Paraguay understand · Paraguay tourist information
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Paraguay tourist information
Paraguay tourist information
Colonized for 3 centuries by the Spanish, since the 1500s, Paraguay has managed to keep a lot of its indigenous character and identity. Nowadays, the mestizos (Spanish + Amerindian) account for more than 90% of the country's 6 million inhabitants and Guarani is, side by side with Spanish, the country's official language.
In the past, Franciscan and Jesuit missions mingled with the Guaranis' dream of Yvy maraë´y, a land without evil, and produced singular societies. The ruins of the Jesuit Missions of La Santisima Trinidad de Parana and Jesus de Tavarangue, UNESCO World Heritage sites, and several villages throughout the country, are witnesses to that peaceful past.
But Paraguay also has a history of blood and tears. In the disastrous War of the Triple Alliance (1865-70), waged by the allied forces of Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay, the country lost two-thirds of all adult males and much of its territory. It stagnated economically for the next half century. In the Chaco War of 1932-35, large, economically important areas were won from Bolivia. The 35-year military dictatorship of Alfredo Stroessner was overthrown in 1989, and, despite a marked increase in political infighting in recent years, democratic governors have been in power since then.
It was also the scene of the first ever attempt at Communism when 700 people sailed from Balmain, Sydney Australia in 1893. A split occurred soon after arrival when some of the arrivals started mingling with the local ladies who were suffering a lack of men due to the War of the Triple Aliance. Two-thirds of the immigrants eventually returned to Australia but around 2000 Paraguayans can trace their heritage to Australia.
Modern Paraguay is largely based upon political uncertainty and economic hardship - Since the early 1980s, Paraguay is making the difficult decision to move a more modern market economy. While Asuncion is filled with new economic prospects and construction, much of the country remains underdeveloped, consisting of deficient infrastructure. Corruption here is ubiquitous compared to neighboring Bolivia, Brazil and Argentina.
In recent years, though, economic wellbeing has been reported and democratic elections have been taking place with little to non uncertain events.
National holiday: Independence Day, 15 May (1811)
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Paraguay
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Paraguay - updated Apr 2024
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Paraguay Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.