Paraguay (Republic of Paraguay)

Paraguay Republic of Paraguay
Status	Independent State
Capital	Asuncion
Land Area	397 300km21
Location	South America, The Americas
Population	6.7m (2011)2
Life Expectancy	73.00yrs (2017)3
GNI	$8 182 (2017)4
ISO3166-1 Codes	PY, PRY, 6005
Internet Domain	.py6
Currency	Guarani (PYG)7
Telephone	+5958

1. Overview
2. Paraguay National and Social Development
3. Population and Demographics
4. Politics and Freedom
5. Gender Equality
6. Religion and Beliefs
7. The Internet
8. Public Health Issues
9. More Charts and Comparisons to Other Countries
10. Links

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1. Overview

“Paraguay achieved its independence from Spain in 1811. In the disastrous War of the Triple Alliance (1865-70) - between Paraguay and Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay - Paraguay lost two-thirds of all its adult males and much of its territory. The country stagnated economically for the next half century. Following the Chaco War of 1932-35 with Bolivia, Paraguay gained a large part of the Chaco lowland region. The 35-year military dictatorship of Alfredo STROESSNER ended in 1989, and, despite a marked increase in political infighting in recent years, Paraguay has held relatively free and regular presidential elections since the country's return to democracy.”

CIA's The World Factbook (2013)₉

“Little-visited and little-known, landlocked Paraguay is a country surrounded by South America´s `big boys´, but there´s a warm welcome and much to experience here. Paraguay is a country much misunderstood. Despite its location at the heart of the continent, it is all too often passed over by travelers who wrongly assume that a lack of `mega-attractions´ means there´s nothing to see. Instead, it´s ideal for those keen to get off the gringo trail for a truly authentic South American experience.

Paraguay is a country of remarkable contrasts: it is rustic and sophisticated, extremely poor and obscenely wealthy; it boasts exotic natural reserves and massive human-made dams; it is a place where horses and carts pull up beside luxury automobiles, artisans´ workshops abut glitzy shopping centers, and Jesuit ruins in rural villages lie just kilometers from sophisticated colonial towns. The steamy subtropical Atlantic Forest of the east is a stark contrast to the dry, spiny wilderness of the Chaco, location of the isolated Mennonite colonies.

While Paraguayans are more used to visits from their bordering neighbors, they are relaxed, kind and welcoming to anyone.”

"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)₁₀

2. Paraguay National and Social Development

#human_development

UN HDI (2016)11
Pos.		Lower is better Rank11
1	Norway	1
2	Australia	2
3	Switzerland	2
	...
107	Moldova	107
108	Botswana	108
109	Gabon	109
110	Paraguay	110
111	Egypt	111
112	Turkmenistan	111
113	Indonesia	113
114	Palestine	114
	World Avg	94.3
q=188.

Social & Moral Development Index12
Pos.		Higher is better Points12
1	Denmark	84.2
2	Sweden	83.7
3	Finland	83.5
	...
113	Senegal	49.6
114	Ghana	49.6
115	Grenada	49.6
116	Paraguay	49.5
117	Namibia	49.5
118	Vanuatu	49.4
119	Antigua & Barbuda	49.4
120	Samoa	49.4
	World Avg	54.1
q=198.

The United Nations produces an annual Human Development Report which includes the Human Development Index. The factors taken into account include life expectancy, education and schooling and Gross National Income (GNI) amongst many others..

The Social and Moral Development Index concentrates on moral issues and human rights, violence, public health, equality, tolerance, freedom and effectiveness in climate change mitigation and environmentalism, and on some technological issues. A country scores higher for achieving well in those areas, and for sustaining that achievement in the long term. Those countries towards the top of this index can truly said to be setting good examples and leading humankind onwards into a bright, humane, and free future. See: What is the Best Country in the World? An Index of Morality, Conscience and Good Life.

3. Population and Demographics

#demographics #health #immigration #life_expectancy #overpopulation #Paraguay #population

Old-Age Dependency Ratio (2016)13
Pos.		Lower is better Per 10013
1	Uganda	04.3
2	Mali	04.5
3	Chad	04.7
	...
88	India	12.5
89	Bolivia	12.7
90	Nicaragua	13.1
91	Paraguay	13.2
92	Iran	13.4
93	Samoa	13.7
94	Algeria	14.0
95	Malaysia	14.5
	World Avg	18.3
q=185.

Emigrants (2010)14
Pos.		%14
1	Dominica	104.8
2	Palestine	68.4
3	Samoa	67.3
	...
78	Ecuador	8.3
79	Poland	8.3
80	Afghanistan	8.1
81	Paraguay	7.9
82	Russia	7.9
83	Mali	7.6
84	UK	7.5
85	Honduras	7.5
	World Avg	11.5
q=192.

Fertility Rate (2013)15
Pos.		2.0 is best15
1	Korea, N.	2.00
2	Brunei	1.99
3	St Vincent & Grenadines	2.01
	...
114	Malta	1.28
115	Syria	2.81
116	Bosnia & Herzegovina	1.13
117	Paraguay	2.87
118	Hong Kong	1.12
119	Israel	2.91
120	Jordan	2.93
121	Honduras	3.02
	World Avg	2.81
q=180.

Immigrants (2010)14
Pos.		%14
1	Qatar	86.5
2	Monaco	71.6
3	UAE	70.0
	...
109	Marshall Islands	2.7
110	Trinidad & Tobago	2.6
111	Benin	2.5
112	Paraguay	2.5
113	Slovakia	2.4
114	Micronesia	2.4
115	Uruguay	2.4
116	Cape Verde	2.4
	World Avg	9.2
q=192.

Life Expectancy (2015)16
Pos.		Higher is better Years16
1	Hong Kong	84.16
2	Japan	83.68
3	Italy	83.34
	...
97	El Salvador	73.27
98	Palestine	73.07
99	St Vincent & Grenadines	73.04
100	Paraguay	73.00
101	Tonga	72.99
102	Palau	72.87
103	Vanuatu	72.11
104	Guatemala	72.06
	World Avg	71.27
q=190.

Population (2012)17
Pos.		The Overpopulation of the Earth17
1	China	1.4b
2	India	1.3b
3	USA	315.8m
	...
99	Hong Kong	7.2m
100	Papua New Guinea	7.2m
101	Tajikistan	7.1m
102	Paraguay	6.7m
103	Libya	6.5m
104	Jordan	6.5m
105	Laos	6.4m
106	Togo	6.3m
	World Avg	36.0m
q=195.

Paraguay's population is predicted to rise to 8.67 million by 2030. This country has a fertility rate of 2.87. The fertility rate is, in simple terms, the average amount of children that each woman has. The higher the figure, the quicker the population is growing, although, to calculate the rate you also need to take into account morbidity, i.e., the rate at which people die. If people live healthy and long lives and morbidity is low, then, 2.0 approximates to the replacement rate, which would keep the population stable. If all countries had such a fertility rate, population growth would end. The actual replacement rate in most developed countries is around 2.1.

• The Overpopulation of the Earth
• Abortion, Birth Control and Contraception

4. Politics and Freedom

#antisemitism #burundi #corruption #eritrea #france #freedom #human_development #human_rights #indonesia #mass_media #Paraguay #peace #politics #slavery

Anti-Semite Opinions (2014)18
Pos.		Lower is better %18
1	Laos	0
2	Philippines	3
3	Sweden	4
	...
57	Nicaragua	34
58	Romania	35
59	Cameroon	35
60	Paraguay	35
61	Kenya	35
62	Lithuania	36
63	Guatemala	36
64	France	37
	World Avg	36.8
q=101.

Corruption (2012-2016)19
Pos.		Higher is better Avg Score19
1	Denmark	90.8
2	New Zealand	90.6
3	Finland	89.4
	...
143	Cameroon	26.2
144	Uganda	26.2
145	Kyrgyzstan	26.2
146	Paraguay	26.0
147	Kenya	26.0
148	Bangladesh	25.8
149	Papua New Guinea	25.6
150	Laos	25.4
	World Avg	43.05
q=176.

Global Peace Index (2012)20
Pos.		Lower is better20
1	Iceland	1.11
2	New Zealand	1.24
3	Denmark	1.24
	...
73	Cyprus	1.96
74	Gambia	1.96
75	Gabon	1.97
76	Paraguay	1.97
77	Greece	1.98
78	Senegal	1.99
79	Peru	2.00
80	Nepal	2.00
	World Avg	2.02
q=157.

Nominal Commitment to HR (2009)21
Pos.		Higher is better Treaties21
1	Argentina	24
2	Chile	23
3	Costa Rica	23
	...
7	Peru	23
8	Spain	23
9	Slovenia	23
10	Paraguay	23
11	Serbia	23
12	Sweden	23
13	Uruguay	23
14	Italy	22
	World Avg	15.1
q=194.

Personal, Civil & Economic Freedom (2014)22
Pos.		Lower is better Rank22
1	Hong Kong	1
2	Switzerland	2
3	New Zealand	3
	...
74	S. Africa	74
75	Papua New Guinea	74
76	Nicaragua	76
77	Paraguay	77
78	Mexico	77
79	Trinidad & Tobago	79
80	Bhutan	79
81	Benin	79
	World Avg	79.7
q=159.

Press Freedom (2013)23
Pos.		Lower is better23
1	Finland	638
2	Netherlands	648
3	Norway	652
	...
87	Madagascar	2862
88	Gabon	2869
89	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	2872
90	Paraguay	2878
91	Guinea-Bissau	2894
92	Seychelles	2919
93	Northern Cyprus	2934
94	Guatemala	2939
	World Avg	3249
q=178.

Slavery (2018)24
Pos.		Lower is better % Victims24
1	Japan	0.03
2	Canada	0.05
3	Taiwan	0.05
	...
14	Luxembourg	0.15
15	Qatar	0.15
16	Denmark	0.16
17	Paraguay	0.16
18	Sweden	0.16
19	Ireland	0.17
20	Lebanon	0.17
21	UAE	0.17
	World Avg	0.65
q=167.

The taking of slaves has been an unwholesome feature of Human cultures since prehistory₂₅. Private households and national endeavours have frequently been augmented with the use of slaves. The Egyptian and Roman empires both thrived on them for both purposes. Aside from labourers they are often abused sexually by their owners and their owners' friends₂₆. The era of colonialism and the beginnings of globalisation changed nothing: the imprisonment and forced movements of labour continued to destroy many lives except that new justifications were invented based on Christian doctrine and the effort to convert non-Christians. By 1786 over 12 million slaves had been extracted from Africa and sent to colonial labour camps, with a truly atrocious condition of life₂₇. But they were not the only ones to blame; in Africa internal nations such as the Asantes sold and bought tens of thousands of slaves₂₈.

The abolition of the slave trade was a long and slow process. Until a relatively modern time, even philosophers, religious leaders and those concerned with ethics justified, or ignored, the problem of slavery₂₉. The first abolitionists were always the slaves themselves. Their protests and rebellions caused the industry to become too expensive to continue. After that, it was the economic costs of maintain slave colonies that led the British to reject and then oppose the slave trade globally. Finally, the enlightenment-era thinkers of France encouraged moral and ethical thinking including the declaration of the inherent value of human life and human dignity₃₀. A long-overdue wave of compassionate and conscientious movements swept across the West, eliminating public support for slavery, until the industries and churches that supported it had no choice but to back down.

'Modern slavery' includes forced labour (often of the under-age), debt bondage (especially generational), sexual slavery, chattel slavery and other forms of abuse, some of which can be surprisingly difficult to detect, but often target those fleeing from warzones and the vulnerable.₃₁. Some industries (diamond, clothing, coal) from some countries (Burundi₂₄, Eritrea₂₄, Indonesia₃₂) are a particular concern. The Walk Free Foundation, say that in 2016, 40.3 million people were living in modern slavery₃₃.

5. Gender Equality

#gender #misogyny #Paraguay #politics #women

Gender Inequality (2015)34
Pos.		Lower is better34
1	Switzerland	0.04
2	Denmark	0.04
3	Netherlands	0.04
	...
101	Honduras	0.46
102	Venezuela	0.46
103	Nicaragua	0.46
104	Paraguay	0.46
105	Indonesia	0.47
106	Laos	0.47
107	Dominican Rep.	0.47
108	Namibia	0.47
	World Avg	0.36
q=159.

Year Women Can Vote35
Pos.		Lower is better Year35
1	New Zealand	1893
2	Australia	1902
3	Finland	1906
	...
130	Mauritania	1961
131	Burundi	1961
132	Malawi	1961
133	Paraguay	1961
134	Sierra Leone	1961
135	Zambia	1962
136	Uganda	1962
137	Monaco	1962
	World Avg	1930
q=189.

Gender inequality is not a necessary part of early human development. Although a separation of roles is almost universal due to different strengths between the genders, this does not have to mean that women are subdued, and, such patriarchialism is not universal in ancient history. Those cultures and peoples who shed, or never developed, the idea that mankind ought to dominate womankind, are better cultures and peoples than those who, even today, cling violently to those mores.

Paraguay is an unequal country, with male rights dominating those of women.

See:

• "Religion Versus Womankind" by Vexen Crabtree (2007)

6. Religion and Beliefs

#belief #buddhism #christianity #god #hinduism #islam #judaism #religion

Religiosity (2009)36
Pos.		Lower is better %36
1	Estonia	16
2	Sweden	17
3	Denmark	19
	...
74	Kuwait	91
75	UAE	91
76	Pakistan	92
77	Paraguay	92
78	Saudi Arabia	93
79	Sudan	93
80	Tunisia	93
81	Uganda	93
	World Avg	75.1
q=114.

Disbelief In God (2007)37
Pos.		Higher is better37
1	Vietnam	81
2	Japan	65
3	Sweden	64
	...
70	Tajikistan	2
71	Turkmenistan	2
72	Indonesia	2
73	Paraguay	1
74	Nicaragua	1
75	Bolivia	1
76	Colombia	1
77	Costa Rica	1
	World Avg	9.9
q=137.

Data from the Pew Forum, a professional polling outfit, states that in 2010 the religious makeup of this country was as follows in the table below₃₈:

Christian	96.9%
Muslim	0.1%
Hindu	0.1%
Buddhist	0.1%
Folk Religion	1.7%
Jew	0.1%
Unaffiliated	1.1%

The CIA World Factbook has slightly different data, and states: Roman Catholic 89.6%, Protestant 6.2%, other Christian 1.1%, other or unspecified 1.9%, none 1.1% (2002 census)₃₉.

Links:

• A List of All Religions and Belief Systems
• Secularisation Theory: Will Modern Society Reject Religion? What is Secularism?

7. The Internet

#internet #Paraguay #the_internet

Internet Users (2016)40
Pos.		Higher is better40
1	Iceland	100%
2	Faroe Islands	99%
3	Norway	98%
	...
100	Iran	49%
101	Tunisia	48%
102	Moldova	48%
103	Paraguay	47%
104	Fiji	47%
105	Tonga	47%
106	Nigeria	46%
107	Jordan	46%
	World Avg	48.1%
q=201.

IPv6 Uptake (2017)41
Pos.		Higher is better Ratio41
1	Belgium	55.4
2	Germany	41.8
3	Switzerland	35.1
	...
82	Philippines	0.0
83	Macedonia	0.0
84	Pakistan	0.0
85	Paraguay	0.0
86	Chile	0.0
87	US Virgin Islands	0.0
88	Mauritius	0.0
89	Botswana	0.0
	World Avg	3.82
q=176.

Internet access has become an essential research tool. It facilitates an endless list of life improvements, from the ability to network and socialize without constraint, to access to a seemingly infinite repository of technical and procedural information on pretty much any task. The universal availability of data has sped up industrial development and personal learning at the national and personal level. Individuals can read any topic they wish regardless of the locality of expert teachers, and, entire nations can develop their technology and understanding of the world simply because they are now exposed to advanced societies and moral discourses online. Like every communications medium, the Internet has issues and causes a small range of problems, but these are insignificant compared to the advantages of having an online populace.

8. Public Health Issues

#alcohol #health #mental_health #Paraguay #parenting #population #smoking #suicide #vaccines

Adolescent Birth Rate (2015)34
Pos.		Lower is better Per 100034
1	Korea, N.	0.5
2	Korea, S.	1.6
3	Switzerland	2.9
	...
117	Uruguay	56.1
118	Costa Rica	56.5
119	Seychelles	57.4
120	Paraguay	57.4
121	Ethiopia	58.4
122	Palestine	58.6
123	Jamaica	59.7
124	Azerbaijan	59.8
	World Avg	47.9
q=185.

Alcohol Consumption (2010)42
Pos.		Lower is better Per Capita42
1	Libya	0.1
2	Pakistan	0.1
3	Kuwait	0.1
	...
137	Brazil	8.7
138	Montenegro	8.7
139	Sierra Leone	8.7
140	Paraguay	8.8
141	Venezuela	8.9
142	USA	9.2
143	Sweden	9.2
144	Cyprus	9.2
	World Avg	6.2
q=191.

Food Aid, Health Contributions & WHO Compliance (2017)43
Pos.		Lower is better Rank43
1	Sweden	1
2	Ireland	2
3	Denmark	3
	...
66	Georgia	66
67	Belarus	67
68	Brunei	68
69	Paraguay	69
70	Latvia	70
71	Liberia	71
72	Kazakhstan	72
73	Egypt	73
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 (2015)44
Pos.		Higher is better Avg %44
1	Hungary	99.0
2	China	99.0
3	Uzbekistan	98.9
	...
129	Colombia	88.4
130	Kiribati	88.4
131	Netherlands	88.1
132	Paraguay	88.1
133	Bosnia & Herzegovina	88.0
134	Sierra Leone	87.7
135	Suriname	87.2
136	Ecuador	86.8
	World Avg	88.3
q=194.

Smoking Rates (2014)45
Pos.		Lower is better45
1	Guinea	15
2	Solomon Islands	26
3	Kiribati	28
	...
34	Chad	156
35	Zambia	165
36	Gambia	166
37	Paraguay	166
38	Nigeria	173
39	Guinea-Bissau	175
40	Central African Rep.	178
41	Cameroon	184
	World Avg	819
q=182.

Suicide Rate (2013)46
Pos.		Lower is better Per 100k46
1	Haiti	0
2	Grenada	0
3	Egypt	0.1
	...
15	Venezuela	6.5
16	Malta	6.9
17	Greece	7
18	Paraguay	7.1
19	St Vincent & Grenadines	7.3
20	Guatemala	7.3
21	Barbados	7.3
22	Belize	7.3
	World Avg	20.93
q=91.

9. More Charts and Comparisons to Other Countries