40 Facts About Paraguay

Paraguay, officially the Republic of Paraguay, is a landlocked South American country.

It is a landlocked country between Argentina, Brazil, and Bolivia, with vast swaths of swampland, subtropical forest, and chaco, as well as savanna and scrubland wildernesses.

On the banks of the Paraguay River, the capital, Asunción, is home to the grand Government Palace and the Museo del Barro, which displays pre-Columbian ceramics and andut lacework, the latter of which is available in many shops.

The nickname for Paraguay is "Corazón de América" (the Heart of America). The name alludes to Paraguay's central location on the South American continent.

The name Paraguay is said to mean "crowned river," derived from the Guarani words for water and palm crown. It means "river of the inhabitants of the sea," according to former President Juan Natalicio Gonzalez.

Almost all of Paraguay's electricity is generated by the Itaipu Dam on the Parana River. The dam, which is located on the border with Brazil, is jointly owned by both countries.

After the more famous Amazon River, the Paraná River runs through Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina and is South America's second-longest river.

The literacy rate in Paraguay is higher than that of the United States. Citizens aged 15 and up in Paraguay read and write at a rate of 94 percent, compared to 86 percent in the United States.

Long before the arrival of the Spanish in the early 1600s, the native Guarana people lived in Paraguay. Today, 95 percent of the people in Paraguay are mestizos, the descendants of those Spanish men and Guarana women. As a result, Paraguay has the most homogeneous population in South America.

Guarani is still widely spoken in Paraguay, regardless of income, politics, or social class. This is one of the country's unifying characteristics. Other indigenous heritages include traditional 38-string harp music and the bottle dance, in which dancers twirl bottles around their heads.

The people of Paraguay produce some of the finest lacework in the world. Nanduti (meaning "spiderweb") is a beautiful lace with circular designs that comes in a rainbow of colours. Embroidered cloth, black clay work and ceramics, and stunning silver jewellery with filigree designs are examples of traditional folk arts.

Mate is the national drink of Paraguay. Mate (pronounced "mahtay") is frequently served warm. Tereré refers to it when served chilled. It is consumed with a bombilla, a metal drinking straw. Plantations grow yerba mate, which is related to common holly.

The main meal of the day is eaten at noon. Corn and cassava, a starchy root vegetable, are two staples of the Paraguayan diet. Cassava (or mandioca) is baked with cheeses to make Chipa, a thick bread. Corn is used in Paraguayan soup, Bori bori soup, and other dishes.

Lapacho (or Taheebo) is derived from the inner bark of the Purple or Red Lapacho trees and is used in herbal medicines and tea. It was one of the Incas' primary medicines and an ancient cure.

Football (soccer), rugby, tennis, and volleyball are popular sports in Paraguay. Football and fishing are both popular pastimes.

Paraguay is the only country in the world with different emblems on each side of its national flag. The country's Coat of Arms is on the front, and its Treasury Seal, with the motto 'Paz y Justica,' is on the back (Peace and Justice). The flag of Paraguay is one of the world's oldest.

Despite the fact that Paraguay is a landlocked country with no ocean borders, it has a well-trained navy. Their navy is the world's largest for a landlocked country.

Iguacu Falls spans the Iguacu River and consists of over 275 individual waterfall cascades. It is taller than Niagara Falls and twice as wide.

With the same amount of concrete used to construct the Itaipu Dam, 210 football stadiums could be built.

The world's largest rodent, the Capybara, which is essentially a giant guinea pig, lives in Paraguay.

The jaguar, harpy eagle, red parrot, giant armadillo, and anteater are all endangered species (jurumi). More Uruguay animals include brown wolves, foxes, tapirs, and over 1000 bird species. There are also many boa constrictors, crocodiles, and piranhas in Paraguay.

"Chipa ladies" dressed in blue miniskirts, train conductor caps, and fishnet stockings climb on and off national buses to sell Chipa to passengers.

The name Paraguay may have been derived from a parrot befriended by the country's first Jesuit priests. Frank, his name, became dinner for those priests. Whether true or not, the country was labelled "Parrot" on 16th-century maps.

The Guinness Book of World Records lists Paraguay as the location of the world's largest barbecue, which drew approximately 30,000 people.

There are no doorbells in homes. Clap your hands to announce your arrival. Claps can be heard inside because the windows are always open in the hot weather.

Dueling is legal in this country, but only between registered blood donors.

Fermina Benitezs, the lady of 100,000 chickens, is one of Paraguay's best-kept secrets. She began making her black clay folk-art chickens when she was 17 years old, and she is now 70 years old.

The Triple Alliance War (1864-1870) between Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay was the bloodiest conflict in South America. The population of Paraguay was cut in half, and only 28,000 men survived.

Prior to the war, Paraguay was prosperous, with significant gold assets. There is no evidence that any have been recovered.

Following the War of the Triple Alliance, American President Rutherford B. Hayes served as the binding arbitrator of the peace terms. Hayes became a national hero after awarding the Gran Chaco to Asuncion, Paraguay, rather than Buenos Aires. Villa Hayes was named after him, as were the town and county.

Paraguay was the last Latin American country to grant women the right to vote, in 1961. In 1992, constitutional amendments granted women equal rights within their marriages.

The crowded street bazaars of Ciudad del Este draw many Brazilians from across the river looking for bargains. Many Brazilians are relocating to Paraguay because the country's housing prices are lower.

Paraguay is the world's fourth-largest electricity exporter, with the world's second-largest hydroelectric plant co-owned with Brazil.

The Chaco region of western Paraguay has 60% of the country's land but only 2% of the population. The rest of the population lives within 100 miles of Asuncion, the capital of eastern Paraguay. It is estimated that half of the population lives in poverty.

Paraguay is the world's sixth-largest producer of soybeans, second-largest producer of tung oil, second-largest producer of stevia, sixth-largest corn exporter, seventh-largest beef exporter, and fourteenth-largest wheat exporter. More than half of Paraguayans are employed in agriculture and forestry.

The people of Paraguay are known for their gentle and friendly treatment of visitors. Be aware, however, that cheap inns and hotels in Paraguay frequently double as local brothels. Tourists from Europe and North America are considered a novelty and are treated with courtesy.

The well-preserved Jesuit ruins in Paraguay, dating back to 1706, have been designated as UNESCO World Heritage sites, despite being among the least visited in South America. Some of these historic sites were used in the film 'The Mission,' starring Robert De Niro.

Paraguay has 42 wildlife reserves and 10 national parks. The Mbaracayu tropical forests offer comfortable accommodations and tours, as well as 89 mammal and 410 bird species. Metallic blue butterflies, waterfalls, and howler monkeys can be found in Ybycui.

Tourists are drawn to Paraguay's vibrant festivals. The June Festival de San Juan includes fire walking in hot coals and embers, delicious food, and the ritual burning of a Judas Iscariot effigy. The San Blas Fiestas in February are Carnival celebrations. Bus transportation is both safe and inexpensive.

Cannibalism was abandoned by the indigenous Ache peoples more than 20 years ago. They still live simply (primitively) today, but they are friendly and have been known to welcome visitors to their rain forest homes.