HERE Maps for
Paraguay

In the heart of South America, the Republic of Paraguay is bordered by Brazil, Argentina and Bolivia. Although landlocked, Paraguay has ports on the Paraguay and Parana rivers, which give access to the Atlantic Ocean. The capital city is Asunción.
Inhabited by the indigenous Guarani people, Paraguay became the centre of Jesuit missions in 1600s after the arrival of the Spanish in 1524. The Jesuits were expelled from Spanish territories in 1767 and Paraguay became a peripheral colony, gaining independence from Spain in the early 1800s.There followed a period of authoritarian governments with protectionist and isolationist policies. The six year Paraguayan War, against an alliance of Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay ended in 1870 with Paraguay losing half its population and nearly one third of its territory. After further war against Bolivia in the twentieth century, Paraguay was ruled by a raft of military dictatorships, finally culminating in the overthrow of Alfredo Stroessner’s regime in 1989. Since then, a fragile democracy has prevailed, and Paraguay is run as a representative democratic republic, divided into seventeen departments.
All of Paraguay’s electricity is produced by hydropower which it exports to other South American countries. As its economy has grown, production of beef and soyabeans remain important, but it has diversified into power, auto parts and clothing. Tourism remains quite underdeveloped.
There is great disparity in Paraguayan life. It is estimated that under 3% of the population own 85% of the agricultural land. Poverty is rife - especially amongst the Guarani people. It is estimated that only 2.5% of the Guarani have access to drinking water. Around 60% of the population live in urban areas.
Paraguay is very much a country of two cultures and their influences, Spanish and Guarani, and is officially a bi-lingual country. Music, cuisine and embroidery are evidence of the cultural mix. Soccer is the main sport and Asunción the seat of the South American Football Federation.
On the world stage Paraguay is a member of the United Nations and the Organisation of American States.