Paraguay

Industry.

The principal industries are the cultivation and preparation of mate (Paraguayan tea), cotton, sugar, cattle farming, fruit-growing, tobacco-planting and timber-cutting. The majority of the yerbales (tea plantations) were formerly the property of the Government, but have been acquired by private enterprise. Cotton-growing has increased in recent years, its acreage in 1924 being 30,380. About 1 i,000 ac. are devoted to sugar, and there are many sugar mills largely engaged in the production of spirits.

The cattle industry is of great importance. The number of animals was estimated at 5,000,00o in 1928. The animals are small, but Durham and Hereford bulls have been introduced from Argentina to improve the breed. The increase in the herds has caused the owners of saladero establishments in Argentina and Uruguay to try the working of factories in Paraguay for the preparation of tasajo (jerked beef) and the manufacture of extracts of beef. There are meat-packing plants in several cities.

Oranges, pineapples and other fruits are widely grown, mainly for local use. Tobacco, although of inferior quality, is grown to a considerable extent. The staple diet is maize and mandioca (the chief ingredient in the chipa or Paraguayan bread).

The forests abound in such timber as quebracho, cedar, curupey, lapacho and urundey. Some of these, such as the lapacho and quebracho, are of rare excellence and durability, as is shown by the wonderful state of preservation in which the woodwork of early Jesuit churches still remains. The quebracho forests of the Paraguayan Chaco yield large quantities of tannin, the extracting of this having become one of the important industries of the coun try. Fifteen plants are known to furnish dyes, and eight are sources of fibre—the caraguatay especially being employed in the manufacture of the exquisite nanduty or spider-web lace of the natives. Bricks, leather and furniture are manufactured also.

Commerce.

The commercial situation of Paraguay has im proved in consequence of the investment of foreign capital in industrial enterprise. The principal articles imported are textiles, hardware, wines, rice, canned goods and general provisions ; the exports are yerba mate, hides, hair, meat, quebracho logs and extract, oranges and tobacco. Most of the export trade is with Argentina, a large part of this being for re-shipment at Buenos Aires. The values for the years 1925, 1926 and 1927 were :—

Communications.—Numerous ocean-going liners, most of which fly the Brazilian or the Argentine flag, ply on the Paraguay and the Parana, smaller vessels ascend the tributary streams, which are also utilized for floating lumber down to the ports. During the year 1923, 2,046 steam vessels of an aggregate tonnage of 221,488 tons entered the port of Asuncion; during the same year 2,061 steam vessels of an aggregate tonnage of 226,020 tons were cleared from the port. The most important railway in the republic is the Paraguay Central between Asuncion and Encar naciOn, on the upper Parana, a train-ferry across the Parana. affording connection with Posadas, thus shortening the journey between Buenos Aires and Asuncion from five days to about 48 hours. A few other short lines bring the total railway mileage to 517. There are a few fairly good wagon roads, but most of the roads are in very poor condition.

Post and Telegraph.

Paraguay entered the Universal Postal Union in 1881. Telegraph lines connect Asuncion with other towns, and two lines put the republic in communication with the rest of the world by way of Corrientes and Posadas. Wireless stations have been erected at the capital, at Concepcion and at Paraguari.

Money and Credit.

The principal banks in Paraguay are the Banco de la Republica, with a total authorized capital of $4,000 000, the Bank of London and South America, Ltd., the German Bank of South America, and the Banco Agricola. The Conversion Office (Oficina de Cambios), which is authorized to sell or lend gold, was organized for the administration of the public debt. The gold and silver coinage of Paraguay are legally standardized as identical with those of Argentina (5 gold dollars or pesos=LI) ; but paper money is about the only circulating medium.

Weights and Measures.

The metric system is officially adopted, but the weights in common use are the tonelada (2,025 lb.), the quintal (101.4 lb.), the arroba (25.35 lb.), the libra (1.014 lb.) and the onza (.0616 lb.). The unit for liquid measure is the cuarta (• i665 gal.) ; for dry measure the almud (-66 bu.) and fanega (11 bu.). The land measures are the legua (2.689 m.), the sino (69k sq.yd.), and the legua cuadrada (121 sq.m.).