Paraguay

**Paraguay**, officially the **Republic of Paraguay** (), is a small country in South America. It is landlocked, meaning that it is not next to the ocean. It is bordered to the North and East by Brazil, the West by Bolivia, and the South and Southeast by Argentina. The main languages are Spanish and Guaraní.
Paraguay's population is about 6 million. The ethnic makeup of the population is the following: Mestizo (mixed European and Amerindian) 80%, European 20%, unmixed Amerindian 1-3%, Asian 1-4%.

Over (20%) of the population lives below the poverty line.

Paraguay has two official languages, Spanish and Guaraní. Guaraní is recognized as a national language.

The capital city is Asuncion. Asuncion was founded in 1537 by a Spaniard named Juan de Salazar. Paraguay was a colony of Spain, but became independent in 1811.

From 1865-1870 Paraguay lost land and most of its male population in the War of the Triple Alliance against Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay. It gained land in the Chaco War against Bolivia in the 1930s.

Paraguay's main religion is Roman Catholicism.

The weather is humid in the east and dry in the west.

### Administrative subdivisions

Paraguay has 17 departments and one capital district (_Distrito Capital_). The departments are formed by districts.

The departments are grouped in two geographic regions, separated by the Paraguay river:
- **Occidental** (Western) region or **Chaco**, to the north of the Paraguay river (departments: Alto Paraguay, Boquerón and Presidente Hayes)
- **Oriental** (Eastern) region, to the south of the Paraguay river (departments: Alto Paraná, Amambay, Caaguazú, Caazapá, Canindeyú, Central, Concepción, Cordillera, Guairá, Itapúa, Misiones, Paraguarí, San Pedro and Ñeembucú; the capital district is part of this region)

|No.|Department|Capital|Population <small>(2002)</small>|Area <small>(km²)</small>|Districts|
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|1|Concepción|Concepción|179,450|18,051|8|
|2|San Pedro|San Pedro|318,698|20,002|20|
|3|Cordillera|Caacupé|233,854|4,948|20|
|4|Guairá|Villarrica|178,650|3,846|18|
|5|Caaguazú|Coronel Oviedo|435,357|11,474|21|
|6|Caazapá|Caazapá|139,517|9,496|10|
|7|Itapúa|Encarnación|453,692|16,525|30|
|8|Misiones|San Juan Bautista|101,783|9,556|10|
|9|Paraguarí|Paraguarí|221,932|8,705|17|
|10|Alto Paraná|Ciudad del Este|558,672|14,895|21|
|11|Central|Areguá|1,362,893|2,465|19|
|12|Ñeembucú|Pilar|76,348|12,147|16|
|13|Amambay|Pedro Juan Caballero|114,917|12,933|4|
|14|Canindeyú|Salto del Guairá|140.137|14.667|12|
|15|Presidente Hayes|Villa Hayes|82,493|72,907|8|
|16|Alto Paraguay|Fuerte Olimpo|11,587|82,349|4|
|17|Boquerón|Filadelfia|41,106|91,669|3|
|18|Distrito Capital|Asunción|512,112|117|6|

## References

**Notes**

## Infobox (country)

- **conventional long name**: Republic of Paraguay
- **common name**: Paraguay
- **image flag**: Flag of Paraguay.svg
- **image coat**: Coat of arms of Paraguay.svg
- **image map**: Paraguay (orthographic projection).svg
- **national motto**:

- **national anthem**:

- **languages type**: Official language
- **demonym**: Paraguayan
- **ethnic groups year**: 2016
- **capital**: Asunción
- **largest city**: Asunción
- **government type**: Unitary state, Unitary Presidential system, presidential constitutional republic
- **leader title1**: President of Paraguay, President
- **leader name1**: Santiago Peña
- **leader title2**: Vice President of Paraguay, Vice President
- **leader name2**: Hugo Velázquez Moreno
- **legislature**: Congress of Paraguay, Congress
- **upper house**: Senate of Paraguay, Senate
- **lower house**: Chamber of Deputies of Paraguay, Chamber of Deputies
- **area rank**: 59th
- **area km2**: 406752
- **percent water**: 2.3
- **population estimate rank**: 104th
- **population density km2**: 17.2
- **population density sq mi**: 39
- **population density rank**: 204th
- **gdp ppp**: $68.005 billion
- **gdp ppp rank**: 100th
- **gdp ppp year**: 2017
- **gdp ppp per capita**: $9,779
- **gdp ppp per capita rank**: 107th
- **gdp nominal year**: 2017
- **gdp nominal**: $28.743 billion
- **gdp nominal rank**: 99th
- **gdp nominal per capita**: $4,133
- **gdp nominal per capita rank**: 109th
- **sovereignty type**: Independence
- **established event1**: Declared
- **established date1**: 14 May 1811
- **established event2**: Recognized
- **established date2**: 25 November 1842
- **gini year**: 2015
- **gini change**: decrease
- **gini**: 48
- **hdi year**: 2015
- **hdi change**: steady
- **hdi**: 0.693
- **hdi rank**: 110th
- **currency**: Paraguayan guaraní, Guaraní
- **currency code**: PYG
- **time zone**: UTC–4, PYT
- **utc offset**: –4
- **time zone dst**: Daylight saving time in Paraguay, PYST
- **utc offset dst**: –3
- **drives on**: right
- **calling code**: +595
- **cctld**: .py
- **footnote a**: Mixed European and Amerindian.