Paraguay

Full name of country: Republic of Paraguay

Region: South America

Official language: Spanish, Guarani

Population: 7,522,549 (2024 est.)

Nationality: Paraguayan(s) (noun), Paraguayan (adjective)

Land area: 397,302 sq km (153,399 sq miles)

Water area: 9,450 sq km (3,649 sq miles)

Capital: Asunción

National anthem: "Paraguayos, Republica o muerte!" (Paraguayans, The Republic or Death!), by Francisco Esteban Acuna De Figueroa/Disputed

National holiday: Independence Day, May 14, 1811 (observed 15 May)

Population growth: 1.09% (2024 est.)

Time zone: UTC –4

Flag: Paraguay’s flag consists of a horizontal, triband design of red (top), white (middle), and blue (bottom) stripes. Centered in the white band is a national emblem—the national coat of arms on the obverse side and the seal of the treasury on the reverse side. Paraguay is only one of two nations—the other being Moldova—to have two different emblems on their national flag.

Motto: "Paz y justicia" (Peace and justice)

Independence: May 14, 1811 (from Spain)

Government type: constitutional republic

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

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

The Republic of Paraguay is a South American nation located in the south-central part of the continent. Landlocked, Paraguay is bordered by Argentina to the south and west, Bolivia to the northwest, and Brazil to the northeast. The country's name comes from the Guaraní language and may refer to the Paraguay River, which flows through the center of the country.

The population is largely Mestizo, the result of intermarriage between the local Guaraní people and Europeans, and Guaraní is an official language along with Spanish. Paraguay is a relatively poor nation, which emerged only in the late twentieth century from political and economic instability. Tourism is relatively low, except from neighboring Argentina.

Note: unless otherwise indicated, statistical data in this article is sourced from the CIA World Factbook, as cited in the bibliography.

People and Culture

Population: Paraguay's population is largely descended from intermarriage between the Spanish and the local Guaraní people. Approximately 95 percent of Paraguayans are Mestizo, or of a mixed Spanish and Indigenous background. This blending is partly the result of the Jesuit missions between the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries. Very few people are of Guaraní descent alone, partly due to intermarriage and partly because of deaths from imported diseases.

Many Paraguayans speak Guaraní. Both Spanish and Guaraní are official languages, though Spanish is the language of commerce and government. Unlike many other Latin American countries, the Indigenous language is spoken by a large percentage of the population. Spanish tends to predominate in urban areas, while Guaraní is more widely spoken in rural areas.

Paraguay has received sizeable numbers of European immigrants, particularly French, Italians, and Germans. The former dictator General Alfredo Stroessner was of German heritage. There is a growing trend of immigration from neighboring Brazil and Argentina, as well as from Arab countries and East Asia.

Among the German immigrants are Mennonites, who settled in the western Chaco region in the early twentieth century in order to practice their way of life in peace. One of the main Mennonite settlements is the town of Filadelfia, capital of the Boquerón department.

As a result of the Spanish colonial era, the population is majority Roman Catholic. As in other Latin American countries, Catholicism has assimilated some of the Indigenous religious traditions. Nearly one-tenth are Protestants, many of them Mennonite settlers. There are also small numbers of Jehovah’s Witnesses, Jews, Mormons, Muslims, Buddhists, and followers of Indigenous faiths.

Most of Paraguay's population lives in the eastern part of the country; the Chaco Desert to the west has very few inhabitants apart from scattered Mennonite communities. Asunción, founded by the Spanish in 1537, is Paraguay's largest city. Most of the population around 63.1 percent which accounts for 3.511 million people live in Asuncion. The city has served as the capital of Paraguay since colonial times, and it is Paraguay's major economic, cultural, and educational center. It takes its name from the fact that it was founded on the Feast of the Assumption of Mary (August 15), a Roman Catholic holy day. Other major cities are Ciudad del Este, Concepción, Luque, Capiata, San Lorenzo, and San Lorenzo.

Indigenous People: Prior to Western contact, Paraguay's Indigenous population was a collection of tribes speaking the Guaraní language. Though known for their fierce fighting abilities, the Guaraní coexisted more or less peacefully with the Spanish and intermarried with them extensively. The work of the Jesuit missions, as well as the role of sympathetic Spanish colonial officials, ensured that the Guaraní language and cultural traditions would survive into modern times.

Despite the widespread use of their language, however, the Guaraní themselves experience high rates of unemployment and suicide and are among the country's poorest people. Besides the Guaraní, the western Chaco region is home to various small Indigenous groups.

Education: Paraguay's public education system is relatively unequal, due to the poverty of the country. Nine years of education (primary and lower secondary school) are compulsory and free. Overall literacy was estimated at 94.5 percent in 2020.

There is an ongoing debate about the role of Guaraní-based education in Paraguay and what the nation's overall language policy should be.

The country has a handful of major public and private universities. The oldest campus in the public National University system is the Universidad Nacional de Asunción, established in 1889. The leading private university is the Universidad Católica Nuestra Señora de la Asunción.

Health Care: Paraguay's public health system is underdeveloped. Most hospitals are located in the capital and major cities. During the mid-1990s, two-thirds of the population still lacked clean drinking water, partly because of inadequate sanitation. By 2017, however, 100 percent of the population was using an improved water source.

Beginning in late 2008, public health care was made universal and free of charge and the health care system was becoming decentralized in an effort toward reform.

Within Guaraní communities, traditional remedies and healers are still prominent. The Guaraní have suffered particularly high rates of suicide, which have been linked to despair over political and economic discrimination, including the illegal seizure of their lands.

Life Expectancy at birth in Paraguay is 76.2 percent in men and 81.6 percent in women as per 2024 estimates. The country ranked 102 out of 193 countries and territories in 2022 United Nations Human Development Index.

Food: Paraguayan cuisine is largely a blend of Spanish and Indigenous cooking, with influences from the various other immigrant groups from Europe, Asia, and Latin America. Maize and cassava are staples, as are beef and dairy dishes.

As in neighboring countries, grilled or roasted meats (called parillada in Paraguay) are a popular meal. The traditional dish known as chipa guazu is a type of casserole made with corn and cheese. It is commonly eaten for breakfast, or accompanying barbequed meat.

Mate, a tea-like beverage, is a national drink, as are beverages made from sugarcane, particularly the liquor known as caña, or cane alcohol.

Arts & Entertainment: As with other aspects of Paraguayan culture, art forms and entertainment are largely a mix of the Indigenous and immigrant cultures. Asunción, the capital city, is the main cultural center. The country is known for its exquisite handicrafts, particularly "spiderweb lace" (ñandutí).

Guaraní is spoken by a large percentage of Paraguay's population, though for many years the language had a low social status. This began to change in the late twentieth century, and Guaraní has become an increasingly popular medium for literature and drama. The major figure of modern Paraguayan literature has been novelist and poet Augusto Roa Bastos (1917–2005), whose works focused on his country's political and social struggles. His best-known work, the 1974 novel Yo el Supremo (I, the Supreme), examines the issue of dictatorship. In 1989, he received Spain's prestigious Cervantes Prize for literature.

Paraguayan music is a blend of European and Indigenous influences. Important modern musical figures include the twentieth-century composers José Asunción Flores (1904–72) and Agustín Barrios-Mangoré (1888–1944), both of whom incorporated Guaraní themes into their works. Flores created the musical form known as the guaranía, and Barrios was particularly noted for his guitar compositions.

Holidays: Paraguay's national holiday is Independence Day (Día de Independencia), May 14, which commemorates the country's independence from Spain. March 1 marks Heroes' Day, and Paraguayans celebrate Labor Day on May 1. June 12 commemorates the armistice ending the Chaco War of the 1930s. August 15 celebrates the founding of Asunción in 1537, while the Boquerón battle is remembered on September 29.

A largely Roman Catholic country, Paraguay also celebrates many Catholic holy days, including Holy Thursday and Good Friday leading up to Easter (March or April), and the Solemnity of the Virgin of Caacupe on December 8.

Environment and Geography

Topography: A landlocked nation, Paraguay is located along the Paraguay River in the south-central part of South America. It is surrounded by Argentina, Bolivia, and Brazil. Paraguay has two main regions: the eastern uplands, home to most of the population, and the largely uninhabited western plain known as the Chaco or Gran Chaco (Great Chaco).

The two regions are divided by the Paraguay River, which flows roughly through the center of the country. The eastern region is covered by grasslands and woodlands, and is watered by the Paraguay and Paraná Rivers. The country's lowest point is 46 meters (151 feet) above sea level, at the confluence of the two rivers. The highest point is Cerro Peró, which rises 842 meters (2,762 feet) above sea level.

The Chaco, which extends into Argentina and Bolivia, is a vast region of dry plains, marshes, jungles, and thick forests. The name derives from the Quechua word for "hunting land." Part of the Chaco is a heavily wooded region known as the Chaco Boreal. The Chaco is also home to Defensores del Chaco National Park. The Mennonites who settled in the Chaco during the early twentieth century had to work extremely hard to fight back the undergrowth in order to build their communities. Paraguay and Bolivia fought the Chaco War from 1932 to 1935 over control of the region, in part because of the discovery of oil there.

Natural Resources: Paraguay has rich natural resources, including hydropower, fertile soil, timber, and minerals. The Paraná River is a major source of hydroelectric power; the Itaipú Dam and the Yacyretá hydroelectric project were both completed in the 1990s.

The main minerals mined in the country are iron, manganese, and limestone. Despite the still-rich stands of timber, the country suffers from deforestation. Increased human settlement has also meant extensive water pollution and shrinking wetlands.

Plants & Animals: The Chaco region is home to many wild species, including large predators such as the jaguar, puma, and South American red wolf. Other large wildlife species include the tapir and giant armadillo. The yacaré or Paraguayan alligator, makes its home in the country's waters.

Bird species include the wood stork, the parrot, and rare, endangered Chacoan peccary. Flamingos and hummingbirds are also frequently spotted.

On the grassland portions of the Chaco, cattle-ranching is a common activity. The Chaco Boreal is a heavily wooded section of the Chaco; common plant species include the guebracho tree, the lapacho tree, and the passionflower.

Climate: Paraguay's climate varies sharply depending on the region. The eastern part of the country is temperate, and in parts subtropical. Some eastern areas are subject to flooding from the fall through spring. Temperatures average around 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit) during the summer. Winter temperatures often drop to 5 degrees Celsius (41 degrees Fahrenheit). The western region, particularly the Chaco, is semiarid, despite the presence of jungles and marshland.

Economy

Paraguay's economy was somewhat sluggish in the early twenty-first century, following decades of political and economic instability, as well as the Latin American monetary crisis of the late 1990s. After a period of slight contraction, the economy resumed modest growth but continued to fluctuate.

Paraguay's gross domestic product (GDP, purchasing power parity) was an estimated $108.022 billion in 2023. Previously, in 2017, it was estimated that one-fifth of Peru's GDP was connected with agriculture, while more than one-quarter was related to industry. More than half involved the service sector.

Industry: Industry in Paraguay involves the processing of local products such as cotton and wood, as well as the production of beverages, steel, cement, and textiles. Paraguay's main exports are agricultural products, including soybeans, meat, corn, rice, and raw sugar.

Paraguay imports many manufactured items, particularly consumer goods. These are often resold to visitors from neighboring Latin American countries.

The Paraguayan economy depends heavily on those of neighboring Brazil, Argentina, and Chile, fellow members of the South American free-trade union. Russia, China, and the United States are other important trading partners.

Alongside the formal economy is an immense informal economy, or "underground" market, based heavily on smuggling and narcotics trafficking.

Agriculture: Paraguay's economy remains heavily agricultural, with around 26.5 percent of its workforce employed in agriculture, according to 2008 estimates. By 2018, slightly more than half of the land was being used in agricultural production. The Chaco is generally non-arable, though with great effort Mennonite immigrants have established farms in that desert region.

The main crops in the formal economy include cotton, sugarcane, grains, tobacco, cassava, and fruits and vegetables. Beef, pork, eggs, and dairy products are important, too. In the black-market economy, Paraguay is a major producer of cannabis, largely for the South American market.

Tourism: Paraguay has relatively limited tourism, with most visitors coming from the neighboring Latin American countries. A major draw is the availability of low-cost consumer goods.

One of the most popular tourist destinations is Asunción, with its many historic buildings and lively cultural life. The Chaco region, with its exotic wildlife, is home to a national park, the Parque Nacional Defensores del Chaco (Defenders of Chaco National Park).

Government

The territory including modern-day Paraguay came under Spanish rule in the early sixteenth century. In 1776, Spain reorganized its holdings in southern South America as the Viceroyalty of Rio de la Plata, with Asunción as the capital of the province or "intendancy" of Paraguay.

Paraguay declared itself an independent republic in 1811, but the government quickly developed into a heavy-handed dictatorship. During the mid-1860s, Paraguay became involved in the disastrous Paraguayan War (also known as the War of the Triple Alliance, 1865–70) against Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay, a conflict in which Paraguay lost over half of its population and much of its territory.

After World War II, Paraguay again fell into disorder, leading eventually to the 1954 coup by General Alfredo Stroessner, who ruled as a dictator for thirty-five years. Stroessner was ousted in a 1989 coup, and democracy was reestablished by the June 1992 constitution.

Under the 1992 constitution, which limited presidential power, Paraguay's president is popularly elected to a five-year term. Reelection is not allowed. The president is both the head of government and the head of state.

Paraguay has a two-house legislature, the members of which are elected by popular vote to five-year terms. Elections are held at the same time as the presidential elections. The upper house, known as the Chamber of Senators (Camara de Senadores), has forty-five members. The lower house, or Chamber of Deputies (Camara de Diputados), has eighty members.

The nine-member Supreme Court of Justice (Corte Suprema de Justicia) is the nation's highest court. The members are appointed by the president and the Senate, from a list of candidates proposed by the Council of Magistrates (Consejo de la Magistratura). The Supreme Court of Justice has the power of judicial review over legislation.

Each of Paraguay's seventeen departments is headed by a governor, who is elected by popular vote. Asunción is governed as its own department.

Since the late nineteenth century, Paraguayan politics have been dominated by struggles between two major political parties. The Colorado Party, or National Republican Association (Asociación Nacional Republicana, or ANR), held power from 1947 to 2008 and regained the presidency in 2013. The main opposition party is the Liberals, known officially as the Authentic Radical Liberal Party (Partido Liberal Radical Auténtico, or PLRA), which has become increasingly influential in the twenty-first century.

Santiago Peña, an economist and former finance minister, won the April 2023 presidential election with more than 42% of the votes for the Colorado Party - the party that has dominated Paraguayan politics for more than 70 years.

Interesting Facts

• Paraguay and Bolivia fought the Chaco War from 1932 to 1935, over control of the Western Chaco region.
• Paraguay did not have a central intelligence agency until the creation of the National Intelligence System in 2014.
• In 2018 Paraguay became the third country to open its embassy to Israel in Jerusalem, a move seen as controversial in the international community.

Bibliography

“Human Development Insights.” Human Development Reports, United Nations Development Programme, 13 Mar. 2024, hdr.undp.org/data-center/country-insights#/ranks. Accessed 16 Jan. 2025.

“Paraguay.” The World Bank, 2024, data.worldbank.org/country/paraguay. Accessed 16 Jan. 2025.

“Paraguay.” The World Factbook, Central Intelligence Agency, 15 Jan. 2025., www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/paraguay/. Accessed 16 Jan. 2025.

“Paraguay.” BBC News, BBC Country Profiles, 22 Aug. 2023, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-19978115, Accessed 16 Jan. 2025.

“Paraguay.” World Health Organization, 2022, www.who.int/countries/pry/en/. Accessed 23 Jun. 2022.

“Paraguay (PRY) Exports, Imports, and Trade Partners.” OEC, Observatory of Economic Complexity, 2020, oec.world/en/profile/country/pry. Accessed 23 Jun. 2022.

“Paraguay: Key Demographic Indicators.” UNICEF Data, UNICEF, data.unicef.org/country/pry. Accessed 23 Jun. 2022.

“2019 Report on International Religious Freedom: Paraguay.” US Department of State, 2020, www.state.gov/reports/2019-report-on-international-religious-freedom/paraguay. Accessed 23 Jun. 2022.‌