In 2002, the Republic of Paraguay was a landlocked nation located in South America. It was bordered by Argentina to the south, Bolivia to the northwest and Brazil to the east. The population of Paraguay in 2002 was around 6 million people and the official language was Spanish. The capital city of Asunción was home to many government buildings, as well as popular tourist attractions such as Casa de la Independencia Museum and Lake Ypacarai.
According to computerannals, the economy of Paraguay in 2002 was largely based on services, agriculture, industry and tourism. Services were by far the largest sector of GDP; by 2002 it accounted for around 70% of GDP. Agriculture also played an important role; it accounted for around 15% of GDP and included crops such as soybeans, cotton, wheat and corn. Industry had become increasingly important as well; by 2002 it accounted for around 10% of GDP and included manufacturing products such as textiles, beverages and wood products. Tourism had begun to develop as well; visitors were drawn to Paraguay’s stunning scenery and vibrant culture. The government had invested heavily in infrastructure over recent years; by 2002 there were more than 6 thousand kilometers of roads throughout the country connecting major cities with rural areas.
Yearbook 2002
Paraguay. According to Countryaah website, national day of Paraguay is every May 14. Interior Minister Julio César Fanego and Minister of Justice and Labor Silvio Ferreira were forced in February to resign after much media attention surrounding the revelations that two left-wing activists had been tortured after being kidnapped by people with links to the police. The torture would have been aimed at forcing information on the kidnapping of a rich businessman’s wife, who according to police had been abducted by the same left-wing group as the two activists belong.
The opposition in the House of Representatives tried to set up a special commission of inquiry into the case and held President Luis González Macchi as the chief responsible for this form of “state terrorism”.
According to a report from Transparency International, which examines corruption in the world, Paraguay is Latin America’s most corrupt and the world’s third most corrupt country. The report gave rise to the organization of “The Day of Shame” on September 6.
The initiators urged all citizens to wear black armbands as a sign of sorrow, and the capital Asuncion’s daily newspapers had black stripes on the newspaper pages. The football team Sportivo Luqueño wore black jerseys. President González also obeyed the call and wore black armbands.
Country data
Area: 406,752 km2 (world ranking: 59)
Residents: 6,811,000
Population density: 17 per km2 (as of 2017, world ranking: 106)
Capital: Asunción
Official languages: Spanish, Guaraní
Gross domestic product: 29.7 billion US $; Real growth: 0.8%
Gross national product (GNP, per resident and year): 3920 US$
Currency: 1 Guaraní (G) = 100 Céntimos
Embassy
Hardenbergstr. 12, 10623 Berlin
Telephone 030 3199860,
Fax 030 31998617
www.botschaft-paraguay.de
Government
Head of State and Government: Mario Abdo Benítez Hugo Velázquez Moreno, Exterior: Luis Alberto Castiglioni Soria
National holiday: 15.5. (Independence Day)
Administrative structure
17 departments and capital
State and form of government
Constitution of 1992
Presidential Republic
Parliament (Congreso Nacional): House of Representatives (Cámara de Diputados) with 80 members; Senate (Senado) with 45 members; Choice each every 5 J.
direct election of the head of state every 5 years (re-election)
elective 18-75 J.
Population: Paraguayans
last 2002 census. 5,163,198 residents
over 90% of European-indigenous, 2% of European descent, 1.6 % Indigenous (Guaraní)
Cities (with population): (As of 2017) Asunción 524,200 pop. (A 2.2 million), Ciudad del Este 296,600, San Lorenzo 254,400, Luque 247,800, Capiatá 228,400, Lambaré 173,900, Fernando de la Mora 170,400, Limpio 136,300, Nemby 131,000, Mariano Roque Alonso 99,700, Encarnación 93,200, Pedro Juan Caballero 91,500, Presidente Franco 85,800
Religions: 90% Catholics, 6% Protestants; Minorities of Mennonites; indigenous religions (as of 2006)
Languages: Spanish, Guaraní; Minority languages: Portuguese, German and others
Employed by the: agricultural sector. 21%, industry 20%, business 59% (2017)
Unemployment (in% of all labor force): 2017: 4.6%
Inflation rate (in%): 2017: 3.6%
Foreign trade: Import: US $ 11.9 billion (2017); Export: 8.7 billion US $ (2017)
Paraguay Country Overview
Visa
Finnish citizens do not need a visa when traveling to Paraguay.
Visa policies and rates are subject to change without notice depending on local authorities.
- According to ABBREVIATIONFINDER.ORG, PRY stands for Paraguay.
Insurance
Everyone participating in the trip must have a valid travel insurance that covers medical expenses in the event of illness or other similar need. Please check the validity of your own insurance and the terms and conditions of the insurance cancellation cover.
Please pay attention to the special nature of your trip and check the coverage of the insurance in that respect as well. In many locations, the insurance must also be valid when moving at an altitude of more than 3,000 meters, in which case it also covers mountain sickness.
Many hiking or diving trips require more extensive insurance, which covers, for example, diving or moving on a glacier. Please check the contents of your insurance with your insurance company.
Vaccinations
Check vaccination requirements at a health center. You can also get more information, for example, at
Please check the yellow fever vaccination requirements of your destination well in advance of the trip, for example here. An international yellow fever vaccination certificate is required when traveling to some countries. Please also note that in some countries a vaccination certificate is required if you arrive from a country where yellow fever is considered to occur. This is important to consider especially when traveling across multiple states. We recommend that you keep a vaccination card with you when traveling far away.
The currency of
Paraguay is the Guarani (PYG). Cards usually cannot be paid outside of cities.
Tips In
Paraguay, it is customary to drop a few thousand guarans for good service.
The time difference in
Paraguay’s time zone is UTC-4, in summer UTC-3.
Mobile phones
Check with your operator for the coverage of your mobile phone. Paraguay Area Code is +595.
Electrical current
The electrical current in Paraguay is 220 V. No adapter required.
Climate
Paraguay’s climate is tropical, but partly also mild. Summers are generally hot. In the eastern part of the country it rains the most and decreases towards the west where there are savannah areas. In the western part of the country, the temperature remains at 23 degrees. The driest time is July-August.
