Industries:
meat packing, oilseed crushing, milling, brewing, textiles, other light
consumer goods, cement, construction
Agriculture:
accounts for 25% of GDP and 44% of labor force; cash crops - cotton,
sugarcane; other crops - corn, wheat, tobacco, soybeans, cassava, fruits,
vegetables; animal products - beef, pork, eggs, milk; surplus producer of
timber; self-sufficient in most foods
Illicit drugs:
illicit producer of cannabis for the international drug trade; important
transshipment point for Bolivian cocaine headed for the US and Europe
Economic aid:
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $172 million; Western (non-US)
countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $1.1 billion
Currency:
1 guarani (G) = 100 centimos
Exchange rates:
guaranies (G) per US$ - 1,637.6 (January 1993), 1,500.3 (1992), 447.5 (March
1992), 1,325.2 (1991), 1,229.8 (1990), 1,056.2 (1989), 550.00 (fixed rate
1986-February 1989)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
*Paraguay, Communications
Railroads:
970 km total; 440 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, 60 km 1.000-meter gauge,
470 km various narrow gauge (privately owned)
Highways:
21,960 km total; 1,788 km paved, 474 km gravel, and 19,698 km earth
Inland waterways:
3,100 km
Ports:
Asuncion, Villeta, Ciudad del Este
Merchant marine:
13 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 16,747 GRT/19,865 DWT; includes 11
cargo, 2 oil tanker; note - 1 naval cargo ship is sometimes used
commercially
Airports:
total:
862
usable:
719
with permanent-surface runways:
7
with runways over 3,659 m:
0
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
4
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
64
Telecommunications:
principal center in Asuncion; fair intercity microwave net; 78,300
telephones; broadcast stations - 40 AM, no FM, 5 TV, 7 shortwave; 1 Atlantic
Ocean INTELSAT earth station
*Paraguay, Defense Forces
Branches:
Army, Navy (including Naval Air and Marines), Air Force
Manpower availability:
males age 15-49 1,210,171; fit for military service 879,601; reach military
age (17) annually 51,361 (1993 est.)
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - $84 million, 1.4% of GDP (1988 est.)
*Peru, Geography
Location:
Western South America, bordering the South Pacific Ocean between Chile and
Ecuador
Map references:
South America, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
total area:
1,285,220 km2
land area:
1.28 million km2
comparative area:
slightly smaller than Alaska
Land boundaries:
total 6,940 km, Bolivia 900 km, Brazil 1,560 km, Chile 160 km, Colombia
2,900 km, Ecuador 1,420 km
Coastline:
2,414 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea:
200 nm
International disputes:
three sections of the boundary with Ecuador are in dispute
Climate:
varies from tropical in east to dry desert in west
Terrain:
western coastal plain (costa), high and rugged Andes in center (sierra),
eastern lowland jungle of Amazon Basin (selva)
Natural resources:
copper, silver, gold, petroleum, timber, fish, iron ore, coal, phosphate,
potash
Land use:
arable land:
3%
permanent crops:
0%
meadows and pastures:
21% forest and woodland:
55%
other:
21%
Irrigated land:
12,500 km2 (1989 est.)
Environment:
subject to earthquakes, tsunamis, landslides, mild volcanic activity;
deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification; air pollution in
Lima
Note:
shares control of Lago Titicaca, world's highest navigable lake, with
Bolivia
*Peru, People
Population:
23,210,352 (July 1993 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.9% (1993 est.)
Birth rate:
26.19 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate:
7.15 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
56.4 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
65.17 years
male:
63.02 years
female:
67.44 years (1993 est.)
Total fertility rate:
3.22 children born/woman (1993 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
Peruvian(s)
adjective:
Peruvian
Ethnic divisions:
Indian 45%, mestizo (mixed Indian and European ancestry) 37%, white 15%,
black, Japanese, Chinese, and other 3%
Religions:
Roman Catholic
Languages:
Spanish (official), Quechua (official), Aymara
Literacy:
age 15 and over can read and write (1990)
total population:
85%
male: 92%
female:
29%
Labor force:
8 million (1992)
by occupation:
government and other services 44%, agriculture 37%, industry 19% (1988 est.)
*Peru, Government