Paraguayan
Paraguay, whose official name is República del Paraguay (in Guarani, Paraguai Tavakuairetã), is a landlocked country located in central South America. It is organized as a unitary state, whose territory is made up of a capital district and 17 departments. Its capital and most populous city is Asunción. The form of government of Paraguay is the republic that is governed by the presidential system and is also organized as a state of law, democratic and non-denominational. It is a founding member of Mercosur together with Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay.
It has an area of 406 752 km², being the 7th largest country in South America, and with a population of more than 7,400. 000 inhabitants, of which almost 40% live in Greater Assumption. It borders with Argentina to the southeast, south, southwest and west; with Bolivia to the north and northwest; and with Brazil to the east and northeast. Its territory is characterized by two different regions separated by the Paraguay River, the Oriental, which is the most populated, and the Occidental, which is part of the Chaco Boreal. Although it is a landlocked state, it has coasts, beaches, and ports on the Paraná and Paraguay rivers, which lead to the Atlantic Ocean through the Paraná-Paraguay Waterway.
The Paraguayan Constitution declares it a multicultural and bilingual country, establishing Spanish and Guaraní as official languages. Paraguay has a literacy rate of people over 15 years of age of over 94%, and a life expectancy of 78.1 years according to the CIA World Factbook. It is ranked 103rd globally in the human development index, with 0.728 points in 2020, its HDI being high. For its part, the structure of the Paraguayan economy is made up of 11.4% in the agricultural and livestock sector, 33.5% in the industrial sector, 47.5% in the services sector and 7.6% in taxes.
Human presence dates back to the Neolithic period, dating from about 3,200 years BC. During the pre-Columbian period it was inhabited by indigenous peoples of the Tupi-Guarani and Mataco-Guaicurú groups. The arrival of the Spanish marked the beginning of the Hispanic rule of this territory, until the 19th century, when in the early hours of May 14 and 15, 1811, Paraguay achieved its independence. The history of the fledgling nation was marked by an economy that grew in the beginning, until the advent of two great international wars that devastated the country. The successive political struggles for power, together with two civil wars, culminated in a fierce dictatorship that was finally overthrown and from there, the democratic period that continues to this day was established.
Toponymy
The original name comes from the Guarani place name paraguay, considering that the letter «Y» in Guarani represents the sound [ɨ] (an unrounded central close-type guttural vowel) in the International Phonetic Alphabet and therefore does not have the same pronunciation in Spanish. No definitive conclusion has been reached about the origin of the name Paraguay. The most common interpretations throughout national history suggest:
- River that originates a sea.
- Water of the payaguas (payaguá-y, payaguá-i): The Spanish military and scientist Félix de Azara stated these two versions, the first concerned the natural payaguas that lived on the banks of the river; and the other refers to the name of a large cacique called 'Paraguaio'.
- River passing by the sea (Gran Pantanal): Version of Franco-Argentine historian and writer Paul Groussac.
- River of the inhabitants of the sea: Former Paraguayan president and politician Juan Natalicio González supported this version.
- Crowned river: Interpretation by Fray Antonio Ruiz de Montoya.
In Guarani, the place name Paraguay refers to the area where the city of Asunción is located, while Paraguai is the name of the national territory.
History
Pre-Columbian times
The territory of Eastern Paraguay, made up of the area located between the Paraná River to the southeast and the Paraguay River to the northwest, was inhabited by various Indo-American ethnic groups that were in a state of war with each other. It is not yet known if the lágidos were the first to occupy the territory or if they were preceded by the pámpidos (agaces, payaguás, etc).
What is documented is that around the XV century, the Amazonian Avas, commonly known as Guarani, managed to advance from the north and east thanks to their numerical superiority and the possession of a more developed material culture, since they practiced the horticulture of cassava, corn and peanuts. The practice of clear-cut agriculture allowed them surpluses to support a population in continuous demographic growth that required new territories.
Thanks to their basic economic organization and their demography, the Guarani came to be organized quasi-state, with chiefs called mburuvichás or tuvichás. There is talk of a pre-Columbian civilization in what is now Eastern Paraguay. Indeed, graphics have been found in various areas of Paraguay, in what are now cities, such as Tacuatí and Paraguarí among others; although it is not possible to specify exactly the ethnic groups that carried them out.
What is now Eastern Paraguay consisted of numerous semi-nomadic Amerindian tribes speaking mainly the Avañe'e or Guaraní language, who were renowned for their fierce warrior traditions. They practiced a mythical polytheistic religion, which was later mixed with Christianity. At first the Spaniards and other Europeans were called karaý or caraí, a word that formerly in Guarani alluded to someone who was supposed to be endowed with supernatural powers; then the word Karai-Guasu was resignified as a synonym for great lord.
Spanish viceroyalty period
16th century
The documented history of Paraguay began indirectly in 1516 with the failed expedition of Juan Díaz de Solís to the Río de la Plata. After Solís's death, the expedition sailed back to Spain, but one of the ships was wrecked nearby. from the Brazilian coast. Among the survivors was Alejo García, a Spanish-born Portuguese adventurer who, before 1533, led a contingent of 2,000 Guarani warriors that reached the borders of the Inca Empire. García's entourage managed to steal a considerable amount of silver, but his indigenous allies assassinated him along with the other Europeans. However, the news of the incursion into Inca territory attracted other explorers such as Sebastián Caboto who arrived at the Paraguay River two years later.
In 1536 the arrival of Pedro de Mendoza took place, the first advance of the Río de la Plata, who after fulfilling his objectives set in the capitulation signed with the crown in 1534, was forced to return to Spain by the disease that afflicted him. Before leaving, he had let Juan de Ayolas go with the order to find a way to Upper Peru. Due to the delay of Ayolas, Juan de Salazar set sail in his search that would be unsuccessful and in 1537 he founded Asunción.
After an interregnum, Domingo Martínez de Irala prevailed and took the place left by Mendoza. He arrived in Asunción and almost immediately had to face an attempted revolt by the Carians in 1539, which was discovered and defeated. In 1541 the remnant of the population of Buenos Aires arrived in Asunción and it acquired the rank of city. However, a great fire nearly destroyed the entire city in 1543.
The Spanish monarchy appointed Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca governor of Paraguay (1542), but his power was usurped by Domingo Martínez de Irala, who imprisoned him and deported him to Spain in 1545. Shortly before Irala's death in 1556, the indigenous encomienda system was introduced.
Between 1550 and 1590, Asunción was the center of Spanish colonization on the Río de la Plata, several founding expeditions departing from this city, such as Villa de Ontiveros (1554), Ciudad Real (1557), Nueva Asunción (1559), Santa Cruz de la Sierra (1561), Villa Rica (1570), Santa Fe (1573), the refounding of Buenos Aires (1580), Concepción de Buena Esperanza (1585), Corrientes (1588) and Santiago de Jerez (1593).
Hernando Arias de Saavedra was elected interim governor in 1592, being the first Creole to reach such a high position. In 1598, the viceroy of Peru appointed him titular governor. His internal policy was aimed at the defense of the indigenous in a situation of encomienda and the exploration of the territory.
17th century
In 1607, Hernandarias wanted to remedy the situation of isolation, distance and threat in which the cities of Guayrá, Santiago de Jerez, Villa Rica and Ciudad Real found themselves, which were isolated from commercial flows and incommunicado, for which he requested to the king the division of said provinces with a governor for each of them. The king requested a report from the viceroy of Peru, the Marquis of Montesclaros, who deemed it appropriate to create a new governorate adding the three cities of Guayrá to Asunción, each governorate would have four cities.
The division was made in 1617, thus resulting in the Governorate of the Río de la Plata, with Buenos Aires as the capital, as well as Santa Fe, Concepción de Buena Esperanza and Corrientes; while the Government of Paraguay would have Asunción as its capital, plus the cities of Villa Rica, Santiago de Jerez and Ciudad Real.
In 1628, the bandeirantes incursions into the area of the new government, affecting several reductions and towns of Guayrá and Itatín, whose areas gradually became depopulated since 1632. However, the bandeirantes suffered a setback at the hands of the Guarani of the Jesuit missions in the battle of Mbororé (1641). Even so, the bandeirantes continued with several episodes of attacks, the destruction of Villa Rica in 1676 being of greater resonance.
At the end of this century and the next, they are characterized by the constant struggles that the governors waged against the Guaicurúes of Chaco and the Portuguese of Brazil.
18th century
The first half of this century would be marked by the so-called community revolution. Previously, this conflict already appeared between 1644 and 1650, when the residents of Asunción faced the command of Bishop Bernardino de Cárdenas against the Jesuits, which led to the expulsion of the former by an army of Indians from the Missions.
Subsequently, the second community revolution arose in 1717 when the inhabitants of Asunción raised complaints of abuse of authority by Governor Diego de los Reyes Balmaceda. For this purpose, the investigating judge José de Antequera y Castro was sent, who found the accusations true and ousted Balmaceda, taking the government of the province in 1721. The fight spread between the Asuncians and Jesuits, until the viceroy of Peru, a sympathizer of the latter, ordered Bruno Mauricio de Zabala to march to Asunción with a large army of Indians, managing to occupy it in 1725. Antequera fled to Lima, where he was arrested and sentenced to death in 1731. Tempers did not calm down in Paraguay but until 1735, when Zabala marches again towards Asunción, managing to defeat the community members in the battle of Tavapy and imposing harsh sanctions on the province.
The Viceroyalty of Río de la Plata, created in 1776 with its capital in Buenos Aires, integrated Paraguay into its jurisdiction, separating it from the Viceroyalty of Peru. Thus, in 1782, Asunción was, in the Municipality of Paraguay, the only population with the category of city. The area to the south of the Tebicuary River and to the east of the Caaguazú mountain range corresponded to the Government of the Guaraní Missions, constituted with the remains of the Jesuit Missions under Spanish control.
In 1806 and 1807 the English invasions took place, occupying the areas of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata corresponding to the Banda Oriental and a large part of Buenos Aires; Troops from Asunción and Córdoba marched towards the capital and successfully dislodged the invaders.
Independence and formation of the Paraguayan state
Beginnings
In 1810, the Spanish War of Independence allowed Argentines to establish the First Junta with the aim of forming a Congress of all the provinces of the Viceroyalty of the Río de La Plata. The Municipality of Paraguay refused to submit to the Junta, managing to later defeat the army sent to make it independent. Months later, the victorious troops began the Revolution of May 1811. On June 17, a Paraguayan congress appointed a government junta chaired by Fulgencio Yegros, and on October 12, a Treaty of Friendship, Assistance and Assistance was signed with Buenos Aires. Trade.
The Second National Congress met on September 30, 1813. There, a new form of government was elected, the Consulate led by Yegros and José Gaspar Rodríguez de Francia; and the name Republic was adopted. A short time later Yegros withdrew from the government. Then, the Congress meeting on October 3, 1814 resolved to grant the title of temporary dictator of the Republic of Paraguay to José Gaspar Rodríguez de Francia.
The Fourth National Congress, meeting in May 1816, declared José Gaspar Rodríguez de Francia perpetual dictator, a position he held until his death in 1840. His intensely personal regime and policy of self-sufficiency left the country isolated and without alternatives in political institutions. He also prohibited river traffic to Argentina, as well as all foreign trade and few people could enter or leave the territory.
He introduced modern methods of agriculture and livestock, and organized the army. Most of the large properties where food was grown and supplied to the population free of charge were confiscated. He abolished the Inquisition, suppressed the theology faculty, tithes, and deprived the nobility of their privileges.
The French regime laid the foundations of a strong and dirigiste State to undertake the economic modernization of the country. Paraguay thus established rigorous protectionism at a time when most other countries were adopting the free trade system promoted by the United Kingdom. This model, continued after the death of France by his successors Carlos Antonio López and later Francisco Solano López, made Paraguay one of the most modern and socially advanced countries in Latin America: the redistribution of wealth was so extensive that many foreign travelers reported that there was no begging, hunger or conflict in the country. Agrarian reform has made possible an equitable distribution of land. Asunción was one of the first capitals of the continent to inaugurate a railway network. The country had a growing industry and a merchant fleet of ships built in national shipyards, a trade surplus, and no debt.
José Gaspar Rodríguez de Francia died without leaving any provision regarding his succession. After a brief anarchic period, a congress reestablished a second consulate in 1841, made up in the same way as the first, by a military man, Commander General of Arms Mariano Roque Alonso, and a civilian, Carlos Antonio López (Rodríguez de Francia's nephew).
In 1842, the General Congress formally declared Paraguay's independence from the Argentine Confederation. López was elected president in 1844 and the country's first constitution was proclaimed, enshrining a presidential regime. During his rule, Paraguay became opened to international trade. With the help of the army, which he had considerably strengthened, he tried to get Brazil and Argentina to recognize the country's independence.
War against the Triple Alliance
Paraguay had had border disputes with Argentina and Brazil for several years. While with Uruguay, the change of political command in the government of that country —and in the middle of the civil war— was the cause of the alliance with these two countries. It is in this context that the War against the Triple Alliance (1864-1870) which was the deadliest war in the history of Latin America. President Francisco Solano López was the Paraguayan leader during the war, in which Paraguay fought against the forces of Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina.
The Paraguayan Army, after an initial attack towards the end of 1864, had to return to its borders a year later and face the defense in its territory. After the definitive Paraguayan defeat in 1870, Brazilian troops occupied the country until 1876 Paraguay lost a large part of its territory (199,992 km²) and was forced to pay a large war indemnity. Industry and free public education disappeared, as well as the so-called "estancias de la patria", which supplied food to the population. The railway and the telegraph line were confiscated as a means of paying off the war debt.
Although there has been controversy about the number of casualties Paraguay suffered in the war, it is estimated that between 60% and 70% of the country's total population disappeared. The male population was decimated, as it is estimated that up to 95% of them died in the defense of their homeland. A good part died in combat, and the rest died because of crimes and, above all, diseases, hunger and exhaustion. Of the country's 156,000 to 169,000 population at the end of the war, only approximately 28,600 were adult men.
Between two wars
Until 1876, Paraguay—devastated in every way—was practically a satellite state of the Brazilian Empire. That same year, the final Peace Treaty on the War of the Triple Alliance was signed. In addition, a Boundary, Peace, Commerce and Navigation Treaty was signed with Argentina. That country recognized Paraguayan sovereignty over the Chaco territory, from the Río Verde to Bahía Negra.
During the government of Bernardino Caballero (1880-1886), the institutions were reorganized, the railway lines and the telegraph were extended. He was succeeded by General Patricio Escobar, who continued his policy. His opponents founded in 1887 the first modern party in Paraguay, the Liberal Party, which followed the tradition of the opponents of the López government. That same year, supporters of the government founded the Colorado Party, which claimed the nationalist tradition and the Paraguayan performance in the Triple Alliance war; this would retain the government until the beginning of the next century.
In the following years, the Liberal Party led the country; however, it was divided into factions, which led to constant political instability. Successive revolutions led by both dissident Liberals and Colorados led to short terms of government, neither of which managed to complete the four years prescribed by the Constitution. The first to do so since Escobar's presidency was Eduardo Schaerer, between 1912 and 1916; His government period was marked by great economic growth, caused by the commercial advantages brought by the First World War. Later, supporters of former President Schaerer, allied with the Colorados, led the country into the Paraguayan Civil War of 1922-1923, in which they were defeated. Only after 1924 did a period of stability begin in which three consecutive presidents completed their four-year term.
The Chaco War and the last civil war
Until the late 1920s, the Chaco Boreal was a territory inhabited by sovereign indigenous communities. No country had effective control of the territory except its borders. Paraguay, for geographical reasons, corresponded to the western sector of the territory and to Bolivia the eastern sector, although it was difficult to specify specific limits. The problems of determining the limits between Paraguay and Bolivia already dated from the colonial era. Other causes also include the alleged oil interests that would exist in the area, and an outlet to the sea through the Paraguay River on the part of Bolivia —which had lost its outlet to the sea in the War of the Pacific—, among others.
After four years of isolated skirmishes between small Bolivian and Paraguayan squadrons since 1928, the Paraguayan Army managed to win the battle of Boquerón in 1932 —the year the war officially began— but the official declaration of war did not it arrived until 1933 by Paraguay. After three years of conflict, Paraguay took extensive territories but its claim to mark the border from where the Paraguayan army forced the Bolivian army to withdraw was unsuccessful. The boundary issue was fixed with the treaty of July 21, 1938. Despite the Paraguayan triumph, the country was devastated humanely and economically and the loss of its territory of about 100,000 km², as well as 30,000 deaths among civilians and military.
After the Chaco War (which ceased hostilities in 1935), until the beginning of the government of Alfredo Stroessner (in 1954), there was a period of great political instability in Paraguay: there were at least ten presidents (the majority 'de facto') in less than twenty years, and a Paraguayan civil war that led to the death of around thirty thousand Paraguayans, and hundreds of thousands of exiles who emigrated abroad.
In 1946, a coalition government was formed between the Colorado Party and the Febrerista Revolutionary Party. In January 1947, the Colorado Party ousted the Febrerista Party from government, leading to a new civil war in which a coalition of the Liberal Party, the Febrerista Revolutionary Party and the Paraguayan Communist Party rose up against the government. The Colorado Party achieved victory. From then on, the full hegemony of this party was consolidated, which would bring the then Colonel Alfredo Stroessner to power. The prevailing system during the period 1947-1962 was a single party, in which the Colorado Party was the only legal one.
Stroessner's military dictatorship
Beginnings
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General Alfredo Stroessner seized power in a coup in May 1954. Elected to complete his predecessor's unexpired term, he was re-elected president six times, ruling almost continuously under a state of siege.
Already in power, with the purpose of putting an end to 50 years of what he called anarchy but which was really a controversial succession of constitutionalist presidents, including President Federico Chaves himself, democratically elected by the Colorado Party, who destroyed by his dictatorship to turn it into a mere group of sycophants, Stroessner immediately abolished constitutional guarantees, kept the activities of political parties under control, and exerted harsh repression. He governed with the support of the Army and the Colorado Party. In the latter he carried out a series of purges that facilitated his control, with the aim of staying in power.
Consolidation
During the nearly thirty-five years of Stroessner's rule, political freedoms were severely limited, and opponents of the regime were systematically tortured, harassed, and persecuted under the banner of national security and anti-communism. Since 1967 gave institutional legitimacy to Stroessner's control, Paraguay progressively isolated itself from the world community.[1]
Every four years, the regime organizes elections, which each time result in the re-election of the president. The Constitution is amended to allow a lifetime presidency. Hundreds, if not thousands, of people are killed for political reasons, at least 20,000 people are tortured, 1.8 million Paraguayans (approximately a third of the population) go into exile for political or economic reasons.
He received strong support from the United States, from Brazil, then under a military dictatorship, and from Chile after Pinochet's coup. President Richard Nixon went so far as to declare that the Stroessner regime was a "viable model of democracy for Latin America." "Guided by the expert hand of General Stroessner," declared Gustavo Leigh, one of the members of the Chilean junta that supported Pinochet, at the opening of the third congress of the Latin American Anti-Communist Confederation in 1977, "Paraguay was one of the first in America to erect barricades to defend itself from the communist germ, in an exemplary attitude for the American peoples". US officers participate in training their Paraguayan counterparts in torture techniques. The most famous, the pool, consisted of submerging the opponents in a bathtub full of excrement, to the limit of their strength.
The regime is also responsible for the forced and brutal sedentarization of the Aché Indians beginning in 1967, which was accompanied by murder and during which the Indians were subjected to slavery-like working conditions and robbed children. In 2013, the Aché filed a complaint against the Paraguayan State for crimes against humanity and genocide before the Argentine courts.
Socio-economic impacts
He totally changed the nature of Paraguayan politics at the time, by controlling the Colorado Party, defining the role of the opposition, and pleasing the Armed Forces. The government party also became a framework dedicated to the distribution of favors. Corruption spread in this way in what is remembered as "the trilogy": Government-party-armed forces. In a nation with enough historical figures, Stroessner practically became the symbol of Paraguay: cities, streets, buildings, the currency, the postage stamps, everything had his name printed on it. When various groups tried to come to power, Stroessner ended his ambitions by either controlling or co-opting his leaders. Between 1954 and 1989, some 8 million hectares (a third of the country's agricultural land) were distributed among those close to the government, mainly civil servants, some of whom amassed considerable fortunes. The high concentration of wealth and land made Paraguay one of the most unequal countries in the world during this period. He later promulgated laws to persecute those who opposed his government, reaching one of the worst records of human rights violations. in Latin America.
In addition to the financial support received from the United States, the Paraguayan State, thanks to its geographical location, makes smuggling one of its main sources of income. From alcohol to exotic animals, drugs and automobiles, the volume of contraband is triple the official export figure.
In the 1950s, great social inequality was experienced, such that more than 6% of the Paraguayan population was made up of rural peasant laborers, while only 1,500 landowners owned 85% of arable land. Stroessner received the country in the midst of a political crisis, due to years of continuous political confrontations between different groups and coups d'états. He, in turn, inherited a primary agricultural economy, an almost non-existent industrial sector with a small internal market —at that time Paraguay had barely a million inhabitants, mostly of rural origin—, which discouraged industrial businesses.
Overthrow
During the 1980s, Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay returned to democracy and the Paraguayan people took advantage of that political climate to take to the streets to demonstrate. These demonstrations were led by the National Agreement (PLRA, Febrerista) and the unions, but they were violently repressed, despite being peaceful. As a result, Stroessner was abandoned by his former allies, such as the United States, and the economy worsened. In 1987, the Colorado Party Convention was held. His party planned to choose his eldest son, Gustavo Stroessner, as a candidate, due to rumors that the already elderly dictator suffered from an illness, but they chose him, starting an internal crisis in his party, dividing it into two factions: militants (stronistas) and traditionalists. In the fraudulent elections of 1988 he obtained 88.8% of the votes. That same year he received Pope John Paul II in Paraguay. Due to the brutality of his dictatorship, the traditionalist faction of his party, the military and especially the Catholic Church, began to show their discomfort towards the regime, for which they discreetly joined the opposition to prepare the overthrow of the dictator.
On February 3, 1989, General Andrés Rodríguez, chief of the General Staff and his own son-in-law, carried out a coup against Alfredo Stroessner. With him ended the longest dictatorship in Paraguayan history. After dissolving Parliament, General Rodríguez called elections for May 1 and announced the legalization of all parties, except the communist party.
Current Democratic Era
Transition to democracy
In May 1989 (three months after the coup), Andrés Rodríguez called for elections and was later elected president representing the Colorado Party, which also reported the election for representatives and senators. As president, Rodríguez instituted political, legal, and economic reforms. On March 26, 1991, the Treaty of Asunción was signed, an agreement creating Mercosur.
Paraguay has never brought to justice those most responsible for torture and murder during the dictatorship (only some police officers and one civilian have been convicted).
In addition, the 1992 constitution (current constitution) entered into force, which established provisions for the protection of political and civil rights, the independence of the powers of the State, and the creation of electoral justice, among other institutions and declared the abolition of the death penalty. At the end of that same year, Martín Almada —an opponent of the dictatorship— and the newspaper Noticias ―through the journalists Christian Torres, Zulia Giménez, Alberto Ledesma and José Gregor, among others, discovered the so-called "Terror Files", documents that showed that Stroessner had participated in Operation Condor, an anti-communist military agreement for the persecution of exiles, with the support of the military dictatorships of Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador and Uruguay, which led to the torture, kidnapping and murder of thousands of Paraguayans and citizens of the aforementioned countries.
During the tenure of Juan Carlos Wasmosy, Paraguay's first civilian president in almost forty years, the country suffered the worst financial crisis in its history, with the failure of more than twenty banks between 1995 and 1998. the political gains made after the 1989 coup. Wasmosy removed General Lino Oviedo from the army under the accusation of wanting to lead a coup against him in April 1996, and in 1997, after Oviedo won the presidential internship of the Colorado Party, had him imprisoned and prosecuted by a military court for the same crime. Very popular at the time, he won the elections and three days after taking office he pardoned Oviedo, freeing him from jail. The opposition contested the fact and obtained from the Supreme Court an annulment of the pardon that Cubas did not comply with.
Political and economic instability
In March 1999, the political situation became even more complicated after the assassination of the vice president and longtime Oviedista rival, Luis María Argaña. The opposition blamed General Oviedo for the incident. The Plaza del Congreso was filled with protesters against the government, which led the Chamber of Deputies to judge Cubas the next day. In addition, the shooting of eight protesters by unknown persons during the Paraguayan March made it clear that the Senate would vote to remove Cubas. The president resigned on March 28 and went into exile in Brazil. The same day Oviedo fled to Argentina, where he obtained political asylum, and then went on to Brazil.
Senate President Luis González Macchi, an opponent of Cubas, was sworn in as president the day Cubas resigned. As president he tried to form a coalition government to encourage cooperation within Paraguay and repair the economy that was damaged by the political crisis. However, the coalition did not last long, as the PLRA left the coalition in 2000, leaving the government without a majority in Congress. González Macchi became very unpopular due to the serious economic crisis and found serious problems in Congress, because few legislators were willing to vote in favor of his bills. Yet just a year after coming to power, he faced impeachment proceedings, accused of embezzling $16 million for himself. However, he managed to stay in power thanks to a & # 34; clan war & # 34; within the Colorado party. Very unpopular, he tried to calm the discontent by agreeing to suspend the privatization process. He declared a state of emergency in July 2002. The repression of demonstrations against his government resulted in several deaths and hundreds of arrests.
In May 2000, he had to face a coup attempt, which, although it failed, weakened the power of the president. The following year, he had to face an impeachment attempt against him by the National Congress. This initiative by the opponents failed, just like the coup attempt the previous year. Despite being politically weakened, he was able to maintain his government until the end of the term left by Cubas. The liberal Julio César Franco won the August 2000 election to fill the vice-presidential vacancy, although two years later he resigned to run for the elections. 2003 elections.
In 2003, Nicanor Duarte Frutos was elected president, who in the economic order achieved a rebound in the Paraguayan economy and GDP growth, initiating a recovery from the country's economic crisis. However, at the beginning of 2006 a new political crisis occurred, due to a controversial resolution of the Supreme Court of Justice, which empowered Duarte Frutos to exercise the presidency of the Colorado Party. Later, Duarte Frutos began an unsuccessful campaign to modify the Constitution in order to achieve re-election.
On August 1, 2004, the greatest civil tragedy in the history of Paraguay took place, with the Tragedy of Ycua Bolaños, in which more than 300 people died and the same number were injured in a fire in a supermarket in the capital.
Change of political leadership and news
After more than 60 years in power, the Colorado Party lost the presidency to ex-bishop Fernando Lugo in 2008. This presidential term, during which Paraguay joined the Union of South American Nations (Unasur), was interrupted by the political crisis of 2012 that began after a political trial in which Lugo was removed from the presidency, accused of poor performance in his duties. Then, Federico Franco, until then vice president of the Republic, assumed the presidency. Unasur governments spoke out in rejection of what they considered a rupture of the democratic order and refused to recognize the new government. As a consequence, Paraguay was suspended from the Mercosur and Unasur meetings, pending the results of the 2013 general elections in which businessman Horacio Cartes was elected president.
After the 2013 elections, and with the inauguration of Horacio Cartes (for the Colorado Party), the sanctions imposed on Paraguay by Mercorsur and Unasur were lifted. In March 2017, some demonstrations (known as as the second Paraguayan March) in response to a constitutional amendment that would allow Paraguayan President Horacio Cartes to run for presidential re-election (considered a violation of the constitution), in which protesters even went as far as setting fire to the Paraguayan Congress building, in addition to dozens of injuries and even one death, after receiving a shotgun blast from the police.
In the last presidential elections of 2018, the businessman Mario Abdo Benítez, for the Colorado Party, was the winner, with more than one million votes obtained in the contest. During his government term, the COVID-19 Pandemic passed globally, leaving the country with more than 6,000 deaths until April 26, 2021 (more than one hundred daily deaths during the "peak")., with a severe health crisis, in which the intensive care (UTI) beds have not been able to cope, as well as a severe economic crisis, as a result of the decreed quarantine and the closure of borders in border cities, with thousands of bankrupt companies; consequently, protests took place at the country level in March 2021.
Government and politics
The Republic of Paraguay, organized as a Unitary State, was fundamentally modified by the 1992 Constitution, which ensures the division of powers. According to this last constitutional text, it constitutes a social State of law, unitary, indivisible, and decentralized, adopting for its government representative, participatory, and pluralistic democracy, founded on the recognition of human dignity. The Executive Power is exercised by the President of the Republic. In addition, there is a vice-president who, in the event of impediment or temporary absence of the president or permanent vacancy of said position, replaces him with all his powers. The president and vice president are elected jointly by popular vote, on the same ballot, for a five-year term, with no possibility of re-election.
The president is the head of state and government of Paraguay. It has, among other powers, the power to appoint and remove at will the ministers of the Executive Power, who are the heads of the administration of their respective portfolios, in which, under the direction of the President of the Republic, they promote and execute the policy relating to matters within its competence. The meeting of all the ministers, by convocation of the president, is called the Council of Ministers. The purpose of the cabinet or council of ministers is to coordinate executive tasks, promote government policy and make collective decisions.
The government of each department is exercised by a governor and by a Departmental Board, elected by direct vote of the citizens residing in the respective departments, in elections coinciding with the general elections, and they last five years in their functions. The governor represents the Executive Branch in the execution of national policy. The government of the Municipalities is in charge of a mayor and a Municipal Board, popularly elected.
The Legislative Power is exercised by Congress, made up of a Chamber of Senators (upper house), with 45 members, and a Chamber of Deputies (lower house), with 80 deputies. Elections for Congress are held on closed lists (you do not vote for each candidate for deputy or senator, but for a list presented by each political party), simultaneously with the presidential election. Deputies are elected by department, while senators are elected at a national level, both for a period of five years, with the possibility of being reelected.
The Judiciary is in charge of the administration of justice and is exercised by the Supreme Court of Justice, and by the other courts and tribunals established by law. The Supreme Court is the highest court in Paraguay. The Senate, with the agreement of the president, appoints its nine members or ministers, on the basis of shortlists presented by the Council of the Magistracy, prior selection based on suitability, with consideration of merits and aptitudes.
Foreign Relations
Paraguay maintains different relationships and associations with different countries. It is part of several international organizations as a full member, such as Mercosur (Common Market of the South) and the Union of South American Nations (Unasur).
The country also maintains relations with supranational entities, such as the European Union (EU) with which it develops its political, economic and commercial relations in the bilateral sphere and also in the framework of regional relations between the EU and Mercosur.
A peculiarity of Paraguay's foreign policy is that it is the only country in South America that maintains active relations with the Republic of China (Taiwan).
Paraguay is a full and participating member of the Inter-American Conference on Social Security (CISS), the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), the United Nations (UN) and the Organization of American States (OAS)).
Paraguay formally maintains a brotherhood with the Republic of Colombia, which arose from the Colombian offer of their nationality to all Paraguayans, in case the country disappeared in the framework of the triple alliance war, an offer that did not materialize, but that ended up generating a bilateral friendship agreement that establishes facilities to acquire the citizenship of each country in a reciprocal way.
Armed forces and security
The Paraguayan Armed Forces form a non-deliberative, non-partisan institution, subordinated to civilian control whose commander-in-chief is the President of Paraguay, made up of the Paraguayan Army, the Paraguayan Air Force and the Paraguayan Navy. It is made up of nearly 20,000 active troops and more than 100,000 inactive (reservists, and/or those who have completed the S.M.O).
As in other countries, it is structured into an Air Force, an Army (with three Corps, six Infantry Divisions and three Cavalry Divisions) and finally a Navy (3850 members, with Naval Aviation, Marine Infantry) the which is great considering that it is one of the countries in the world with no direct coastline or outlet to the sea. Military service is compulsory for 18-year-old men and consists of one year of service, as dictated by the National Constitution. Currently, a Law has been promulgated, which regulates the "Conscientious Objection Law" and that establishes the obligatory nature of the substitute civil service in replacement of the military.
For its part, the National Police of Paraguay is a civilian institution dependent on the Executive Power, whose State Secretariat is the Ministry of the Interior, in charge of the internal security of the Nation.
Human Rights
In terms of human rights, regarding membership of the seven bodies of the International Bill of Human Rights, which include the Human Rights Committee (HRC), Paraguay has signed or ratified:
 Paraguay | International treaties | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CESCR | CCPR | CERD | CED | CEDAW | CAT | CRC | MWC | CRPD | |||||||||
| CESCR | CESCR-OP | CCPR | CCPR-OP1 | CCPR-OP2-DP | CEDAW | CEDAW-OP | CAT | CAT-OP | CRC | CRC-OP-AC | CRC-OP-SC | CRPD | CRPD-OP | ||||
| Pertenence |   |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 Signed and ratified,  signed, but not ratified,  neither signed nor ratified,  without information,  it has agreed to sign and ratify the body concerned, but also recognizes the competence to receive and process individual communications from the competent bodies. | |||||||||||||||||
Status of major international human rights instruments
LGBT Rights
Sexual minorities face certain legal and social challenges not experienced by other residents. Homosexuality has historically been treated as a taboo within Paraguayan society. Both male and female sexual activity is legal, however same-sex couples and same-sex headed households are not eligible for all of the social and legal protections available to heterosexual married couples. Even lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people can face expired legal penalties in other countries.
Public opinion shows a strong conservative tendency regarding homosexuality, demonstrating a majority rejection of the rights of sexual minorities, even in comparison with other South American countries. The Catholic Church exercised a strong opposition influence against homosexual unions in the country, however, during Pope Francis' visit to Paraguay in 2015, representatives of LGBT community organizations were invited to a reception along with other social leaders.
Paraguay is one of the most conservative countries in South America, where issues such as LGBT issues and abortion, to name a few, are largely avoided by both politicians and Paraguayan society in general, due to the great influence that the Catholic Church has in the country, being this in turn the country with the most faithful in Latin America in percentage terms.
Territorial organization
Paraguay is a unitary State that tends to decentralization, in the manner established by the Constitution and the laws. For the purposes of the political and administrative structuring of the State, the national territory is divided into departments and districts.
The 17 departments of Paraguay make up the country's first administrative political division. The Eastern Region concentrates 14 of them and the Western Region 3. Added to them is the capital Asunción, which is a district, but for census purposes it is considered a department. In addition, the country has 258 municipalities that are equivalent to districts, including Asunción. These make up each one of the subdivisions of a department -except Asunción, which is independent of any department- and in turn are divided into urban and rural areas.
The National Constitution of 1992 grants departments and districts political, administrative, and regulatory autonomy for the management of their interests, and autarky in the collection and investment of their resources.
| Paraguayan territorial organization | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Department | Capital | Population (Est. 2020) | Area (km2) | ♪ |  Paraguay Boquerón President Hayes Amambay Concepción San Pedro Capital District Guará Caazapá Stop! Caaguazú Canindeyú Itapúa Paraguay Missions Ñeembucus Cordillera Central Brazil Bolivia Argentina | ||||
| Capital District | Assumption | 521 559 | 117 | 1 | |||||
| Paraguay | Strong Olympus | 18 231 | 82 349 | 4 | |||||
| Alto Paraná | Eastern City | 830 943 | 14 895 | 22 | |||||
| Amambay | Pedro Juan Caballero | 172 169 | 12 933 | 6 | |||||
| Boquerón | Philadelphia | 66 836 | 91 669 | 3 | |||||
| Caaguazú | Colonel Oviedo | 563 803 | 11 474 | 22 | |||||
| Caazapá | Caazapá | 192 031 | 9496 | 11 | |||||
| Canindeyú | Salto del Guará | 234 978 | 14 667 | 15 | |||||
| Central | Areguá | 2 201 109 | 2465 | 19 | |||||
| Concepción | Concepción | 254 976 | 18 051 | 12 | |||||
| Cordillera | Caacupé | 311 273 | 4948 | 20 | |||||
| Guará | Villarrica | 227 747 | 3846 | 18 | |||||
| Itapúa | Incarnation | 616 565 | 16 525 | 30 | |||||
| Missions | St. John the Baptist | 128 130 | 9556 | 10 | |||||
| Ñeembucus | Pilar | 90 287 | 12 147 | 16 | |||||
| Paraguay | Paraguay | 258 957 | 8705 | 18 | |||||
| President Hayes | Villa Hayes | 127 951 | 72 907 | 9 | |||||
| San Pedro | San Pedro de Ycuamandiyú | 435 126 | 20 002 | 22 | |||||
| Paraguay | Assumption | 7 252 672 | 406 752 | 255 | (*) = Number of districts per department. | ||||
Geography
The territory of Paraguay is the eighth in area of South America and the sixtieth in extension of the Earth. It is integrated exclusively in American territory, and its surface totals 406,752 km². This amount does not include strip any oceanic, or continental shelf since it is a landlocked state.
Located in the center of South America, Paraguay lies between parallels 19º 10′ and 27º 50′ south latitude and meridians 54º 10′ and 62º 50′ west longitude. The Tropic of Capricorn crosses the territory, at the level of the town of Belén (Department of Concepción), that is, it passes as far as latitudes are concerned, almost exactly over the middle part of Paraguay. The territory is 611 km from the Atlantic Ocean and about 819 km from the Pacific. It limits to the north with Brazil and Bolivia, to the east with Brazil and Argentina, to the south with Argentina and to the west with Bolivia and Argentina. It is the world's leading net exporter of electricity, the world's leading exporter of organic sugar, the third world producer and exporter of Yerba Mate (ilex paraguariensis) and has the third world fleet of barges (2,600 units with 208 tugboats), after the United States and Chinese.
Borders
| Country | Border |
|---|---|
 Argentina | 1689 km |
Brazil Brazil | 1367 km |
Bolivia Bolivia | 742 km |
| Total | 3798 km |
Borders with Argentina
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The border between Argentina and Paraguay is an international landline of a length of 1690 km that separates the Argentine Republic from the Republic of Paraguay.
A part of this border is defined by three important watercourses that are the Pilcomayo River, the Paraná River and the Paraguay River. The capital of Paraguay, Asunción, located on one of the margins of the Paraguay River, is bordered by Argentina.Borders with Brazil
The border between the Federal Republic of Brazil and the Republic of Paraguay is a continuous international lining that delimits the territories of both neighbouring countries. In all its extension of 1367 kilometres, it crosses a variety of land, from large urban areas to inhospitable deserts and wetlands. It begins at the Triple Frontera milestone between Foz do Iguaçu and President Franco, and ends at the trifinio on the border with Bolivia, near the Paraguayan city of Bahía Negra. On the border between Brazil and Paraguay, is the Itaipu Hydroelectric Power Station, which is the largest hydroelectric dam in the world to generate energy. On this border is located the International Bridge of Friendship communicates to the cities of Foz do Iguaçu (Brazil) and Ciudad del Este (Paraguay). The dry border has a total of 438 kilometers of extension, while the river is 929 kilometers. The latter is formed by the Paraguay, Paraná and Apa rivers, and by the Estrella stream, and has a total of 23 islands of which 13 belong to Brazil and 10 to Paraguay.
The fixing of the border occurred after the War of the Triple Alliance, when in 1872 a peace treaty was signed with Paraguay, which also contained its limits with Brazil, and that according to Helio Viana, it respected the conventions of the colonial period and claimed Brazil the lands occupied and explored by the Portuguese and Brazilian.
The border between Brazil and Paraguay has been one of the main trafficking routes of firearms and drugs in South America, as well as smuggling of goods and stolen vehicles, especially for the transit in the Triple Border (border point between Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay). This historically occurred due to the geographical difficulty in controlling the region by the border authorities of both countries, something that has been mitigated with the joint effort of the Brazilian and Paraguayan forces.
On the Paraguayan side of the border, there are a large number of Brazilian immigrants, and these are popularly known as "brasiguayos". [2]Borders with Bolivia
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The border between Bolivia and Paraguay is the limit of 750 km in length that separates the territories of Bolivia and Paraguay.
It extends from the triple border of Argentina, Bolivia and Paraguay (near the town of La Esmeralda in the river Pilcomayo) towards the north-west towards the summit of the hill Captain Ustares, where it turns to the east, to the town of Fortín Galpón, where it follows a line to the south with the Paraguay River, where it ends in the triple limits of Bolivia, Brazil and Paraguay.
It is demarcated by 11 markers (Hito I a Hito X plus the tripartite milestone. Markers I to X are connected to each other by straight lines, milestone X is connected to the tripartite terminal by a water course. Most of these have a name, and are close to a military detachment on the Paraguayan side.
There is a border post near the Paraguayan town of Infante Rivarola.
The current pattern of the border has existed since 1938 and was established by a treaty concluded in Buenos Aires after the end of the Chaco War (1932-1935) between the two countries.Natural Regions
The Paraguay River divides the country into two large geographic regions, with different geology and topography. While the Eastern Region or Paraneña has 39% of the national territory, and consists of ferralitic and mostly acid soils on ancient crystalline rocks, presenting an undulating landscape of hills with abundant rainfall (up to 1700 mm/year), the Western Region o Chaco, with 61% of the national territory, geologically young with neutral to alkaline soils, constitutes an extensive semi-arid to sub-humid alluvial plain with sediments from the Andes.
In the Paraguayan Chaco, altitudes range from 91m in the southeast to 390m in the northwest. The Bajo Chaco (humid Chaco) is a floodplain, influenced by the Pilcomayo and Paraguay rivers (annual rainfall from 910 to 1,300 mm); the Chaco Boreal (dry Chaco) with an average rainfall of 403 to 910 mm. Its territory is formed by a seabed that emerged in the Quaternary era, this region is populated by extensive scrub and palm groves, estuaries, lagoons and streams. The average annual temperature is around 25 °C.
The Eastern Region is subdivided into two subregions, the largest corresponds to the Paraguay River basin itself, and the smaller one corresponds to the Paraná River basin. Tropical and subtropical forests and rainfall predominate. Their altitudes range from over 611 m a.s.l. no. m. (meters above sea level) in the northeast to 65 m s. no. m. in the southwest. In this region the average annual temperature varies between 20 and 24 °C. It is the smallest but most populated and fertile region.
Relief
Most of the Paraguayan territory is located between 104 and 507 m elevation, which correspond to large areas of the departments of Alto Paraguay, Boquerón, Presidente Hayes, Concepción, San Pedro, Paraguarí and Itapúa, mainly. The lower elevation areas, with average heights below 104 m, are located mainly in the southeast of the departments of Presidente Hayes, Central, Paraguarí, Ñeembucú, Misiones and Itapúa. In general, the slopes of the land are gentle, which is why water erosion is limited. The high points are located in the vicinity of Pedro Juan Caballero in the north center of the eastern region.
The geomorphology of the western region has a repetitive undulation of the terrain from north to south, which allows the genesis of at least sixteen tributary rivers of the Paraguay River. Each of these rivers presents low slope conditions, which favors the formation of meanders. A smaller portion of this region drains directly into the Pilcomayo River. They are relatively flat terrain of a high plateau crossed by few currents favored by undulation. The highest elevation terrains are found to the west of this region and its lowest points correspond to the eastern limit of this region on the Paraguay River. The region is part of the Chacopampean Plain, and presents a slight inclination towards the southeast with an average elevation of 130 m s. no. m..
The relief of the Eastern Region is the result of the Brazilian Plateau that extends north to the Amazon Plain and east to the Atlantic Ocean. This plain has several hills, some low mountain ranges and valleys through which rivers and streams flow. The average height of the region is 286 m. There are three mountain systems in this region: the Sierra de Amambay, the Sierra de Maracayú and the Sierra de Caaguazú. The maximum heights are found in the Ybytyruzú mountain range, where the Tres Kandu hill stands out with 842 m s. no. m..
Hydrography
Paraguay has no coastline, but its two main rivers, the Paraguay and the Paraná, which are part of the Río de la Plata basin, connect it with the Atlantic Ocean. The Paraguay is born in Mato Grosso (Brazil) and after a journey of around 2,695 km, it flows into the Paraná River through three branches: Atajo, Humaitá and Paso de Patria.
The Alto Paraná valley forms an undulating plain, which rises to the west. This area has numerous watercourses, all draining into the Paraná, which runs through a deep gorge and is dammed at the Itaipu power plant.
In addition to rivers, Paraguay has wetlands and lakes. The Lake Ypoá wetland complex, made up of four lakes, and Lake Ypacaraí, are the largest lakes in Paraguay. In addition, in Paraguay there is a considerable number of estuaries such as the Paraguayan Pantanal, and six wetlands have been registered in the Ramsar Convention, whose surfaces add up to a total of 793,910 ha.
Protected Wilderness Areas
Paraguay promotes strategies for environmental protection and mainly the defense of species that serve to defend ecological processes, with the aim of having resources available for future generations. The Secretariat of the Environment of the Republic of Paraguay (SEAM), currently the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development (MADES), and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), with Global funds, execute the Paraguay Silvestre Project.
The protected wilderness areas include: Defensores del Chaco National Park, Teniente Enciso National Park, Río Negro National Park, Cerro Chovoreca Natural Monument, Cabrera-Timane Natural Reserve, Tinfunqué National Park, Paso Bravo National Park, Serranía San Luis National Park, Bella Vista National Park, Cerro Corá National Park, San Rafael Managed Resources Reserve, Caaguazú National Park, Ybytyruzú Managed Resources Reserve, Ybycuí National Park, Ypoá National Park, Yabebyry Wildlife Refuge, Macizo Acahay Natural Monument, Kuri'y National Reserve, Ñacunday National Park, Lake Ypacaraí National Park, Cerros Köi and Chororí Natural Monuments.
Climate
Köppen's climate classification divides Paraguay into practically three types of climate: humid subtropical climate (Cfa), predominant to the south of the Eastern Region; the tropical savannah climate (Aw), predominant in the Chaco (Western Region) and to the north of the Eastern Region; and the hot semi-arid climate (BSh) in the northwest of the Chaco (Boquerón department).
The average annual temperature is between 20 and 25 °C in the country, increasing from south to north. The precipitations are variable according to the region. For example, towards the southeast of Paraguay, rainfall is abundant in every month (>1700 mm/annual). Towards the north-central region of the Eastern Region, and the tropical region of Chaco, rainfall drops considerably during the winter season (1,300 mm/year). In the semi-arid region of Chaco, rainfall is practically nil in the winter season (<800 mm/annual). In general, the greatest rainfall of the year falls in summer.
Extreme maximum temperatures in summer can exceed 40 °C (record 45 °C in 2014), and minimum temperatures in winter can drop below 0 °C (record −7.5 °C in 2000). The seasons are not well defined due to the prevailing heat that occurs much of the year and the proximity to the Tropic of Capricorn. The temperature difference between the warmest and coldest months is approximately 10°C.
Seasons
The Paraguayan summer is hot and humid. Both nights and afternoons are very warm throughout the country, and due to high humidity, the sensation of heat exceeds the actual temperature. Average highs exceed 30 °C from November to March. This is the rainiest season of the year, in which rainfall is generally given by isolated storms and showers. The dominant influence on the climate is the warm northerly wind blowing from Brazil, although from time to time "southerly winds" usually blow, bringing more pleasant temperatures, usually with the passage of isolated storms.
The Paraguayan winter is characterized by being mild and irregular, as there can be days of intense cold (minimums below 0 °C) as well as hot days of more than 30 °C. The average winter temperature is between 15 and 20 °C, being cooler towards the south of the country. A typical winter day is usually cool between night and morning, and then warm in the afternoon. It is the least rainy season of the year, but the precipitations can still occur in the form of drizzle or short storms originated by the polar fronts coming from Argentina. The banks of fog and mist usually occur in this season due to the high humidity, a factor that incidentally usually increases the feeling of cold. The dominant influence on the weather is the cool southerly wind blowing from Argentina, although from time to time "north winds" usually blow, bringing warmer temperatures for a few days.
On average, frosts in the north-central eastern and western regions occur once or twice a year and every other year inclusive,[citation needed] while towards the south of the eastern region the average increases to 3 times a year; This occurs in conjunction with the polar-type cold fronts coming from Argentina, between the winter months of June, July and August. Frosts can occur in practically the entire national territory, although it is usual for it to occur in those areas where the humid subtropical climate and the warm semi-arid climate predominate.
Autumn and spring are transitional and unstable seasons, with large variations in temperature, between cool and hot, in which even severe storms can occur. Normally at the beginning of autumn and end of spring, the weather is similar to summer.
Climate change
Environment
Paraguay is extremely rich in fauna and flora because the six ecoregions that converge in its territory register remarkable biodiversity.
The different ecoregions are very differentiated, the west is characterized by being a semi-arid region, the northeast is characterized by the immense floodplains that make up the Pantanal, while along the banks of the Paraguay River subtropical wetlands develop, characterized by large bodies of water such as Lake Ypoá. In the northern part of the Eastern Region are the subtropical savannahs of the Cerrado, while in the eastern part of the country, up to the banks of the Paraná River, the Atlantic Forest develops, one of the most diverse and biologically rich forests on the planet. the southern zone, characterized by plains with a more temperate climate.
In the last five decades, the country lost almost 90% of the original forest cover of its territory, mainly due to the expansion of livestock and agricultural activities. It is estimated that between 1945 and 1997, 76.3% of the forest cover of the Eastern Region was transformed into land for agricultural production.
Paraguay has less strict environmental regulations in the Chaco than in Brazil. Owners can clear approximately 50% of their forest, while in Brazil only 20% can be (legally) cleared, therefore, the pressure of cattle ranching on the virgin forest advanced towards Paraguay. The loss of forests only in Alto Paraguay, the most ecologically intact department, it was 220,000 hectares in 2008 alone.
In March 2009, it was estimated that between 1,000 and 1,500 ha per day were deforested in the departments: Boquerón and Alto Paraguay, at the same time as the “Zero Deforestation” bill —which was going to prohibit the deforestation in Alto Paraguay—was rejected by the Paraguayan Chamber of Deputies.
Flora and fauna
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Paraguay has a wide variety of tropical and subtropical plant and animal species. According to records of the Ministry of the Environment of Paraguay (SEAM), it is estimated that there are between 8,000 and 13,000 plant species in the country, of which 800 are trees. As for animal species, there are an estimated 100,000 of them. invertebrates and 1,498 vertebrates. Among these quantities, 81 species of flora and 128 species of fauna are recognized, considered in danger of extinction mainly due to the destruction of their habitats and poaching.
Paraguay is one of the greatest exponents of the rich fauna of South America. It has more than 100,000 species of invertebrates, 200 species of fish, 60 amphibians, 100 reptiles, 700 birds and 167 mammals.
Among the dominant plant species in the Chaco are lapachos, quebrachos, urundey, timbó, guayacán, palo santo, samuhu, guayaibi, the caranday palm, various laurels, among others.
The fauna of the Chaco is dominated by nocturnal life, the abundance of cryptic habits (life hidden under different elements), diapause and dormancy. This is due to the fact that invertebrates present the highest diversity and greatest abundance of individuals. In the wetlands, fish are not very abundant, except in the basin of the Pilcomayo and Paraguay rivers. Compared to other temperate subtropical areas, its mammalian fauna is low in diversity.
The Eastern Region has a great variety of birds such as the vulture, the chimango, the hawk, the owl, the macaw, the bell bird, the lark, and the Pitogüe. There are several species of thrushes, the swallow, the family of hummingbirds and the kingfisher, among others. It also has mammals such as the howler monkey, the jaguar, the puma, the wild cat, the tapir, the wild boar, the anteater and the tattoos.
The most common fish are the surubí, the dorado, the croaker, the armado, the ray, the catfish, the pati and the piranha. In the aquatic ecosystem there are also reptiles such as the alligator, the iguana and the chameleon. Other notable reptiles from this region are the coral snake and the ñandurire, which is the smallest of all vipers.
| Flora and fauna of Paraguay | |||||||
 |  |  |  |  |  |  | _by_JM_Rosier.jpg) |
| Bird bellProcnias nudicollis) | RheaAmerican rhea) | It will hold guazú (Chrysocyon brachyurus) | Flower of the mburucuyá (Passiflora edulis) | Tucán toco (Tucán toco)Ramphastos toco) | Cardinal of red crest (Crown paroria) | Green IguanaIguana iguana) | Tapir (Tapirus terrestris) |
 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Nutria (Myocastor coypus) | Grey crown cappuccinoSporophila cinnamomea) | Yvyrá-pytáPeltophorum dubium) | Yerba mate (Ilex paraguariensis) | Blue macawAnodorhynchus hyacinthinus) | Deer of swamps (Blastocerus dichotomus) | I'll go black.Caiman yacare) | Giant tingling bear (Myrmecophaga tridactyla) |
Economy
Paraguay has a moderately diversified economy. In the last four decades, Paraguay has experienced the highest growth in South America, with an average of 7.2% annual growth since 1970. In 2010 and 2013, Paraguay experienced the largest economic expansion in Latin America, with a historic growth of GDP of 14.5% and 13.6% respectively. In 2011, the Central Bank of Paraguay presented the new structure of the country's GDP, which includes the generation of electricity by the Itaipu and Yacyretá Binational Entities, which in both cases belong 50% to Paraguay. After this incorporation, the value of the GDP increased 9% and reached 20,042 million dollars, compared to the 18,314 million reached at the end of 2010.
Poverty affects 26.1% of the country's population, according to reports from the Central Bank of Paraguay, in 2017. The Paraguayan economy, although it is still below the regional average in several areas, is one of the most thriving From South America; Its nominal GDP per capita for this 2018 is 6,206 dollars, surpassing that of countries of the subcontinent such as Bolivia, Venezuela, Guyana, and on a par with countries such as Ecuador and Colombia.
Since the 1990s, the country has been intensively developing the industrial and tertiary sectors. Currently, the secondary sector participates with 33% of GDP, while the primary sector contributes 12% and the tertiary sector, 54%. 12% of GDP growth corresponds to agriculture and livestock; 33.4% to industry (including construction and public utilities); and 55.1% in the services sector. The seven most important export products; soybeans and their derivatives (42% of total Paraguayan exports) which makes it the sixth largest soybean producer, also includes corn, wheat, sesame, sunflower oil and sugar. Regarding the cultivation of stevia in Paraguay, it is highlighted that there was a planted area of 2,300 hectares with a production of 3,680 tons in 2014, according to estimates by the National Directorate of Censuses and Statistics of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (cited by Acosta, 2015).). Among non-basic services, the most relevant sectors in the generation of wealth are commercial and financial, with an approximate share of 28% between them.
It is the world's largest exporter of electric power, the sixth largest exporter of soybeans, the second largest producer of Stevia, the sixth largest exporter of corn, the tenth largest exporter of wheat, the eighth largest beef exporter in the world, has the third largest river fleet in the world (2,600 barges with 200 tugboats), after the United States and China. Likewise, it is presented as one of the countries with the highest growth rates, where the peak was reached in 2010 with 14.5%, finishing third in the world behind Qatar and Singapore.
The market economy is distinguished by a large informal sector, featuring the re-export of imported consumer goods to neighboring countries, as well as the activities of thousands of micro-enterprises and urban street vendors. However, in the last 10 years, the Paraguayan economy has diversified dramatically, with the energy, auto parts, construction and clothing industries. A large percentage of the population, especially in rural areas, lives from agricultural activity, often subsistence. Due to the importance of the informal sector, it is difficult to obtain precise economic measures. The economy grew rapidly between 2003 and 2013 due to growing global demand for commodities combined with high prices and a favorable climate to support the expansion of commodity exports in Paraguay.
Trade
| Exports to | Imports | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Country | Percentage | Country | Percentage |
| BrazilBrazil
| 34.9% | China China
| 28.1% |
| Argentina
| 24.6% | BrazilBrazil
| 21.9% |
Chile Chile
| 8.92% |  United States
| 10.4% |
Russia Russia
| 5.63 % | Argentina
| 8.78 % |
| United States
| 2.07% | ChileChile
| 3.68% |
| Other | 23.88 % | Other | 27.14 % |
In terms of foreign trade, its main trading partners are the other members of Mercosur, Argentina is where most of its soybean production arrives since that is where it is processed. Uruguay is important for its trade since Paraguay uses Uruguayan ports to export. Paraguay has important markets such as Israel, Europe or Russia, which is where it exports its meat. Trade with China is very limited since Paraguay diplomatically recognizes Taiwan
The country also has the third largest free trade zone in the world: Ciudad del Este, after Miami and Hong Kong.
Industry
The industrial sector produces approximately 25% of Paraguay's GDP and employs about 31% of the labor force (October 2005). Production grew by 2.9% in 2004, after five years of declining production. production.
Paraguay's mining industry produces about 25% of the country's gross domestic product (GDP) and employs about 31% of the workforce. Cement, iron ore, and steel production are part of Paraguay's industrial sector. The growth of the industry was further driven by the maquiladora industry, with large industrial complexes located in the eastern region of the country. Paraguay established many incentives aimed at attracting industries to the country. One of them is the so-called "maquila law" by which companies can move to Paraguay, enjoying low tax rates.
The pharmaceutical industry is substituting foreign drug suppliers in meeting the needs of the country. Paraguayan companies now account for 70% of domestic consumption and have also begun to export medicines. Strong growth is also evident in the production of edible oils, dairy, clothing, organic sugar, meat processing, and steel. In addition to the large industries producing yerba mate, beer, tobacco, rum and alcohol distillers. However, capital for new investment in the industrial sector of the economy remains scarce.
Paraguay has been considered a country poor in mineral resources. As of 2009, this idea has been discarded as a result of the discovery of large uranium reserves and the announcement in 2010 of the discovery of what would be the largest titanium reserve in the world. Gold, nickel, cobalt and chrome.
Infrastructure
Transportation
After 57 years, within the framework of Resolution No. 1090/19, and in compliance with Law No. 5552/2016, the Ministry of Public Works and Communications presents the classification and recategorization of national routes of the entire road network of Paraguay, expanding from 12 to 22 national routes, which would receive their name with the letters PY with their corresponding numbering. It is expected that this recategorization will be carried out gradually. Since 1962, the extension of the national routes reached an extension of 3,588 km, and while from this new decree the extension of the national routes would reach 8,762 km, both on paved, gravel, cobbled routes and in some cases still with dirt roads.
In Paraguay, about 90% of the 65,000 km of interurban routes are dirt roads. Public transport is the most widely used at the urban level and intercity. The service is provided through buses (also called colectivos) that cover a good part of the country's territory. Long-distance and international buses are dispatched from the Asunción Bus Terminal that connects with all the departments of Paraguay and several cities in South America, where bus companies make daily trips to Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Uruguay and Peru.
Within the Asunción Metropolitan Area, there is the Silvio Pettirossi International Airport that has flights to different cities in America. This is the country's main airport, followed by the Guaraní International Airport, located in Minga Guazú and serving Ciudad del Este, which has direct flights to Asunción, Buenos Aires and São Paulo.
On the other hand, the Paraná - Paraguay waterway is a fluvial transport strategy along the water system of the same name, from Brazil to Uruguay, passing through Paraguay.
Paraguay had 1,150 km of railways distributed in different branches throughout the territory; all of them without being linked to each other. The largest corresponded to the F.C.P.C.A.L. (Carlos Antonio López Railway) that linked the Cities of Asunción with Encarnación; and in turn made possible the union with the Argentine railway system through the San Roque González de Santa Cruz international bridge. Currently, the only section of the railway that is in operation is an international line on the border with Argentina, between Encarnación and Posadas, which crosses said bridge.
Energy
Paraguay does not have large oil or natural gas deposits. Despite numerous extraction attempts, the reserves found would be insufficient for commercial exploitation. Lacking reserves, Paraguay is totally dependent on imports to meet domestic demand. The state subsidizes the import and sale of diesel, while gasoline, alcohol, LPG and other fuels are freely imported.
Until 1970, all the electrical energy used in the country came from thermoelectric plants. In 1970, meanwhile, the Acaray hydroelectric plant was inaugurated, in order to transform the country into an exporter of electricity to Brazil and Argentina. The Yguazu dam was built in 1977, a water accumulation dam to be used in cases of need to supply water to the Acaray Dam, daily releases an average volume of water of one hundred cubic meters, with a maximum of 200 cubic meters, but in several hours.
In 1984, the Itaipu plant, the second largest hydroelectric dam in the world, began to operate. This plant was the result of a cooperation between Paraguay and Brazil and made Paraguay one of the largest energy exporters. The dam has 20 turbines and an installed capacity of 14,000 MW shared equally between Paraguay and Brazil. In 2004, Paraguay consumed 16% of its corresponding energy and exported the rest to Brazil.
The other important dam is Yacyretá, equipped with 20 turbines and an installed capacity of 3,100 MW. Paraguay and Argentina share energy generated in Yacyretá, although almost all of the energy that corresponds to Paraguay is exported to Argentina.
100% of the electrical energy consumed in Paraguay is generated through hydroelectric plants, making it one of the countries with the cleanest energy in the world. The country has an installed electrical capacity of 8,110 MW, which produces 63,000,000,000 kWh (sixty-three billion kilowatt-hours) per year (according to 2016 data), with an internal consumption of only 15,000,000,000 kWh (fifteen thousand million kilowatt-hours) per year, selling the rest of what is not consumed to Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay, turning Paraguay into the world's largest exporter of electrical energy.
The National Electricity Administration (ANDE) controls the entire electricity market including generation, distribution and transportation. It operates with 2,100 miles of transmission lines and 670 miles of distribution lines. More than 92% of the country has electricity coverage.
Media
In Paraguay, freedom of expression and freedom of the press are protected by the National Constitution. According to a study carried out in 2009 by the Reporters Without Borders Organization, Paraguay occupies the best positions in press quality and freedom, even surpassing Brazil and occupying the same places as Chile, Uruguay, France and the United States.
Daily
The national newspapers are published in Asunción and are distributed throughout the national territory, while the regional ones are published in their respective departments. The main newspapers are: La Nación, ABC Color, Última Hora, Crónica, Popular, Extra and Paraguayan DNA. In total, the circulation of newspapers and magazines reaches 100 copies per 1,000 inhabitants. Most of the most popular newspapers in the country have their digital website.
Radio and television
The main television channels are broadcast both by air and by cable, DTT and satellite. They are broadcast from the City and the metropolitan area of Asunción, and to a lesser extent from the interior. From the public sector are Paraguay TV and TV Cámara, and from the private sector are SNT, RPC, Sur TV, Telefuturo, Unicanal, NPY, Paravisión, Latele, C9N, ABC TV, Tigo Sports, LOBOTV, Canal 5 Días, Canal PRO, HEi, Venus Media, Troplicalia and GEN. The number of Pay TV subscribers (video cable, DTT or satellite) is around 600,000 subscribers, the majority from Greater Asunción and the other main cities in the interior.
The state media are made up of Radio Nacional de Paraguay and Paraguay TV, whose programming includes educational, cultural and informative content.
Telephony and Internet
The state entity that acts as regulator of the national telecommunications system in the administrative, technical, planning, programming, control, inspection and verification aspects is the National Telecommunications Commission (CONATEL).
Most of the fixed telephone lines, provided by the state company Copaco, and which reach around 300,000 subscribers, are installed in Asunción, Encarnación, Ciudad del Este and in the main cities of the interior. Each city or urban area has its telephone prefix. For example, in the case of Greater Asunción, the prefix is 021, for Ciudad del Este it is 061, for Encarnación it is 071, etc.
Internet service is provided by numerous private companies and also by the state company Copaco. It is provided through ADSL, WiMAX, 3G, 4G and Cable technologies. The number of users with Internet access in Paraguay is around 70%, and the majority of Paraguayans access the Internet through cell phones.
Paraguay has four cell phone provider companies: Telecel S.A. (Tigo), Núcleo S.A. (Personal), América Móvil (Claro) and Hola Paraguay S.A (Vox). In 2018, these companies had 7.4 million lines enabled in the country. According to a study by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in 2009, in Paraguay there were 928 mobile phones per thousand inhabitants, which places it above Colombia (885), Chile (881) and the United States with 876 cell phones per thousand inhabitants. Currently the number of lines exceeds the population.
Science and technology
Public institutions:
- National Council for Science and Technology (Paraguay)
- Paraguay Space Agency (AEP)
- Paraguayan Institute of Agricultural Technology (IPTA)
Civil institutions:
- Institute of Agricultural Biotechnology (INBIO)
- Center for Analysis and Dissemination of the Paraguayan Economy
Demographics
The National Institute of Statistics (formerly, the General Directorate of Statistics, Surveys and Censuses) estimated the population of Paraguay at 7,252,672 inhabitants for the year 2020. The population density, of 17.83 inhab/km², less than that of most other Latin American countries. The percentage of men and women is practically similar, made up of 50.4% men and 49.6% women. The urban population reaches just over 60% of the total inhabitants. The average age of the Paraguayan is 27 years, in which a large youth population stands out (from 0 to 15 years in the first place, and then from 15 to 29 years).
The distribution of the Paraguayan population throughout the territory is very irregular. The vast majority of people live in the Eastern Region: generally in cities close to the national capital, border cities to other countries, or cities located on important routes of the country. This region is where the largest urban areas of Paraguay are located, such as Gran Asunción, Gran Ciudad del Este, Gran Encarnación, Caaguazú, Coronel Oviedo, Pedro Juan Caballero, etc. On the other hand, in the Chaco or Western Region (which covers about 60% of the Paraguayan territory), the rural population predominates, since there are no large cities but rather small towns. Most of its population is located south of the Chaco, and in the Central Chaco, where Mennonites generally settle (less than 5% of the country's total population).
The War of the Triple Alliance (1864-1870), in which Paraguay faced the Triple Alliance (Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay), led Paraguay to an unprecedented demographic disaster, to the point that it is estimated that half (or more) of the Paraguayan population perished in the war (many of them were young adult men). According to various historians, Paraguay before the war had a population of half a million. After the war, a census was carried out in which 116,351 inhabitants were counted, of which only about 10% were young adult men. Therefore, Paraguay remained practically stagnant, both demographically and economically, up to the end of the 19th century.
Just started the XX century, during the first years, Paraguay reached the population it had before the War, and It was increasing progressively, although in a modest way compared to neighboring countries. An important point in the recovery of the Paraguayan population, in addition to European immigration and from neighbors to Paraguay, was the high birth rate of the population. This effect in countries marked by devastating wars is known as baby boom. To this day, Paraguay retains a mostly young population structure.
Lately, however, the adult population over 65 years of age has increased at the same time that the youth population has decreased, a trend that is currently seen in first world countries, due to the decrease in the birth rate and improvements in the quality of life.
Ethnic composition
There is no official data on the ethnic composition of the Paraguayan people, because the National Institute of Statistics of Paraguay does not include the concepts race or ethnicity in the surveys census. However, it does have statistics on the indigenous population of the country. Although most Paraguayans call themselves "mestizo", it is estimated that the current Paraguayan population is made up of 70-75% mestizos, 20-25% whites (Creoles), and 5% others (including mulattoes, Indian, Asian, etc.).
The Paraguayan population is the result of a heterogeneous mix: mestizos, criollos, Spanish, Italian, German immigrants, indigenous people of Guaraní descent and indigenous Pámpidos, etc. After the War of the Triple Alliance (1864-1870), in which the original Paraguayan population was practically exterminated, the country was repopulated with the help of immigrants, especially from European and neighboring countries, which were not many, but were important due to the small number of inhabitants of the country at the time. Due to this, according to studies, the current average Paraguayan individual is genetically: 55.0% European; 38.0% Amerindian; 8.0% African (Fuerst et al, 2016).
Lately, the immigration of Asians (Koreans, Taiwanese, Japanese), and Arabs (Syro-Lebanese) to the country, in addition to neighboring countries, has been highlighted. In the south of the country there is a large population and descendants of Ukrainians, Russians and Poles. In the central region of the Chaco, the Mennonites settle.
On the other hand, Paraguay has the lowest percentage of indigenous people in Latin America (1.68% of the population or 112,848 people), after Uruguay (0.2%) and Haiti (0%). It also has the lowest percentage of Afro-descendants, known as Afro-Paraguayans or kambás —in Guarani— (8,013 registered people).
Indigenous peoples
In colonial times, the indigenous peoples constituted about 60% of the population around the year 1760. In those times, the majority lived in the so-called Guarani missions, reductions created by the Society of Jesus to evangelize the natives. However, in 1767 the Jesuits were expelled from the Empire by Carlos III, so the indigenous people had to disperse and were assimilated by the rest of the population. With the constant wars, deaths from diseases, famines and miscegenation, the reduction of its original population would occur over the years.
According to the 2002 indigenous census, there were 496 communities or villages inhabited by 19 indigenous peoples distributed among thirteen departments and the capital of the country, grouped in turn into five linguistic families (Guaraní, Maskoy Language, Mataco Mataguayo and Zamuco)..
In 2012, 112,848 indigenous people were registered in the census, corresponding to 1.68% of the Paraguayan population, less than most other Latin American countries, but higher than previous Paraguayan censuses. The largest linguistic group corresponds to the Guarani family, with 60,930 members, followed by the Mascoyana family (26,746), the Mataco Mataguayo (18,627), the Zamuco (4,488) and the Guaicurú (2,057). In total, there are 19 officially recognized indigenous peoples, including the Mbyás (21,422), the Ava Guarani (17,697), the Nivaclés (16,350), the Paí Tavyterás (15,097), the Enlhet Norte (8,632), the Angaités (6,638), the South Enxet (5,740), Sanapanás (2,833), Toba Mascoy (2,817), Ayoreos (2,481), Nendeva Guarani (2,393), Western Guarani (2,379), Qom (2,057), Aché (1,942), the Makás (1,892), the Ybytosos (1,824), the Manjuis (385), the Tomárahos (183) and the Guanás (86).
Migration
Paraguay, in its beginnings, and due to its Mediterranean condition and distance from the ocean, had never been a country that received immigrants, compared to its neighbors, such as Argentina or Brazil. The majority of the Paraguayan population was autochthonous, that is, the majority were indigenous and mestizo, and only a minority was white or Creole.
However, during the XX century, Paraguay began to receive large numbers of immigrants, especially Europeans who fled of the wars that occurred in Europe at that time, seeking better living conditions and peace, sometimes facilitated by the State, a time when they sought to repopulate the country after the War of the Triple Alliance. Various immigrant groups that settled in Paraguay were the Spanish, Germans (some of whom are Mennonites), Italians, French, Poles, and Ukrainians, among others.
With the construction of the Itaipu dam, the country experienced rapid economic growth during the 1970s, which caused massive migration to the Eastern Region. This internal migration was accompanied by external migration coming mainly from Brazil, and a considerable proportion from South Korea and the Middle East (mostly Syrian Lebanese and Taiwanese). The country stopped its high rate of emigration to stabilize and achieved a positive rate of migration for the first time in the 20th century. However, with increasing political instability and a stagnant economy towards the mid-1980s, temporary emigration to Argentina began to accelerate, thus reversing the migratory balance. Likewise, at the beginning of the 2000s, cases of emigration to Spain and the United States increased, where 7% of the total number of emigrants went each year. However, with the outbreak of the Argentine economic crisis (1999-2002), there was a strong emigration of Paraguayans residing in that country to Paraguay, reaching a peak of 125,000 people. Currently, the migratory balance remains neutral (around 0%), offsetting the emigration of Paraguayans abroad with the arrival of foreigners in Paraguay.
The General Directorate of Statistics, Surveys and Censuses (DGEEC) received throughout the year 2011 (and until February 2012) 100,000 applications for residence from Europeans. Of that amount, until last January 2012, residences of 16,000 Poles, 15,200 Germans, 5,140 Spaniards, 3,000 Italians and 2,200 French were registered. To these data must be added the arrival of 5,700 American citizens, 9,200 Japanese immigrants and 23,000 South Koreans.
According to official sources (DGEEC-2002), the foreign population in Paraguay was 3.4%. At that time the foreign population amounted to 173,176 inhab; being 81 592 hab. from Brazil, 63,153 inhab. from Argentina, 27,679 from other countries and a 752 not reported. According to the Directorate of the Migration Cabinet (2018) it states that registered foreigners living in Paraguay amount to just over 400,000 inhabitants approximately. Practically half of them are Brazilian nationals (some 200,000 inhab) -many of them without residence-, followed by Argentines (60,000 inhab), Koreans (20,000 inhab), Taiwanese (15,000 inhab), and significant minorities from Syrian-Lebanese, Japanese, Mennonites, Chileans, Uruguayans, Colombians, Bolivians, etc. The registration of foreigners is difficult to specify because many have dual nationality.
On the other hand, Paraguay has one of the highest levels of emigration in the region. It is estimated that around one million Paraguayans reside abroad. The main destinations of Paraguayan emigrants are: Argentina (550,000 Paraguayan residents), Spain (80,000), Brazil (20,000), the United States (20,000), and small minorities in Chile, Japan, etc.
Urbanization
Paraguay has always been characterized as a largely rural country for much of its existence. However, the urban population surpassed the rural one for the first time towards the end of the XX century, according to 1992 census data. The population of Paraguay is unevenly distributed throughout the country. The vast majority of people live in the Eastern Region, where the largest cities such as Gran Asunción or Ciudad del Este are located. In the Chaco or Western Region, the rural population predominates, since there are no large cities but rather small towns, in which the Mennonites generally settle.
It is estimated that just over 60% of Paraguayans live in urban areas (cities or districts). Currently there are 16 cities with more than 100,000 inhabitants. Some of them are Asunción, with 522,287 inhabitants, followed by Ciudad del Este, with 301,815 inhabitants, Luque (277,301 inhabitants), San Lorenzo (257,530 inhabitants), Capiatá (236,828 inhabitants), Lambaré (179,800 inhabitants), Fernando de la Mora (176,943 inhabitants), Encarnación (134,059 inhabitants) and Pedro Juan Caballero (120,576 inhabitants).
In total, the population of Asunción, added to its metropolitan area, gives a population of more than 2,500,000 inhabitants: it is one of the largest urban areas in South America.
Cities by population
Health
An increase in life expectancy has been recorded in recent years due to the sharp drop in infant mortality, as well as the increase in the number of older people over 80 years of age. In 2007, the number of people over the age of 85 represented 17% of the total deaths in 2007, against 14% in 2000. Infant mortality is 23 per 1,000 births, having decreased 29% from 1990 to 2008. Life expectancy for men is 72 years, while for women it is 78 years. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), in 2009, Paraguay had an average life expectancy of 75 years, ranking the country fifth in Latin America.
The main causes of death for Paraguayans are heart and respiratory diseases (pneumonia and tuberculosis), parasitic diseases and cancer.
In 2008, the government made public health services universally free. The Ministry of Health has 12 specialized hospitals, 15 regional hospitals, 137 health centers, and 477 health posts. The IPS (Social Security Institute) maintains a central hospital, 7 regional hospitals, 22 health centers and 70 health posts. Military health has a central hospital, 3 divisional hospitals, 35 health centers and 26 infirmaries. Police Health has 1 central hospital and 22 infirmaries. The National University of Asunción maintains the Hospital de Clínicas and the Hospital Neurospiquiátrico. The Catholic University maintains two hospitals, one in Asunción and the other in Villarrica.
There are approximately 10,200 beds between the public and private sectors in the country, half of them are in Greater Asunción. The number of doctors is eight to ten doctors per 10,000 inhabitants, when the WHO recommends one per 1,000 as ideal. The main problem is the poor distribution of doctors at the national level, since they are concentrated in the main metropolitan areas.
During the COVID-19 Pandemic, Paraguay practically doubled the intensive care (ICU) beds in its public health system, going from 306 ICU beds by March 2020, to 764 ICU beds by June 2021, not including the more than 200 ICU beds in the private sector.
Education
The Paraguayan education system consists of four levels: initial, primary, secondary and higher. In Paraguay, primary education, which requires nine years, is compulsory. Secondary education, meanwhile, requires three years. There are 8,295 basic schools: 7,104 public, 590 subsidized, and 601 private (data from 2008). As for public schools, the Ministry of Education (MEC) has enabled 300 in the last five years, most of them in rural areas.
GDP spending for education is 4.3%, one of the lowest in Latin America; literacy is 94%. With approximately 1,750,000 students at all three educational levels (primary, secondary and tertiary), the gross enrollment ratio reached 76% in 2007, making the Index of Educational Human Development will reach the index of 0.884.
There are 53 universities in Paraguay (8 national and 45 private). The largest are the National University of Asunción, the Autonomous University of Asunción and the Nuestra Señora de la Asunción Catholic University.
According to data from the 2002 Census, 5% of the population does not have any type of education and is practically illiterate. On the other hand, the majority of the Paraguayan population only has up to the sixth grade of basic school approved (50.6%), evidencing the low educational level of the country. While those who have finished college and/or are university students barely reach 9.8% of the population.
According to the ranking: Webometrics Ranking of World Universities for 2022 prepared by the Spanish Higher Council for Scientific Research (CSIC), which measures the impact of scientific research carried out by different universities around the world; As of July 2022, the ten Paraguayan universities that show better performance in the academic world are the following:
| National classification | Global rankings | University | Logo | Official Web | Headquarters |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 3583 | National University of Asunción |  | a.py/statal | San Lorenzo |
2 | 5975 | Our Lady of Assumption Catholic University |  | uc.edu.py/Privada | Assumption |
3 | 6771 | North University | uninorte.edu.py/Privada | Assumption | |
4 | 7705 | Universidad Politécnica y Artística de Paraguay | upap/Private | Assumption | |
5 | 10819 | Universidad Nacional del Este |  | une.py/statal | Eastern City |
6 | 11223 | Universidad Autónoma de Encarnación (UNAE) |  | onee/Private | Incarnation |
7 | 11846 | National University of Caaguazú | unca.py/statal | Colonel Oviedo | |
8 | 12047 | Autonomous University of Asunción |  | uaa/Private | Assumption |
9 | 12717 | Autonomous University of Paraguay | uap/Private | Assumption | |
10 | 13188 | National University of Itapúa | uni.py/statal | Incarnation |
Culture
Paraguay has the particularity of being one of the few officially bilingual nations, and of maintaining a native language (such as Guarani), in good condition, as it passes from generation to generation without losing it. The country has a mostly mixed-race population (close to 75%) and is relatively homogeneous and autonomous (in appearance and culture); since, despite the fact that the use of the Guarani language predominates in a large part of the Paraguayan population, the people do not appear, dress or behave as indigenous. The terms mestizo and ladino are not used in Paraguayan Spanish, and there are no concepts of cultural or racial miscegenation in this country, unlike other American countries.
Paraguayans have several very notable customs such as Paraguayan soup, the only country with "solid soup", the national drink (tereré): through the streets and avenues of the cities you can find the yuyeros or vendors of refreshing plants, good for digestion, which help to quench the thirst of the hot Paraguayan climate. Paraguayan society is one of the most conservative in the region, as well as being one of the most believers (practically 98% of the population is Christian, of which 89% is Catholic and the rest Protestant).
The Guaraní Jesuit Missions were relevant in the approach of the local native and mestizo to the European cultural manifestations, which they adopted and adapted to their way of feeling; as well as the phenomenon of miscegenation itself, where in the family nucleus made up of an aboriginal mother and a European father it was allowed to cultivate elements of both cultures.
Music
The most popular instruments of Paraguayan music are the harp and the guitar. The latter is represented by Agustín Barrios "Nitsuga Mangoré", the most internationally renowned Paraguayan guitarist and composer of classical music. On the other hand, there is Ermelinda Pedroso Rodríguez D'Almeida, known as Perla, the best-known Paraguayan singer in Brazil. She was established as a radio and television singer in the 1970s, with the success of Fernando. Throughout her professional career, she has sold more than 15 million albums, earned 11 gold albums, two platinum albums, one double platinum album, among other awards.
The autochthonous genres are the Paraguayan polka and the guarania, characterized by a slow song that was developed by José Asunción Flores around the 1920s. Local folklore had a boom since the 1930s with authors such as Emiliano R Fernández, Eladio Martínez, Mauricio Cardozo Ocampo, Teodoro S. Mongelós, Félix Fernández Galeano among others. This generation coincides with the irruption of radio and the recording industry, which make their creations widely disseminated. One of the best known broadcasters of Paraguayan music internationally was Luis Alberto del Paraná.
In the 1970s and 1980s, a genre called Nuevo Cancionero emerged, where the name of Maneco Galeano stood out. Since then, Paraguayan music has been marked by different currents of renewal that seek to introduce rhythms and harmonies from jazz, pop, rock, bossa nova and other Latin American styles, such as the chamamé, the malambo, the chacarera, the new songbook and others. Artists like Rolando Chaparro, "Lobito" Martínez, Oscar Cardozo Ocampo, Víctor Riveros, Aldo Meza, Perla, Hugo Ferreira as well as contemporary pop groups such as Paiko, La Secreta and others stand out in the current of the new songbook.
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For Paraguayan dance there are lively polkas and galloping polkas. The polka in general is a dance performed by couples made up of a man and a woman. The galloped polkas in particular are danced by a group of women called galoperas who spin in a circle, swinging from side to side with a pitcher or vase. in your hands.
There is another variant of urban Paraguayan music in which fewer instruments are used: a harp, a requinto and a striking guitar. It is sung in three-voice harmonies, where the harpist usually plays the third voice. The songs are sung predominantly in Spanish, although the most famous songs are sung in Guarani and some are also sung in Yopará.
Literature
Paraguayan literature has two aspects: that produced in Spanish and that created in Guaraní —without detracting from the country's literature in other native languages. However, it must be said that the first has had greater development and diffusion than the second.
The XIX century is a barren field in Paraguayan literary creation. The iron censorship of the dictatorship of Doctor Francia was a propitious factor for the stagnation of literary development. Only a few authors dedicated mainly to poetry in Guaraní are known to date, such as Natalicio Talavera, and some isolated literary milestones, such as the creation of the magazine La Aurora. The aggravation of the War of the Triple Alliance supposed the interruption of these incipient literary activities. Thus, with the country dedicated to its reconstruction during the last quarter of the nineteenth century, the first important Paraguayan productions would appear in the middle of the XX century. The first novel written by a Paraguayan was called Gualberto's Nocturnal Journey or The Reflections of an Absent Man, written by Colonel Juan Crisóstomo Centurión, published in New York in 1877.
At the beginning of the XX century, the highlights were Ignacio A. Pane, Arsenio López Decoud, Juan E. O'Leary, Juan Silvano Godoy or Ricardo Brugada, turned poetry towards more universal budgets, but the national political atmosphere ended up weighing on them, which significantly harmed their inspiration and, therefore, their themes and forms. Modernism had poetic expressions with specific weight in Paraguay, with Raúl Amaral and Enrique Marini Palmieri as exponents, although the Secular Song of Eloy Fariña Núñez is the most notable contribution; In other latitudes the compositions of Fortunato Toranzos Bardel are equally or more modernist. Part of it led to mundonovismo and nativism, well represented by the strengthening of poetry written in Guaraní, especially by Narciso R. Colmán, Natalicio González and Manuel Ortiz Guerrero.
There are writers who stood out for their contribution to Guarani literature, whether in stories, poetry, verses and novels: Constant José Aguer, Néstor Amarilla, Narciso Ramón Colman, Mabel Coronel Cuenca, Julio Correa, Susy Delgado, Félix Fernández Galeano, Rigoberto Fontao Meza, David Galeano Olivera, Félix Giménez Gómez, Darío Gómez Serrato, Anselmo Jover Peralta, Silvano Mosqueira, Clementino Ocampos, Manuel Ortiz Guerrero, Ignacio A. Pane, Antonio Ruiz de Montoya, Natalicio Talavera and Javier Viveros. Most of the works written in Guarani were set to music through the different genres found in Paraguayan music.
Historians
The most emblematic historians were: Efraím Cardozo, Julio César Chaves, Ciriaco Duarte, Francisco Isidoro Resquín, Francisco Gaona, Blas Garay, Juan Natalicio González, Alejandro Hamed, Juan Carlos Herken Krauer, Pedro Lozano, Fulgencio R. Moreno, Juan E. O'Leary, Carlos Pastore, Margarita Prieto Yegros, Guido Rodríguez Alcalá, Ruy Díaz de Guzmán, Alfredo Seiferheld, Juan Stefanich, Manuel Antonio Talavera, Jorge Thompson and others.
Cinema
The first film screening in Paraguay was in June 1900, with the Vistas de Actualidad, at the National (later Municipal) Theater of Asunción. The first films were made by the Argentine Ernesto Gunche in 1905. The first Paraguayan to record a short film was Hipólito Carrón, with Alma Paraguaya , lasting 10 minutes, which he made in 1925, during the pilgrimage to caacupé.
In 1932, the Argentine photographer Roque Funes recorded the first documentary feature film in Paraguay, entitled In the inferno del Chaco. In 1937 the first plot film Paraguay, Promised Land was filmed, an unfinished Paraguayan-Argentinean co-production. In 1954 the first official co-production between Argentina and Paraguay was made: Greed, directed by the Italian Catrano Catrani. With The thunder between the leaves (1958), by the Argentinean Armando Bó, a series of co-productions between Argentina and Paraguay began, such as: La sangre y la semilla (1959) and On the road (1959, unpublished), both by Alberto Du Bois; La burrerita de Ypacaraí (1962), by Armando Bó; as well as Argentine films with Paraguayan participation such as Sabaleros (1959) and India (1960), by Armando Bó; or Thirst (1961), by Lucas Demare.
There were also several co-productions with Brazil, among them O Amante de Minha Mulher (1978), by the Italian Alberto Pieralisi; O Último Cão de Guerra (1979), by Tony Vieira; A Cafetina de Meninas Virgens (1981; known in Paraguay as "Kapanga"), by Agenor Alves and Guillermo Vera Díaz; and O Amigo Dunor (2005), by José Eduardo Alcázar.
In 1969, Paraguayan filmmaker Carlos Saguier made the 40-minute medium-length film, El Pueblo. In 1978 the first full-length Paraguayan production film was released, with government support and in 35 millimeters: Cerro Corá, a war fiction, which was also the first national box office success, directed by Guillermo Vera Diaz. With the appearance of video, numerous short films were made in the 80s and 90s, as well as the co-productions Miss Ameriguá (1994, with Sweden and Chile), by Luis R. Vera; and El toque del oboe (1998, with Brazil), by Cláudio MacDowell.
Among the main achievements of the XXI century are: María Escobar (2002), by Galia Gimenez; Requiem for a Soldier (2002), by Galia Giménez; Miramenometokei (2002), by Enrique Collar; Paraguayan Hammock (2006, with Argentina, France, Holland), by Paz Encina; Carimea (2006), by Ray Armele; Red Earth (2006, documentary), by Ramiro Gómez; Acople (2006), by Agu Netto and Rafael Kohan; Gunter's Winter (2007), by Galia Giménez; The reflection (2008), by Gustavo Delgado; Sofía's Gift (2008), by Leticia Coronel and Hugo Cataldo; Printing Error (2008), by Nilfe Vera y Aragón; Napkin Universe (2010), by Luis A. Aguirre; 18 Cigarettes and a Half (2010, with Spain and Mexico), by Marcelo Tolces; Ninth (2010), by Enrique Collar; Cuchillo de palo (2010, documentary with Spain), by Renate Costa; Felipe Canasto (2010), by Dario Cardona; Capital Week (2010), by Hugo Cataldo; Che pykasumi (2011), by Ermes Medina Valiente; Train Paraguay (2011, documentary), by Mauricio Rial; 1811, Shreds of Glory (2011), by Ramón Ramoa Salcedo; Freedom (2012), by Gustavo Delgado; 7 boxes (2012), by Juan Carlos Maneglia and Tana Schémbori; Reading according to Justino (2013, with Argentina), by Arnaldo André; End of the Line (2013), by Gustavo Delgado; The sugar from the orange tree (2013), by Galia Giménez; Costa Dulce (2013, with the Netherlands), by Enrique Collar; Empty Cans (2014, by Coronel Oviedo), by Hérib Godoy; Cicada Moon (2014), by Jorge Bedoya.
Since 1990, the International Festival of Cinema Art and Culture - Paraguay, created and directed by Hugo Gamarra, has been held. The Coronel Oviedo Cultural Society has also carried out the National Short Film Competition, since 2005; and in Caacupé, the Arasá Short Film Awards have been held since 2014.
In addition to the National Audiovisual Directorate, the National Secretariat of Culture; There are entities: Organization of Paraguayan Audiovisual Professionals (OPRAP), which since 2012 organizes the National Audiovisual Congress - Tesape; Paraguayan Chamber of Film and Television Production Companies (CAMPRO), Inter Artis Paraguay, Egeda Paraguay, Paraguayan Audiovisual and Photographic Archive (AAFP), Paraguayan Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Sciences, Ignacio Núñez Soler House of Visual Arts, National Directorate of Intellectual Property (DINAPI).
Language
| Most spoken language in the home DGEEC Censo 2012 |
|---|
| Spanish and Guaraní (46.3%) Guaraní (34.0%) Spanish (15.3 %) Others (4.4 per cent) |
Paraguay is a predominantly bilingual nation, as the majority of the population uses the Spanish language and the Guaraní language. The Paraguayan Constitution of 1992 declares it a multicultural and bilingual country, establishing as official languages Spanish and Guaraní. Castilian is understood by about 90% of the population as first or second language, while Guaraní by 77% of its inhabitants, and its use is regulated by the Guaraní Academy of Language.
As for the Spanish Language, according to the 2020 Report "El Español: Una lengua viva" of the Instituto Cervantes, in Paraguay 68.2% of the population (4,946,322 inhabitants) has a good Spanish language domain. The remaining 31.8 per cent (2,306,350 inhabitants) belongs to the Group of Limited Competition, which has a limited domain of the Spanish language; most of them refer to the Guaraní-speaking and have the Spanish as a second language. Only 7.93% of them are monolingual in Guaraní and do not understand Spanish, a figure that has been reduced in the last thirty years.
The most outstanding characteristic of Paraguayan culture is the persistence of the Spanish language along with the Guaraní language, these being the two official languages of the Nation; and pidgin (mixture) of these languages is known as Yopara. For this reason, the country is often cited as one of the few truly bilingual nations in the world. In addition to Spanish and Guaraní, there are 19 other indigenous languages spoken by about 50,000 Paraguayan indigenous peoples. Portuguese is also spoken by some 300,000 "brasiguayos", most of them located on the border with Brazil. Other minority languages are German, Ukrainian, Japanese, Chinese, Arabic, etc.
According to data from the 2012 National Population and Housing Census conducted by the General Directorate of Statistics, Surveys and Censuses (now the National Institute of Statistics), the languages most spoken in Paraguayan households in most of the time are: 46.3% Spanish and Guaraní (or yopará); only Guaraní 34% and only Spanish 15.3%; the rest speak other languages. The departments where the Guaraní language is most spoken at home, according to data from EPH 2017, are: San Pedro (78.87%), Caazapá (77.39%) and Concepción (71.34%); while the least Guaraní language is spoken are: Assumption (8.95%), Central (15.9%) and Alto Paraná (37.75%). In these last departments Spanish predominates.Despite the official rank of the Guarani language in the country and despite the high number of Guarani-speakers, the Spanish language continues to be used mostly in government affairs, in official documents, judicial processes, administrative processes, professionals, in business, in the media and in education —classes are taught mainly in Spanish—, which is why Guaraní is relegated to use in a more colloquial environment, between family and friends. Due to this, it is said that there is Diglossia and not pure bilingualism.
Among bilinguals there is usually a preference for Guarani in intimate (or trustworthy), personal and family situations. Guarani is used more in rural areas than in urban areas. On the other hand, in Asunción and other large cities, more Spanish and Yopará (Spanish mixed with Guaraní) are spoken.
Religion
According to the 2002 census, 90.0% of the population is Catholic and 7.3% is Protestant (6.2% Evangelical, 1.1% other Christian). The Catholic religion is predominant due to to a large extent, to the process of evangelization carried out by the missionaries to the indigenous people and other inhabitants of the country during the 16th, 17th and early 18th centuries.
Indigenous religions, Jehovah's Witnesses, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, adherents of the Unification Church and members of Bahaism are also present. Among the Protestant groups The following stand out: the Evangelical Pentecostals, mainly those of the Family Worship Center, a church that has more than 20,000 people and more than 100 churches, and the Christian Congregation in Paraguay, which has close to 300 churches. Other prominent ones are the Mennonites, who mainly settle in the Chaco and some experts relate it to the separation of Church and State, of the National Constitution of 1992 that establishes the Paraguayan State as non-denominational.
The largest religious manifestation in Paraguay takes place between November 28 and December 8, the day of the Virgin of Caacupé, when thousands of Paraguayans go to venerate her in her basilica. Pilgrimages are also made to the Virgin of Itacua. On Good Friday, in the city of San Ignacio Guasu, the Tañarandy procession takes place, in which the Passion of Christ is commemorated with thousands of oil lamps and candles that illuminate the night of faith.
Gastronomy
The gastronomy derived from the Cario Guarani-Spanish fusion is the most characteristic of Paraguayan cuisine, added to the contributions of historical migratory groups, such as Italian cuisine and German cuisine. The city of Asunción is the epicenter of the distinctive gastronomy that extends in present-day Paraguay and its areas of influence. In Paraguayan society, the exchange of knowledge takes place between mestizos, criollos and Guarani, from the viceregal era to the present, the first antecedent being contact with the Carios-Guarani in the 16th century.
In an average Paraguayan home, a typical lunch could be puchero (concentrated beef and vegetable soup), soy, beans, rice or noodle stew, all accompanied with tropical fruit juice. The noodles, milanesa, gnocchi, ravioli, pizza, roast and various types of empanadas are also very popular. Delicious foods are made from cassava, such as pastel mandi'o, which is a pasty made from cooked cassava. Among some traditional foods, the most popular is the chipa, which comes in two forms: one is the chipa piru or chipita which has a shape similar to a donut, and the other comes in the form of bread or ring. Both are made from starch. Asado is also typical on Paraguayan tables, generally eaten on Sundays or at special events always accompanied by manioc.
Among the typical infusions are mate and tereré; The first is an infusion made from hot water, yerba mate and medicinal herbs such as anise, chamomile, dill, boldo, burrito, etc., while the second is made from water, ice, yerba mate and refreshing roots/weeds such as saffron, urusu he'e, agrial, batatilla, among many others. In general, the tereré is more consumed and, more than to appease the heat, it serves to socialize. The mate is prepared in a stainless steel thermos along with the matero, while the tereré requires a jug or plastic thermos that is complemented with the guampa; For these two infusions, the metal or nickel silver bombilla is used. Last but not least, there are hot-cold thermoses for uses intended for these drinks, and their sale in personalized format is common, either covered in leather or other types of rustic design.
Apart from tea and coffee, another infusion widely consumed during breakfast or snack is mate cocido or simply "cocido"; This yerba mate-based drink is usually drunk neat (cocido negro) or mixed with milk (cocido con leche). Although cocido mate is commercially exploited in soluble sachets, there are still those who prepare it in its most orthodox form, known as cocido quemado. A variant of the tereré, which replaces the characteristic medicinal plants of the traditional tereré, is the Russian tereré; This citrus juice-based drink originates from the Slavic community in southern Paraguay and is popular only in that region of the country.
Tourism
The National Secretariat of Tourism (Senatur) is in charge of promoting and developing tourism in Paraguay. Since the mid-2010s, the increase in tourist flow was approximately 10%. Paraguay ranked tenth in the ranking of South American countries in terms of income from tourism.
Despite the challenges that the country still has to face in the area of tourism, the progress of recent years offers a favorable outlook, considering that in 2015 the entry of 1,214,613 foreign tourists to the country was registered, which represented an increase of 87% in relation to the figure for 2014 (data from Senatur). Argentine and Brazilian tourists are the ones who visit the country the most, generally for shopping tourism, rural tourism and also to visit relatives.
Paraguay leads shopping tourism —especially the border cities—, as well as rural tourism —expeditions to the Chaco, or eco-adventures through the interior of the country— and visits to historical and modern monuments —the Palacio de los López in Asunción, the Itaipu hydroelectric plant in Hernandarias, the Jesuit Ruins in Itapúa, etc.—.
Commercial tourism has spread widely and Ciudad del Este is the location chosen by tourists in the region for their purchases, this being the main economic income for the city. In Asunción there are various first class gastronomy, hotel and business services, preserving to this day most of its historic buildings, combined with wide and tree-lined avenues that have the largest infrastructure of shopping centers, bars, cinemas, casinos, theaters and places leisure in the country.
On the other hand, the Encarnaceno Carnival, the most important in the country, attracts approximately 50,000 tourists. Encarnación at the beginning of the 2010s, has built the waterfront on the edge of the enormous Paraná River, thus transforming its coasts into beautiful beaches in river waters, replacing the constant demands on sea beaches from foreign countries, it has also become the center The most important (summer) tourist destination in the country for having first class hotel services, commercial and cultural centers, and sports competitions. Near this city are the Jesuit ruins of Jesús y Trinidad, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1993.
| Tourist Attractions of Paraguay | |||||||
|  |  |  | ||||
| Monday. | Tyrolean at the Eco Mbatoví Reserve. | Itaipu dam at night. | Museum of South American Football. | ||||
 |  | ,_Paraguay.jpg) |  | ||||
| Laguna Blanca. | Kayaks in Naranjahai Port, village of the district of Arroyos and Esteros. | Shopping in Ciudad del Este. | Crystal Jump. | ||||
 |  |  |  | ||||
| Jesuitic Ruins of the Most Holy Trinity of Paraná. | Ciudad de Encarnación, capital of summer and carnival. | Dunes of Yacyretá Island. | Pantanal Paraguayo. | ||||
Architecture
In general terms, architecture in any of its currents had a presence in Paraguay for at least a moment in its history. Vernacular architecture is represented by the typology of the Culata Jovai house, typical of rural housing in Paraguay and in the vast Guarani area of South America, prepared to face a semitropical climate. During the colonial era (1537-1811) and even after the independence era, Asunción was still a semi-rural community and urban centers did not yet exist in Paraguay. The architecture of this period had characteristics of an eminently popular manifestation, with few significant buildings. During the government of José Gaspar Rodríguez de Francia (1813-1840), little progress was made in the erection of buildings and urban planning in Paraguay, as well as in the capital. It is in the government of Carlos Antonio López where the gradual imposition of cultural patterns that would relegate the colonial tradition begins, such as the architecture of the facade, the monuments and other Europeanized features that would continue to be introduced by his son Francisco Solano López in the period 1862-1870.
After the War of the Triple Alliance, the restoration of some historic buildings continued as well as the completion of unfinished works. The restoration was carried out with the help of European immigrants, who left their mark on the urban landscape of the nation with their notable eclecticism of an Italian character, a current that standardized the landscape of urban centers such as Concepción, Villarrica and also Asunción. Between 1900 and 1940 an anti-academic reaction arose with Enrique Clari, the highest representative of Catalan modernism who also stood out for his interesting handling of art nouveau. To a lesser extent, other trends with an international presence developed, such as Art-Decó, whose most representative work is the Marcopolo Building. Modern architecture has been introduced in Paraguay since the 1940s, while in the 1950s and 1960s a refreshing breath was received with the Modern Movement.
Sports
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The most practiced and most popular sport is soccer. The Paraguayan team was twice champion of the Copa América, in 1953 and 1979. It also won a silver medal at the 2004 Athens Olympics, the only one for the country to date. He also participated eight times in the Soccer World Cup, being in 2010 his best participation when he reached the quarterfinals for the first time. On the other hand, Paraguay is the headquarters of the South American Football Confederation (Conmebol), in the city of Luque, one of the most powerful confederations in world football.
The most popular clubs are Olimpia locally nicknamed "El Dean", for having the most titles at national and international level, it is also the first to be founded. The other team is Cerro Porteño nicknamed "El Ciclón", it is the second team with the most titles nationwide. Libertad nicknamed as "El Gumarello" It is another of the most important clubs in the country, for being the third team with the most official championships. Other relevant clubs are Guaraní, Nacional, Sportivo Luqueño, Sol de América, among others. The best known players are Arsenio Pastor Erico, José Luis Chilavert, Catalino Rivarola Méndez, Fabián Balbuena, Roque Santa Cruz, Salvador Cabañas, Carlos Gamarra, José Saturnino Cardozo, Gustavo Gómez, Romerito, Roberto Cabañas, Francisco Javier Arce Rolón, among others.
In addition, Paraguay stands out in futsal thanks to its three world championships won, futsal has already managed to participate in four of the six editions of the FIFA Futsal World Championship.
After soccer, the sport with the most fans is the rally, whose most traditional event is the Trans-Chaco Rally that has been held since 1971. The amateur sport with the greatest growth in the country in recent years has been rugby. Other sports practiced are basketball, field hockey, volleyball, handball, rowing, golf, artistic roller skating and swimming, whose main representative is Benjamin Hockin.
In tennis, Víctor Pecci won the Roland Garros Tournament in the junior category in 1973 and the runner-up in the professional category in 1979, Rossana de los Ríos repeated Pecci's in 1992 with the junior Roland Garros title. In the Davis Cup Paraguay competed for the first time in the 1931 edition, and then competed again alone in 1982. His best result was reaching the quarterfinals of the World Group four times in the years 1983, 1984, 1985 and 1987.
Parties
Although they are not national holidays, Paraguay has two holidays that affect important institutions. April 30, Teacher's Day is a holiday for educational institutions and December 31 is a bank holiday established by the Central Bank of Paraguay. Some holidays that fall on business days or during the week are usually moved to Monday, in order to encourage internal tourism.
Throughout the year, in towns and cities popular festivals are held in honor of various saints, the main characteristic of all this is that each district has its own celebration for a specific saint. In these popular festivals, traditions (games, gastronomy, myths, legends, dances, songs, etc.) are recreated, which reach their greatest splendor in the San Juan festival, held between June and July. In the festivals in honor of saints, the Jineteada and the Torín are held.
| Date | International name | Official name | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 January | New Year | New Year | Not laborable. |
| 6 January | Epiphany | Day of the Magi | Unmovable job. |
| Mobile date | Carnival | Carnival Encarnaceno | Workable. Apply only at the regional level. |
| 1 March | Heroes Day | Day of the Heroes of the Homeland | Not laborable. |
| Mobile date | Holy Week | Holy Week | Not laborable. |
| 1 May | International Day of Workers | Workers' Day | Not laborable. |
| 14-15 May | Independence Day and Mother's Day | Independence Day and Mother's Day | Workable moving. |
| 12 June | Chaco Peace Day | Peace of the Chaco | Unmovable job. |
| June and July | Fiesta de San Juan | Fiesta de San Juan | Unmovable job. |
| 15 August | Assumption Foundation Day | Asunción Foundation | Not laborable. Apply only at the regional level. |
| 29 September | Day of the Battle of Boquerón | Battle of Boquerón | Not laborable. |
| 12 October | Race Day | Race Day | Workable moving. |
| 2 November | Day of the Fools | Day of the Dead | Unmovable job. |
| 8 December | Virgin of Caacupé Day | Virgin of Caacupé | Not laborable. |
| 24 December | Christmas Eve | Christmas Eve | Not laborable. |
| 25 December | Christmas | Christmas | Not laborable. |
| 31 December | New Year's Eve | End of year | Not laborable. |
Symbols
In 1812, the Paraguayan tricolor flag was hoisted for the first time with three stripes of equal size, just as they are today. In 1842, it was decided to add the national coats of arms to the flag, on the obverse the official coat of arms of Paraguay, while on the reverse the Treasury coat of arms. Thus, the Paraguayan flag is one of the only three in the world whose two sides are not the same.
The Paraguayan national anthem was written by the Uruguayan poet Francisco Acuña de Figueroa in 1846. It is not known who composed the music to the poem; the truth is that Remberto Giménez revised the lyrics and music in 1933. It is the current version.
On the other hand, the Passionflower is the Spanish meaning of the national flower of Paraguay, the mburucuyá.
- National symbols
National Pavilion
Arms Shield (Old)
Arms Shield (Reverse)
National anthem
Flag of Paraguay in 1811
Flag of 1812, with reminiscent colors of Motherland
National scarapell
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