Country Information on Paraguay 

Terrain

The country is divided naturally by the Paraguay river into two large areas. To the west of the river is the flat deposit of the Gran Chaco, a vast plain which extends from Paraguay into Bolivia, Argentina, and Brazil. This whole region is characterised by Grasslands, swamps, and sparse bush coverage. The eastern area consists mainly of plains with rainforest-like vegetation and is drained by the tributaries of the Paraguay and Paraná rivers.

Climate

Paraguay has a subtropical climate. In Asunción mean temperatures range between 17°C in July and 27°C in January. In the Gran Chaco temperatures exceed 45°C on hot days. Although the temperature can sink to -2°C, almost no snow falls. The main rainy season lasts from December to March.

Fauna/Flora

The Paraguayan flora and fauna is not dissimilar to that of its South American neighbours. The country's east, which has a high precipitation rate, is covered by dense, evergreen rainforest which contains a variety of tropical trees, grass, and fern species. The vegetation in the Gran Chaco has comparatively few species. The red quebracho tree, which is especially rich in tannin used for tanning leather, is common.

Paraguayan wildlife includes armadillos, capybaras (large rodents) tapirs, jaguars, anteaters, wild pigs, fallow deer, caymans, and various snake species. Various species of duck, toucans, ibis, herons, partridges, parakeets, parrots and rheas are some of the birds that are found in Paraguay. Many of these birds have extraordinarily colourful plumage.

History/Politics

The first inhabitants of present day Paraguay came from three different ethnic groups: the Guarani, Guaycurú, and Payaguá. The Portuguese explorer Alejo García discovered Paraguay in 1525. Colonization, however, did not start until 1537. The Jesuits settled in 1609 and established a system of missions among the indigenous population. The system was characterized by communal farming and small scale artisan production. Political issues led the Spanish Crown to drive out the Jesuits in the 18th century. Colonial Paraguay and the area of present-day Argentina were administered jointly until 1620, when they became separate parts of the viceroyalty of Peru. As these territories did not have precious metals, they were predominantly used for raising cattle.

Argentina declared its independence from Spain in 1811 and Paraguay followed shortly afterwards. The 19th century was characterized by the dictatorship of Gaspar Rodriguez de Francia. The Gran Chaco area along the border with Bolivia, which had never been officially defined, was subjected to numerous clashes from 1929 to 1932. This continued until 1932, when the Chaco War broke out, fuelled by rival North American oil companies that were interested in the alleged oil resources in the region. More than 50,000 Paraguayans and Bolivians lost their lives in the war. A cease-fire was signed in 1935 and in 1938 an arbitration commission officially ruled that Paraguay should be given three quarters of the territory under dispute. Paraguay had 22 presidents over the following 31 years until General Alfredo Stroessner came into power in 1954. President Alfredo Stroessner established a dictatorship which meant that he was "re-elected" at five-yearly intervals after 1958.

In the 1968 elections the opposition was allowed to put forward candidates of its own for the first time in 30 years. Stroessner had been popular since the mid-sixties as a result of economic growth that was seen during his presidency, but many Paraguayans fled the country due to political persecution. Stroessner was re-elected for his eighth term in 1988, but was overthrown in February 1989 by a military coup that resulted from widespread government corruption. The coup leader, General Andrés Rodríguez, won the presidential elections as candidate of the Colorado Party. Although he began to privatize state-owned enterprises, the economic development remained lacklustre and he lost the support of part of the population.

The candidate nominated by the same party, Juan Carlos Wasmosy, won the 1993 presidential elections. In June 1996 the people were so discontent that they went on a general strike. In May 1998, President Raúl Cubas of the Colorado Party won the elections, with 53.9% of the votes. When Vice President Luis Argaña (also of the Colorado Party) was assassinated in 1999, Cubas was forced to resign. Luis Gonzalez Macchi was subsequently sworn in as his successor. The 2003 presidential elections were won by Nicanor Duarte, who was sworn in August of the same year.

Economy

Despite the fact that the industrial sector has grown considerably since the 1970s, agriculture remains the most important branch of the Paraguay's economy. Industrial production is largely restricted to agricultural and forestry commodities. Meat and timber processing, the production of vegetable oil, sweets and fruit juices are other important branches of the economy. There are also textile and glass factories and cement works. In 2003 the unemployment rate was 18.2% and the inflation rate was 15.6%.

Culture

From time immemorial the Guaraní have used simple wind and percussion instruments, especially flutes made of wood, whistles, rattles, and bells. The guitar and the harp, which were brought to Paraguay by the early Spanish settlers, are the basic instruments of contemporary Paraguayan music. Among the oldest kinds of folk music is the polka. The Guarania, a song created in the early 20th century that has a catchy tune, is the first piece of music that differs from Spanish colonial tradition.

Religious tradition is the root of many Paraguayan works of art, which is why plastic arts are so important in the decoration of churches. The sculptures of saints on gables and pulpits or splendidly carved high altars are early examples of indigenous art and the Spanish baroque style. Pablo Alborno and Juan Samudio are the most well-known contemporary painters. The most well-known product of Paraguayan craftsmanship is ñanduti, a fine lace.