Capital

Papua-Neuguinea

name: Port Moresby

geographic coordinates: 9 27 S, 147 11 E

time difference: UTC+10 (15 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

time zone note: Papua New Guinea has two time zones, including Bougainville (UTC+11)

etymology: named in 1873 by Captain John MORESBY (1830-1922) in honor of his father, British Admiral Sir Fairfax MORESBY (1786-1877)

Paraguay

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)

Citizenship

Papua-Neuguinea

citizenship by birth: no

citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Papua New Guinea

dual citizenship recognized: no

residency requirement for naturalization: 8 years

Paraguay

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

Legal system

Papua-Neuguinea

mixed legal system of English common law and customary law

Paraguay

civil law system with influences from Argentine, Spanish, Roman, and French civil law models; judicial review of legislative acts in Supreme Court of Justice

Suffrage

Papua-Neuguinea

18 years of age; universal

Paraguay

18 years of age; universal and compulsory until the age of 75

Area

Papua-Neuguinea

total: 462,840 sq km

land: 452,860 sq km

water: 9,980 sq km

Paraguay

total: 406,752 sq km

land: 397,302 sq km

water: 9,450 sq km

Land use

Papua-Neuguinea

agricultural land: 2.6% (2018 est.)

arable land: 0.7% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 1.5% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 0.4% (2018 est.)

forest: 63.1% (2018 est.)

other: 34.3% (2018 est.)

Paraguay

agricultural land: 53.8% (2018 est.)

arable land: 10.8% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 0.2% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 42.8% (2018 est.)

forest: 43.8% (2018 est.)

other: 2.4% (2018 est.)

Location

Papua-Neuguinea

Oceania, group of islands including the eastern half of the island of New Guinea between the Coral Sea and the South Pacific Ocean, east of Indonesia

Paraguay

Central South America, northeast of Argentina, southwest of Brazil

Age structure

Papua-Neuguinea

0-14 years: 37.34% (male 1,871,227/female 1,795,700)

15-64 years: 58.75% (male 2,917,668/female 2,851,691)

65 years and over: 3.9% (2023 est.) (male 189,851/female 193,213)

Paraguay

0-14 years: 22.4% (male 847,721/female 818,983)

15-64 years: 68.54% (male 2,560,031/female 2,539,378)

65 years and over: 9.06% (2023 est.) (male 320,958/female 352,792)

Birth rate

Papua-Neuguinea

28.5 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Paraguay

16.2 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Death rate

Papua-Neuguinea

5.5 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Paraguay

4.9 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Languages

Papua-Neuguinea

Tok Pisin (official), English (official), Hiri Motu (official), some 839 indigenous languages spoken (about 12% of the world's total); many languages have fewer than 1,000 speakers

note: Tok Pisin, a creole language, is widely used and understood; English is spoken by 1%-2%; Hiri Motu is spoken by less than 2%

Paraguay

Spanish (official) and Guarani (official) 46.3%, only Guarani 34%, only Spanish 15.2%, other (includes Portuguese, German, other Indigenous languages) 4.1%, no response 0.4%; note - data represent predominant household language (2012 est.)

major-language sample(s):
La Libreta Informativa del Mundo, la fuente indispensable de información básica. (Spanish)

The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Life expectancy at birth

Papua-Neuguinea

total population: 69.7 years (2023 est.)

male: 68 years

female: 71.5 years

Paraguay

total population: 78.6 years (2023 est.)

male: 76 years

female: 81.4 years

Major urban areas - population

Papua-Neuguinea

410,000 PORT MORESBY (capital) (2023)

Paraguay

3.511 million ASUNCION (capital) (2023)

Median age

Papua-Neuguinea

total: 21.6 years (2023 est.)

male: 21.4 years

female: 21.8 years

Paraguay

total: 31.3 years (2023 est.)

male: 31.1 years

female: 31.5 years

Mother's mean age at first birth

Papua-Neuguinea

21.9 years (2016/18)

note: data represents median age a first birth among women 25-49

Paraguay

22.9 years (2008 est.)

note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-29

Net migration rate

Papua-Neuguinea

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Paraguay

-0.1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Population distribution

Papua-Neuguinea

population concentrated in the highlands and eastern coastal areas on the island of New Guinea; predominantly a rural distribution with only about one-fifth of the population residing in urban areas

Paraguay

most of the population resides in the eastern half of the country; to the west lies the Gran Chaco (a semi-arid lowland plain), which accounts for 60% of the land territory, but only 2% of the overall population

Population growth rate

Papua-Neuguinea

2.31% (2023 est.)

Paraguay

1.12% (2023 est.)

Total fertility rate

Papua-Neuguinea

3.85 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Paraguay

1.88 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Urbanization

Papua-Neuguinea

urban population: 13.7% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization: 2.91% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Paraguay

urban population: 63.1% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization: 1.64% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Education expenditures

Papua-Neuguinea

1.4% of GDP (2020 est.)

Paraguay

3.3% of GDP (2020 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

Papua-Neuguinea

-4.8% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Paraguay

-1.1% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Industrial production growth rate

Papua-Neuguinea

-7.5% (2020 est.)

Paraguay

4.69% (2021 est.)

Labor force

Papua-Neuguinea

3.073 million (2021 est.)

Paraguay

3.43 million (2021 est.)

Population below poverty line

Papua-Neuguinea

37% (2002 est.)

Paraguay

23.5% (2019 est.)

Unemployment rate

Papua-Neuguinea

2.75% (2021 est.)

2.6% (2020 est.)

2.45% (2019 est.)

Paraguay

7.21% (2021 est.)

7.55% (2020 est.)

6.59% (2019 est.)

Public debt

Papua-Neuguinea

48.68% of GDP (2020 est.)

40.15% of GDP (2019 est.)

36.67% of GDP (2018 est.)

Paraguay

19.5% of GDP (2017 est.)

18.9% of GDP (2016 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Papua-Neuguinea

4.48% (2021 est.)

4.87% (2020 est.)

3.93% (2019 est.)

Paraguay

4.79% (2021 est.)

1.77% (2020 est.)

2.76% (2019 est.)

Exports

Papua-Neuguinea

$11 billion (2021 est.)

$9.36 billion (2020 est.)

$11 billion (2019 est.)

note: data are in current year dollars

Paraguay

$14.154 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$11.794 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$13.272 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Exports - partners

Papua-Neuguinea

Japan 25%, China 25%, Australia 16%, Taiwan 6%, South Korea 6% (2021)

Paraguay

Brazil 32%, Argentina 22%, Chile 8%, Russia 8% (2019)

Imports

Papua-Neuguinea

$4.25 billion (2021 est.)

$3.77 billion (2020 est.)

$4.14 billion (2019 est.)

Paraguay

$13.454 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$10.46 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$13.146 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports - partners

Papua-Neuguinea

Australia 27%, China 25%, Singapore 13%, Malaysia 8%, Indonesia 5% (2021)

Paraguay

Brazil 24%, United States 22%, China 17%, Argentina 10%, Chile 5% (2019)

Airports

Papua-Neuguinea

561 (2021)

Paraguay

799 (2021)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

Papua-Neuguinea

total: 21,000 (2020 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 0.2 (2020 est.)

Paraguay

total: 562,369 (2020 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 8 (2020 est.)

Internet users

Papua-Neuguinea

total: 3.168 million (2021 est.)

percent of population: 32% (2021 est.)

Paraguay

total: 5.159 million (2021 est.)

percent of population: 77% (2021 est.)

Paraguay

total: 30 km (2014)

standard gauge: 30 km (2014) 1.435-m gauge

Roadways

Papua-Neuguinea

total: 9,349 km (2011)

paved: 3,000 km (2011)

unpaved: 6,349 km (2011)

Paraguay

total: 78,811 km (2020)

paved: 8,573 km (2020)

unpaved: 70,238 km (2020)

Telephones - fixed lines

Papua-Neuguinea

total subscriptions: 170,000 (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 2 (2021 est.)

Paraguay

total subscriptions: 203,971 (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 3 (2021 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

Papua-Neuguinea

total subscriptions: 4.8 million (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 48 (2021 est.)

Paraguay

total subscriptions: 7,975,074 (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 119 (2021 est.)

Waterways

Papua-Neuguinea

11,000 km (2011)

Paraguay

3,100 km (2012) (primarily on the Paraguay and Paraná River systems)

Disputes - international

Papua-Neuguinea

Papua New Guinea-Australia: relies on assistance from Australia to keep out illegal cross-border activities from primarily Indonesia, including goods smuggling, illegal narcotics trafficking, and squatters and secessionists

Paraguay

Paraguay-Argentina-Brazil: unruly region at convergence of Paraguay-Argentina-Brazil borders is locus of money laundering, smuggling, arms and illegal narcotics trafficking, and fundraising for violent extremist organizations