| Country name | conventional long form: Republic of Paraguay conventional short form: Paraguay local long form: Republica del Paraguay local short form: Paraguay etymology: the precise meaning of the name Paraguay is unclear, but it seems to derive from the river of the same name; one explanation has the name meaning "water of the Payagua" (an indigenous tribe that lived along the river) |
| Government type | presidential republic |
| Capital | name: Asuncion geographic coordinates: 25 16 S, 57 40 W time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins first Sunday in October; ends last Sunday in March etymology: the name means "assumption" and derives from the original name given to the city at its founding in 1537, Nuestra Senora Santa Maria de la Asuncion (Our Lady Saint Mary of the Assumption) |
| Administrative divisions | 17 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento) and 1 capital city*; Alto Paraguay, Alto Parana, Amambay, Asuncion*, Boqueron, Caaguazu, Caazapa, Canindeyu, Central, Concepcion, Cordillera, Guaira, Itapua, Misiones, Neembucu, Paraguari, Presidente Hayes, San Pedro |
| Independence | 14-15 May 1811 (from Spain); note - the uprising against Spanish authorities took place during the night of 14-15 May 1811 and both days are celebrated in Paraguay |
| National holiday | Independence Day, 14-15 May (1811) (observed 15 May); 14 May is celebrated as Flag Day |
| Constitution | history: several previous; latest approved and promulgated 20 June 1992 amendments: proposed at the initiative of at least one quarter of either chamber of the National Congress, by the president of the republic, or by petition of at least 30,000 voters; passage requires absolute majority vote by both chambers and approval in a referendum; amended 2011 |
| Legal system | civil law system with influences from Argentine, Spanish, Roman, and French civil law models; judicial review of legislative acts in Supreme Court of Justice |
| International law organization participation | accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; accepts ICCt jurisdiction |
| Citizenship | citizenship by birth: yes citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a native-born citizen of Paraguay dual citizenship recognized: yes residency requirement for naturalization: 3 years |
| Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal and compulsory until the age of 75 |
| Executive branch | chief of state: President Mario Abdo BENITEZ (since 15 August 2018); Vice President Hugo Adalberto VELAZQUEZ Moreno (since 15 August 2018); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government head of government: President Mario Abdo BENITEZ (since 15 August 2018); Vice President Hugo Adalberto VELAZQUEZ Moreno (since 15 August 2018) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president elections/appointments: president and vice president directly elected on the same ballot by simple majority popular vote for a single 5-year term; election last held on 22 April 2018 (next to be held in April 2023) election results: 2018: Mario Abdo BENITEZ elected president; percent of vote - Mario Abdo BENITEZ (ANR) 46.4%, Efrain ALEGRE (PLRA) 42.7%, Juan Bautista YBANEZ 3.3%, other 7.6% 2013: Horacio CARTES elected president; percent of vote - Horacio CARTES (ANR) 48.5%, Efrain ALEGRE (PLRA) 39%, Mario FERREIRO (AP) 6.2%, Anibal CARRILLO (FG) 3.5%, other 2.8% |
| Legislative branch | description: bicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional consists of: Chamber of Senators or Camara de Senadores (45 seats; members directly elected in a single nationwide constituency by closed-list proportional representation vote to serve 5-year terms) Chamber of Deputies or Camara de Diputados (80 seats; members directly elected in 18 multi-seat constituencies - corresponding to the country's 17 departments and capital city - by closed-list proportional representation vote to serve 5-year terms) elections: Chamber of Senators - last held on 22 April 2018 (next to be held in April 2023) Chamber of Deputies - last held on 22 April 2018 (next to be held in April 2023) election results: Chamber of Senators - percent of vote by party/coalition - ANR 32.52%, PLRA 24.18%, FG 11.83%, PPQ 6.77%, MH 4.47%, PDP 3.66%, MCN 2.48%, UNACE 2.12%, other 11.97%; seats by party/coalition - ANR 17, PLRA 13, FG 6, PPQ 3, MH 2, PDP 2, MCN 1, UNACE 1; composition - men 36, women 9, percent of women 20% Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party/coalition - ANR 39.1%, PLRA 17.74%, Ganar Alliance 12.08%, PPQ 4.46%, MH 3.19%; other 23.43%; seats by party/coalition - ANR 42, PLRA 17, Ganar Alliance 13, PPQ 3, MH 2, other 3; composition - men 66, women 14, percent of women 17.5%; note - total National Congress percent of women 18.4% |
| Judicial branch | highest courts: Supreme Court of Justice or Corte Suprema de Justicia (consists of 9 justices divided 3 each into the Constitutional Court, Civil and Commercial Chamber, and Criminal Division) judge selection and term of office: justices proposed by the Council of Magistrates or Consejo de la Magistratura, a 6-member independent body, and appointed by the Chamber of Senators with presidential concurrence; judges can serve until mandatory retirement at age 75 subordinate courts: appellate courts; first instance courts; minor courts, including justices of the peace |
| Political parties and leaders | Asociacion Nacional Republicana - Colorado Party or ANR [Pedro ALLIANA] Avanza Pais coalition or AP [Adolfo FERREIRO] Broad Front coalition (Frente Guasu) or FG [Esperanza MARTINEZ] Ganar Alliance (alliance between PLRA and Guasu Front) Movimiento Cruzada Nacional or MCN Movimiento Hagamos or MH [Antonio "Tony" APURIL] Movimiento Union Nacional de Ciudadanos Eticos or UNACE [Jorge OVIEDO MATTO] Partido del Movimiento al Socialismo or P-MAS [Camilo Ernesto SOARES Machado] Partido Democratica Progresista or PDP [Rafael FILIZZOLA] Partido Encuentro Nacional or PEN [Hermann RATZLAFFIN Klippemstein] Partido Liberal Radical Autentico or PLRA [Efrain ALEGRE] Partido Pais Solidario or PPS [Carlos Alberto FILIZZOLA Pallares] Partido Popular Tekojoja or PPT [Sixto PEREIRA Galeano] Patria Querida (Beloved Fatherland Party) or PPQ [Miguel CARRIZOSA] |
| International organization participation | CAN (associate), CD, CELAC, FAO, G-11, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, LAIA, Mercosur, MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSTAH, MONUSCO, NAM (observer), OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, Pacific Alliance (observer), PCA, UN, UNASUR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNISFA, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO |
| Diplomatic representation in the US | chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Luis Jose GONZALEZ FERNANDEZ, Minister (since 12 April 2021) chancery: 2400 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 483-6960 FAX: [1] (202) 234-4508 email address and website: eeuuembaparsc@mre.gov.py; secretaria@embaparusa.gov.py consulate(s) general: Los Angeles, Miami, New York |
| Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Joseph SALAZAR (since 20 January 2021 ) embassy: 1776 Mariscal Lopez Avenue, Asuncion mailing address: 3020 Asuncion Place, Washington DC 20521-3020 telephone: [595] (21) 248-3000 FAX: [595] (21) 213-728 email address and website: ParaguayACS@state.gov https://py.usembassy.gov/ |
| Flag description | three equal, horizontal bands of red (top), white, and blue with an emblem centered in the white band; unusual flag in that the emblem is different on each side; the obverse (hoist side at the left) bears the national coat of arms (a yellow five-pointed star within a green wreath capped by the words REPUBLICA DEL PARAGUAY, all within two circles); the reverse (hoist side at the right) bears a circular seal of the treasury (a yellow lion below a red Cap of Liberty and the words PAZ Y JUSTICIA (Peace and Justice)); red symbolizes bravery and patriotism, white represents integrity and peace, and blue denotes liberty and generosity note: the three color bands resemble those on the flag of the Netherlands; one of only three national flags that differ on their obverse and reverse sides - the others are Moldova and Saudi Arabia |
| National symbol(s) | lion; national colors: red, white, blue |
| National anthem | name: "Paraguayos, Republica o muerte!" (Paraguayans, The Republic or Death!) lyrics/music: Francisco Esteban ACUNA de Figueroa/disputed note: adopted 1934, in use since 1846; officially adopted following its re-arrangement in 1934 |
Source: CIA World Factbook
This page was last updated on September 18, 2021
