Habitat

PARAGUAY:

THE “ISLAND SURROUNDED BY LAND”

Located in the heart of South America, Paraguay is bordered by Brazil, Bolivia and Argentina. This “island surrounded by land” consists of a relaxed riverside capital, impressive Jesuit missions, several national parks,and the vast, arid Chaco. It is comparable in size to the state of California but only has a population of approximately 6.5 million people. The country is divided into two distinct regions by the Rio Paraguay, the third largest river in the south hemisphere. To the west lies the Chaco, a dry and sparsely populated area that comprises sixty percent of the country‟s land mass, but only 2% of the population. The majority of the population is concentrated in the grassy plains and wooded hills east of the Rio Paraguay that stretch to the borders of Argentina and Brazil. 24% of the total population is concentrated in the capital city of Asunción.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF PARAGUAY 

Almost no archaeological research has been done in Paraguay, and the pre-Columbian history of the country is poorly documented. What is certain is that the eastern part of the country was occupied by the Guaraní, an indigenous people, for at least 1,000 years before the Spanish Conquest. Evidence indicates that those indigenous inhabitants developed a fairly sophisticated level of political autonomy, with quasi-sedentary, multi village chiefdoms. 

The first Spaniards settled in the territory in the 16th century. Following the Spaniards‟ assumption of power, a mixed, or mestizo, population developed that spoke the language of their indigenous mothers but adopted many of the cultural norms of their Spanish fathers. 

From the early 17th century until their expulsion in 1767, Jesuit missionaries created settlements where the Guaraní were introduced to European cultural, crafts, crops and new methods of cultivation. The Jesuits are credited with protecting the Guaraní from being enslaved by bands of ruthless Portuguese colonists. 

The country‟s colonial history was one of general calm punctuated by turbulent political events. The colony was economically unimportant to the Spanish crown, and the distance of its capital from other new cities on the continent virtually ensured the territory‟s isolation. Paraguay declared its independence from Spain in 1811. 

From independence onward, the country has had a fascinating history of dictatorial governments, from the Utopian regime of José Gaspar of Francia (El Supremo) to the suicidal reign of Francisco Solano López, who nearly devastated the country in warfare against the combined forces of Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay from 1865-1870. The so-called War of the Triple Alliance proved to be one of the bloodiest and most savage wars in Latin American history and ended in the near annihilation of Paraguay. In five years, Paraguay lost half of its pre-war population and 26% of its national territory. 

From 1932 to 1935, Paraguay went to war again, this time with Bolivia over the possession of the Chaco region. During these three years, approximately 30,000 Paraguayans and 65,000 Bolivians died. A cease-fire left no clear victor; however, a treaty awarded Paraguay three-quarters of the disputed territory. 

From 1870-1954 Paraguay was ruled by 44 different men, 24 of whom were forced from office. A 1954 coup installed General Alfredo Stroessner, whose brutal 35-year military-dominated rule was characterized by repression and terror. By the time Stroessner was overthrown, 75% of Paraguayans had known no other leader. Initiative and creativity were stifled for many years during the rules of this series of dictators. 

Because of Paraguay‟s long history of dictatorship, the government has always exercised strict control over the political system and economic activities of the country, including local government activities. However, in 1992 Paraguay approved a new constitution that introduced several changes in its political system. The new constitution calls for a process of decentralization in which certain powers are to be transferred to municipal and departmental governments. In May 1993, Paraguay elected its first nonmilitary president in 40 years. The current president, Nicanor Duarte Frutos, took office in August 2003.

A FEW FACTS ABOUT PARAGUAY 

Full Country Name:  Republic of Paraguay 

Area:  406,750 sq km (about the size of California) 

Population:  6,506,464 (July 2006 est.) (2.45 growth rate %) 

Capital City:  Asunción 

Ethnic Groups:  95% mestizo (mixed Spanish and indigenous) and 5% European descent and indigenous groups 

Languages:  Spanish (language of business and government); Guaraní (spoken and understood by 90% of the population) 

Religion:  90% Roman Catholic; 10% Mennonite and other Protestant denominations 

Government:  Constitutional Republic  

Head of State:  President Nicanor Duarte Frutos 

Life Expectancy:  75.1 years 

Literacy Rate (15+ yrs old):  94% 

GNI Per Capita:  USD$1,280 (est. 2005) 

Average Inflation Rate:  11% (1990-2005) 

Export Commodities:  soybeans, feed, cotton, meat, edible oils, electricity, wood, leather 

Major Trading Partners:  Uruguay, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, U.S., & China 

Natural Resources:  hydropower, timber, iron ore, manganese, limestone 

Economy: Market economy marked by a large informal sector. This sector features both reexport of imported consumer goods to neighboring countries, as well as activities of thousands of street vendors