.

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