Paraguay

Paraguay is a little landlocked country, which has found itself somewhat isolated from even its neighbors in the past by geography and politics. It is one of the continent’s least densely populated countries, made up of mostly mestizos (people of mixed Spanish and Native American descent) but there is also a Japanese community, created by migration.

Achieved its independence from Spain in 1811. In the disastrous War of the Triple Alliance (1865 – 1870) between Paraguay and Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay –Paraguay lost two-thirds of all adult males and much of its territory. The country stagnated economically for the next half century. Following the Chaco War on 1932-35 with Bolivia, Paraguay gained a large part of the Chaco lowland region. The 35-year military dictatorship of Alfredo Stroessner ended in 1989, and, despite a marked increase in political infighting in recent tears, Paraguay held relatively free and regular presidential elections since then.

Although Paraguay is landlocked, the country is watered by numerous rivers, streams, and lakes, which are all part of the La Plata River Basin. The Guaraní Aquifer, considered one of the biggest fresh water reserves on the planet, flows underground. The Paraguay and the Paraná Rivers, which are the main waterways, are evoked in tradition music and poetry.

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