|
 The
Republic of Paraguay is a country of some 5,300,000
inhabitants and occupies an area of 406.752 square
kilometers. It is located in the heart of South America,
surrounded by Argentina to the South, Brazil to the East,
and Bolivia to the North. Its name derives from the
Paraguay River which, together with the Parana and
Uruguay Rivers, forms the Rio de la Plata Basin.
 The
Paraguay River divides the country into two distinct
regions which. are quite different in character. The
Eastern Region, between the Paraguay and Parana Rivers,
has fertile, rolling plains with numerous waterways,
lakes, broad pasturelands and thick forests. The Western
Region, known as the Chaco, is a vast plain crossed by
numerous non-navigable rivers. This is the land of
Quebracho, a very hard wood, and cattle ranches. Because
it is so sparely populated, it is also home to a wide
variety of animals living in their natural habitat..
| OFFICIAL NAME: |
Republic of Paraguay |
| CAPITAL: |
Asuncion, with a population of 850,000, is also an important port on the Paraguay River. |
| OFFICIAL LANGUAGES: |
Spanish and Guarani. |
| GOVERNMENT: |
Paraguay is a democratic republic with its government divided into three branches :
- The Executive, headed by President Nicanor Duarte Frutos.
- The Legislative, also known as the National Congress, composed of a Lower House whose members are National Deputies, and an Upper House whose members are National Senators.
- The Judiciary, with the Supreme Court of Justice, composed of nine members, as the Court of Last Appeal.
|
| NATIONAL HOLIDAYS: |
1 JAN. New Year's Day
(*) Holy Thursday
(*) Good Friday
1 MAR. National Heroes Day
1 MAY. Labor Day
15 MAY. Independence Day
12 JUN. End of the Chaco War
15 AUG. Founding of Asuncion
29 SEPT. Victory Day
8 DEC. Feast of the Immaculate Conception
25 DEC. Christmas Day
(*) Please note that the actual dates for Holy Thursday and Good Friday vary from year to year. |
| CURRENCY: |
Guarani (1 USD = 5,900 Gs.) |
| RELIGION: |
Predominantly Catholic, but a wide variety of religions are practiced, freedom of religion is guaranteed by the Constitution. |
| ELECTRICITY: |
220 volts, 50 hz. |
| CLIMATE: |
Semitropical, with warm summers,
moderate in winters, and an average annual
temperature of 22 degree centigrade. |
- * Embassy Staff Members
- Isao Taoka
Ambassador
- Luis Esteban Paez
Minister
- Sachiko Hasegawa
Attache
- Luisa Tamashiro
Administrative Secretary
- * First Paraguayan Association in Sano City
- The Association of Paraguayan Residents was
created in Sano City, Tochigi Prefecture. The
main objective of the new association is to
promote the friendship, understanding and
cooperation between Japanese and Paraguayan
residents in Sano City. Membership is open to
people of all nationalities, and anyone wishing
to join, may call Mariano Vargas, the President
of the Association, at (0283) 218-645, for more
information.
|
