PARAGUAY



Republic of Paraguay

República del Paraguay

CAPITAL : Asunción

FLAG : The national flag, officially adopted in 1842, is a tricolor of red, white, and blue horizontal stripes. The national coat of arms appears in the center of the white stripe on the obverse, and the Treasury seal in the same position on the reverse.

ANTHEM : Himno Nacional, beginning "Paraguayos, república o muerte" ("Paraguayans, republic or death").

MONETARY UNIT : The guaraní ( G ) is a paper currency of 100 céntimos. There are notes of 1, 5, 10, 50, 100, 500, 1,000, 5,000, and 10,000 guaraníes. G 1 = $0.000146 (or $1 = G 6,840) as of May 2003.

WEIGHTS AND MEASURES : The metric system is the legal standard.

HOLIDAYS : New Year's Day, 1 January; San Blas Day, 3 February; National Defense Day, 1 March; Labor Day, 1 May; Independence Days, 14–15 May; Peace Day, 12 June; Founding of Asunción, 15 August; Constitution Day, 25 August; Victory Day (Battle of Boquerón), 29 September; Columbus Day, 12 October; All Saints' Day, 1 November; Our Lady of Caacupé, 8 December; Christmas, 25 December. Movable religious holidays are Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Corpus Christi.

TIME : 8 AM = noon GMT.


INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION

Paraguay is a charter member of the UN, having joined on 24 October 1945. It participates in CCC, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LAES, LAIA, MERCOSUR, MONUC, NAM (observer), OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMEE, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO and WTrO.

FISHING

Paraguay has no appreciable fishing industry, and the consumption of fresh fish is low. The country has potential resources for fisheries, however. Dorado weighing up to 18 kg (40 lb) are caught in the Upper Paraná River, and the Paraguay River yields salmon, surubi, pacú, boga, and mandi. The catch was 25,000 tons in 2000. Aquacultural production consists of tilapia.

DEPENDENCIES

Paraguay has no territories or colonies.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Hanratty, Dennis M., and Sandra W. Meditz (eds.). Paraguay, a Country Study. 2d ed. Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress, 1990.

Haverstock, Nathan A. Paraguay in Pictures. Minneapolis: Lerner Publications, 1987.

Health in the Americas, 2002 edition. Washington, D.C.: Pan American Health Organization, Pan American Sanitary Bureau, Regional Office of the World Health Organization, 2002.

Lewis, Paul H. Paraguay Under Stroessner. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1980.

——. Political Parties and Generations in Paraguay's Liberal Era, 1869–1940. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1993.

Miranda, Carlos R. The Stroessner Era: Authoritarian Rule in Paraguay. Boulder, Colo.: Westview Press, 1990.

Nickson, R. Andrew. Historical Dictionary of Paraguay. 2d ed. Metuchen, N.J.: Scarecrow Press, 1993.

——. Paraguay. Santa Barbara, Calif.: Clio, 1987.

Roett, Riordan. Paraguay. Boulder, Colo.: Westview, 1986.

Warren, Harris Gaylord. Rebirth of the Paraguayan Republic: The First Colorado Era, 1878–1904. Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press, 1985.

Williams, John H. The Rise and Fall of the Paraguayan Republic, 1800–70. Latin American Monographs No. 48. Austin: University of Texas Press, 1979.

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