Natural hazards:
local flooding in southeast (early September to June); poorly
drained plains may become boggy (early October to June)
Environment - current issues:
deforestation; water pollution; inadequate means for waste disposal
present health risks for many urban residents; loss of wetlands
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law
of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Nuclear Test Ban
Geography - note:
landlocked; lies between Argentina, Bolivia, and Brazil; population
concentrated in southern part of country
People Paraguay
Population:
6,036,900 (July 2003 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 38.4% (male 1,179,084; female 1,141,420)
15-64 years: 56.8% (male 1,721,867; female 1,707,918)
65 years and over: 4.7% (male 132,145; female 154,466) (2003 est.)
Median age:
total: 20.9 years
male: 20.7 years
female: 21.2 years (2002)
Population growth rate:
2.54% (2003 est.)
Birth rate:
30.14 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)