Paraguay Government

The government of Paraguay is administered under a representative democratic republic, which means the citizens vote for individuals to represent their interests in government. Governmental responsibilities are administered via 3 branches: executive, legislative, and judicial. The President of Paraguay leads the executive branch and acts as both the Head of Government and the Head of State. Legislative powers are carried out by the bicameral National Congress, which is made up of the Chamber of Senators (45 seats) and the Chamber of Deputies (80 seats). Finally, the judicial branch acts independently and its highest power is held by the Supreme Court of Paraguay.

Voting in Paraguay is mandatory for citizens between the ages of 18 and 75. The presidential candidate may win the election with less than 50% of the vote as long as they have received the majority during the election. For example, President Cartes won the election with only 45.8% of the vote. Since the 1992 Constitution, presidents of Paraguay have been limited to serving a single 5-year term. In 2017, however, the Senate voted to remove that limit, a decision that has been met with public protest. Both the 45 members of the Senate and the 80 members of the Chamber of Representatives are elected based on proportional representation. Each congressional house member serves a 5-year term.

Both houses of the National Congress meet in the Congress Building, which is located in the capital city Asuncón. After the Senate vote to eliminate the presidential term limits set forth in the 1992 Constitution, this site became the center for a number of public protests and riots. In fact, in March of 2017, protesters set fire to the building. Some of the offices within the building are still able to be used, however.

Paraguay was previously dominated by one political party, the Colorado Party, until the 2008 election. Other parliamentary parties in Paraguay include the Authentic Radical Liberal Party, the Party For a Country of Solidarity, the Progressive Democratic Party, the national Republica Association, the Beloved Fatherland Party, and the National Union of Ethical Citizens.

This page was last modified on May 1st, 2018

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Published on 2019-11-06


Capital	Asuncion
Languages	Spanish (official), Guarani (official)
Ethnic Groups	Mestizo (mixed Spanish and Amerindian) 95%, other 5%
Religion	Roman Catholic 89.6%, Protestant 6.2%, other Christian 1.1%, other or unspecified 1.9%, none 1.1% (2002 census)
Government	Presidential republic
Independance	14 May 1811 (from Spain)
Area	406,752.00 km²
Water Area	9,450.00 km²
Land Area	397,302.00 km²
Population	6,862,812.00 Most of the population resides in the eastern half of the country; to the west lies the Gran Chaco, which accounts for 60% of the land territory, but only 2% of the overall population
Location	Central South America, northeast of Argentina, southwest of Brazil
No. Bordering Countries	3
Bordering Countries	Argentina 2,531 km, Bolivia 753 km, Brazil 1,371 km
GDP(PPP)	$64,670,000,000.00 (USD)
GDP (Per Capita)	$9,500.00 (USD)
Export Partners	Its major export partners are Brazil, Russia, Chile, and Argentina.
Export Commodities	Its main exports are soybeans, livestock feed, cotton, meat, and edible oils.
Import Partners	Its major import partners are Brazil, China, and Argentina.
Import Commodities	Its major imports include road vehicles, consumer goods, and tobacco.
Climate	Varies from tropical in east to dry desert in west; temperate to frigid in Andes
Terrain	Grassy plains and wooded hills east of Rio Paraguay; Gran Chaco region west of Rio Paraguay mostly low, marshy plain near the river, and dry forest and thorny scrub elsewhere
Learn More	Paraguay

Paraguay Government

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