Paraguay River
Rio Paraguay, Río Paraguay
River
View of Paraguay River near Asunción
Countries	Paraguay, Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia
Tributaries
- left	Negro River, Miranda River, Apa River
- right	Jauru River, Pilcomayo River, Bermejo River
Mouth	Paraná River
- elevation	50 m (164 ft)
- coordinates	27°18′S 58°38′W / 27.3°S 58.633°W / -27.3; -58.633 [1]
Length	2,621 km (1,629 mi) [2]
Basin	365,592 km2 (141,156 sq mi) [2]
Discharge
- average	2,700 m3/s (95,000 cu ft/s) [2]
Map of the Rio de la Plata Basin, showing the Paraguay River joining the Paraná River near Resistencia and Corrientes, south of Asunción.

The Paraguay River (Río Paraguay in Spanish, Rio Paraguai in Portuguese, Ysyry Paraguái in Guarani) is a major river in south central South America, running through Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, and Argentina. It flows about 2,621 kilometres (1,629 mi)^[2] from its headwaters in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso to its confluence with the Paraná River north of Corrientes.

Course[link]

The Paraguay's source is south of Diamantino in the Mato Grosso state of Brazil. It follows a generally southwesterly course, passing through the Brazilian city of Cáceres. It then turns in a generally southward direction, flowing through the Pantanal wetlands, the city of Corumbá, and then running close to the Brazil-Bolivia border for a short distance in the Brazilian states of Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul.

From the city of Puerto Bahia Negra, Paraguay, the river forms the border between Paraguay and Brazil, flowing almost due south before the confluence with the Apa River.

The Paraguay makes a long, gentle curve to the south-southeast before resuming a more south-southwest course, dividing the country of Paraguay into two distinct halves: the Gran Chaco region to the west, a largely uninhabited semi-arid region; and the eastern forested departments of the country, accounting for some 98% of the country's inhabitants. As such the river is considered perhaps the key geographical feature to the country with which it shares its name.

Some 400 kilometres (250 mi) after flowing through the middle of Paraguay, at the confluence with the Pilcomayo River and passing the Paraguayan capital city, Asunción, the river forms the border with Argentina, flowing generally south-southwesterly for another 275 kilometres (171 mi) before it reaches its end, joining with the Paraná River.

Uses[link]

Deep water port on the River Paraguay in Asunción, Paraguay

The Paraguay River is the second major river of the Rio de la Plata Basin, after the Paraná River. The Paraguay's drainage basin, about 365,592 square kilometres (141,156 sq mi),^[2] covers a vast area that includes major portions of northern Argentina, southern Brazil, parts of Bolivia, and the entire country of Paraguay. Unlike many of the other great rivers of the Rio de la Plata Basin, the Paraguay has not been dammed for hydroelectric power generation, and as such it is navigable for a considerable distance, second to the Amazon River only in terms of navigable length on the continent. This makes it an important shipping and trade corridor, providing a much needed link to the Atlantic Ocean for the otherwise landlocked nations of Paraguay and Bolivia. It serves such important cities as Asunción and Concepción in Paraguay and Formosa in Argentina.

The river is also a source of commerce in the form of fishing and providing irrigation for agriculture along its route. It also serves as a way of life for a number of poor fishermen who live along its banks and make the majority of their income selling fish in local markets, as well as supplying a major source of sustenance for their families. This has created issues in large cities such as Asunción, where poverty stricken farmers from the country's interior have populated the river's banks in search of an easier lifestyle. Seasonal flooding of the river's banks forces many thousands of displaced residents to seek temporary shelter until the waters recede from their homes. The Paraguayan military has been forced to dedicate land on one of its reserves in the capital to emergency housing for these displaced citizens. The river is a tourist attraction for its beauty.

Wetland controversy[link]

The Paraguay River is the primary waterway of the 147,629-square-kilometre (57,000 sq mi) Pantanal wetlands of southern Brazil, northern Paraguay and parts of Bolivia. The Pantanal is the world's largest tropical wetland and is largely dependent upon waters provided by the Paraguay River.

Owing to its importance as a navigable waterway serving Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay, the river has been the focus of commercial and industrial development. In 1997 the governments of the nations of the La Plata Basin proposed a bold plan under the Hidrovia Inter Governmental Commission (CIH) agency to develop the rivers into an industrial waterway system to help reduce the costs of exporting goods from the area, in particular the soybean crop that the area has embraced. The plan proposed constructing more hydroelectric dams along some of the waterways, along with a massive effort to restructure the navigable waterways—most notably the Paraguay River—through dredging of the waterway, rock removal, and channel restructuring.

Studies indicated that the proposed river engineering of the Paraguay would have lowered the river levels by several feet and have a devastating impact on the Pantanal wetlands, but the member nations of the CIH were determined to go ahead with the plan. An effort by the Rios Vivos coalition to educate people on the effects of the project was successful in delaying the project, and the nations involved have agreed to reformulate their plan. The final plan is still uncertain, however, along with the final effect it will have on the Pantanal and the ecology of the entire Río de la Plata basin is currently undetermined. The controversy as to whether or not the project will have a disastrous effect on the ecology, as well as the potential economic gains, continues to this day.

The project is considered to have extremely positive effects for Paraguay, Bolivia, western Brazil, and the north of Argentina, which presently rely on expensive overland transport. With this improved waterway system in place, the lower costs of transportation wiould make the regional industry more competitive in world markets, spur economic growth in the region, and create additional employment throughout the area. Paraguay's capital city, Asunción, would become a major inland port benefiting exporters of cattle, cotton, and in particular, the extensive soybean crop. Argentina's cereal producers near the Rosario port on the Paraná River would benefit from the lower transportation cost as well. Also, this project could trigger an economic boost to Brazil's mining companies and farmers since the central plains are rich in iron, manganese, and precious stones and soybeans, coffee, wheat, rice, and hardwoods flourish. Uruguay's aim is to develop Nueva Palmira at the southern end of the Hydrovia and establish it as the main port of the Southern Cone.

See also[link]

• Tributaries of the Río de la Plata

References[link]

Additional references[link]

• American University Trade and Environment data base (2004). Itaipu Dam.
• American University Trade and Environment data base. (1999). Hydrovia Canal Plan and Environment .

Available online at http://www.american.edu/TED/hidrovia.htm.

• Bascheck, B. and Hegglin, M. (2004). Plata/Paraná River Basin, A Case Study . Swiss Federal Insititute for Environmental Science and Technology.
• Da Rosa, J. E. (1983). Economics, politics, and hydroelectric power: the Paraná River Basin . Latin American Research Review, VXVIII (3), pp. 77–107.
• Elhance, A. P. (1999). Hydropolitics in the 3rd World, Conflict and Cooperation in International River Basins. Washington, D.C. : United States Institute of Peace.
• Gleick, P.H., ed. Water in Crisis. A Guide to the World's Fresh Water Resources, New York : Oxford University Press, pp. 13–24.
• Kulshreshtha, S.N. (1993). World Water Resources and Regional Vulnerability: Impact of Future Changes. RR-93-10, IIASA, Laxenburg, Austria .
• Lammers, O., Moore, D. and Preakle, K. (1994). Considering the Hidrovia: a preliminary report on the status of the proposed Paraguay/Parana waterway project. Working Paper 3 . Berkeley, California : International Rivers Network, July.
• Transboundary Freshwater Dispute Database (TFDD) (2007). Oregon State University.

Available on-line at: http://www.transboundarywaters.orst.edu/

• United Nations. (1978). Register of international rivers, Water Supply Management, 2 (1). New York: Pergamon Press.

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Río Paraguay

• "Case Study of Transboundary Dispute Resolution: the La Plata basin," Aaron T. Wolf and Joshua T. Newton
• Drainage Plan Will Devastate S. American Rivers, Groups Say National Geographic News article, July 31, 2003

Republic of Paraguay República del Paraguay (Spanish) Tetã Paraguái (Guaraní)
Flag (obverse) Coat of arms
Motto: Paz y justicia  (Spanish) "Peace and justice"
Anthem: Paraguayos, República o Muerte  (Spanish) "Paraguayans, Republic or Death"
Capital (and largest city)		Asunción 25°16′S 57°40′W / 25.267°S 57.667°W / -25.267; -57.667
Official language(s)		Spanish Guaraní[1][2]
Ethnic groups (2000)		Mestizo (mixed European and Amerindian) 80% European 20% unmixed Amerindian 1-3% Asian 1-4% black 1% other 2.3%
Demonym		Paraguayan
Government		Unitary presidential Constitutional republic
-	President	Fernando Lugo
-	Vice President	Federico Franco
Legislature		Congress
-	Upper house	Chamber of Senators
-	Lower house	Chamber of Deputies
Independence		from Spain
-	Declared	14 May 1811
-	Recognized	15 May 1811
Area
-	Total	406,752 km2 (60th) 157,048 sq mi
-	Water (%)	2.3
Population
-	2009 estimate	6,454,548 [3] (103rd)
-	Density	14.2/km2 (204th) 39/sq mi
GDP (PPP)		2011 estimate
-	Total	$35.346 billion[4]
-	Per capita	$5,412[4]
GDP (nominal)		2011 estimate
-	Total	$21.236 billion[4]
-	Per capita	$3,252[4]
Gini (2008)		50.8[5] (high)
HDI (2010)		0.640[6] (medium) (96th)
Currency		Guaraní (PYG)
Time zone		(UTC-4)
-	Summer (DST)	(UTC-3)
Drives on the		right
ISO 3166 code		PY
Internet TLD		.py
Calling code		595

Paraguay (ⁱ/ˈpɛərəɡwaɪ/, PAIR-ə-gwy), officially the Republic of Paraguay (Spanish: República del Paraguay [reˈpuβlika ðel paɾaˈɣwai], Guaraní: Tetã Paraguái [teˈtã paɾaˈɣwaj]), is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the east and northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest. Paraguay lies on both banks of the Paraguay River, which runs through the center of the country from north to south. Due to its central location in South America, it is sometimes referred to as Corazón de América, or the Heart of America.^[7]

The Guaraní have been living in Paraguay since before the arrival of Europeans in the 16th century, when Paraguay became part of the Spanish colonial empire. Following independence from Spain in 1811, Paraguay was ruled by a series of dictators who followed isolationist and protectionist policies. This development was truncated by the disastrous Paraguayan War (1864–1870) in which the country lost 60% to 70% of its population and large amounts of territory. During a large part of the 20th century, Paraguay was ruled by Alfredo Stroessner, who led one of South America's longest lived military dictatorships. In 1989 Stroessner was toppled and free elections were celebrated in 1993. In 1994 Paraguay joined Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay to found Mercosur.

As of 2009 the population was estimated at 6.3 million. The capital and largest city is Asunción. The official languages are Spanish and Guaraní, both being widely spoken in the country, with around 92% of the general population speaking Spanish and 98% speaking Guaraní.

Though it remains one of region's poorest and least-developed countries, in 2010, Paraguay's economy grew by 14.5%, the largest economic expansion in Latin America, and the third fastest in the world after Qatar and Singapore.^[8] By 2011, economic growth slowed but remained high, at 6.4%.^[9]

Etymology[link]

The name of the river, Paraguay, is thought to come from Guaraní para, "of many varieties", and gua, "riverine".

There is no conclusive explanation for the origin of the name Paraguay, however. The most common interpretations that have been suggested include:

1. "River which originates a sea"
2. The Spanish officer and scientist Félix de Azara suggests two versions: water from the Payaguas (Payaguá-and Payagua-i), referring to natural Payaguas living on the coasts of the river, and the other was due to the name of a great chief called "Paraguaio."
3. The French-Argentine historian and writer Paul Groussac argued that it meant "river that flows through the sea (Pantanal)."
4. The ex-president and Paraguayan politician, Juan Natalicio Gonzalez said it meant "river of the habitants of the sea."
5. fray Antonio Ruiz de Montoya said that it meant "river crowned."

Geography[link]

Paraguay is divided by the Río Paraguay into the eastern region, called Eastern Paraguay (Paraguay Oriental) and known as the Paraná region; and the western region, officially called Western Paraguay (Paraguay Occidental) and also known as the Chaco. The country lies between latitudes 19° and 28°S, and longitudes 54° and 63°W. The terrain consists of grassy plains and wooded hills in the east. To the west, there are mostly low, marshy plains.

Climate[link]

The overall climate ranges from subtropical to temperate, and like most lands in the region, Paraguay has only a wet and dry period. Winds play a major role in influencing Paraguay's weather: between October and March, warm winds blow from the Amazon Basin in the North, while the period between May and August brings cold winds from the Andes.

The lack of mountain ranges to provide a natural wind barrier allows winds to develop speeds as high as 100 miles per hour (161km/h). This also leads to significant changes in temperature within a short span of time; between April and September, temperatures will sometimes drop below freezing. January is the hottest summer month, with an average daily temperature of 84 degrees.

Rainfall varies dramatically across the country, with substantial rainfall in the eastern portions, and semi-arid conditions in the far west. The far eastern forest belt receives an average of 67 inches (170 cm) of rain annually, while the western Chaco region typically averages no more than 20 inches (50 cm) a year. Furthermore, the rains in the west tend to be irregular and evaporate more quickly, contributing to the aridity of the area.

History[link]

Francisco Solano López

Pre-Columbian society in the wooded, fertile region which is now Paraguay consisted of semi-nomadic tribes, who were recognized for their fierce warrior traditions. These indigenous tribes were members of five distinct language families, and 17 separate ethnolinguistic groups remain today.

Europeans first arrived in the area in the early sixteenth century, and the settlement of Asunción was founded on 15 August 1537, by the Spanish explorer Juan de Salazar de Espinosa. The city eventually became the center of a Spanish colonial province, as well as the primary site of the Jesuit missions and settlements in South America in the eighteenth century. Jesuit Reductions were founded, and flourished in Eastern Paraguay for about 150 years, until the expulsion of the Jesuits by the Spanish crown in 1767. Paraguay overthrew the local Spanish administration on 15 May 1811. Paraguay's first ruler was the dictator Jose Gaspar Rodriguez de Francia. He ruled Paraguay from 1814, until his death in 1840, with very little outside contact or influence, creating a utopian society based on Rousseau's Social Contract.^[10] After his death, Paraguay went through the very brief ownership of various military officers under a new junta, until the secretary Carlos Antonio Lopez, Francia's nephew, declared himself dictator. Lopez modernized Paraguay, and opened it up to foreign commerce. The relationship with Buenos Aires was limited to a non-aggression pact; Paraguayan independence from Argentina was declared in 1842. After Lopez's death, power was transferred to his eldest son, Francisco Solano López in 1862. Lopez's expansionist aims lead to the Paraguayan War in 1864. Paraguay fought against Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay, and was defeated in 1870 after five years of the bloodiest war in South America. William D. Rubinstein wrote: "The normal estimate is that of a Paraguayan population of somewhere between 450,000 and 900,000, only 220,000 survived the war, of whom only 28,000 were adult males."^[11] Paraguay also suffered extensive territorial losses to Brazil and Argentina.

Battle of Tuyutí, May 1866

The Chaco War was fought with Bolivia in the 1930s, and Bolivia was defeated. Paraguay re-established sovereignty over the region called the Chaco, but forfeited additional territorial gains as a price of peace.

The official narrative of Paraguay's history is fraught with disputes among historians, educators and politicians. The "authentic" version of historical events, wars in particular, varies depending on whether it was written in Paraguay, Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil, Bolivia, Europe, or North America.

Both the Colorado Party and Liberal Party maintain distinct official versions of Paraguayan history^{[citation needed]}. During the pillaging of Asuncion (Saqueo de Asunción) in 1869, the Brazilian Imperial Army ransacked and relocated the Paraguayan National Archives to Rio de Janeiro where they have been kept in secrecy,^[12] making Paraguayan history in the Colonial and early National periods difficult to study.

Between 1904 and 1954, Paraguay had thirty-one presidents, most of whom were removed from office by force.^[13]

From 1954 to 1989, the country was ruled by Alfredo Stroessner and the Colorado party. The dictator oversaw an era of economic expansion, but also had a poor human rights and environmental record (see "Political History"). Torture and death for political opponents was routine.^[14] After his overthrow, the Colorado continued to dominate national politics until 2008.

Leftist former bishop Fernando Lugo achieved a historic victory in Paraguay's presidential election of April 2008, defeating the ruling party candidate, and ending 61 years of conservative rule. Lugo won with nearly 41% of the vote, compared to almost 31% for Blanca Ovelar of the Colorado party.^[15] The Lugo administration has highlighted the reduction of corruption and economic inequality as two major priorities.^[9]

Government and politics[link]

Paraguay is a representative democratic republic, with a multi-party system and separation of powers in three branches. Executive power is exercised solely by the President, who is head of state and head of government. Legislative power is vested in the two chambers of the National Congress. The judiciary is vested on tribunals and Courts of Civil Law and a nine-member Supreme Court of Justice, all of them independent of the executive and the legislature.

Political history[link]

Pre-1980[link]

José Gaspar Rodríguez de Francia

Paraguay gained its independence from Spain in 1811, and its first president was Jose Gaspar Rodriguez de Francia, who was originally appointed with Fulgencio Yegros as alternative consul, but in 1814, de Francia was appointed president. He established new laws that more or less completely removed the powers of the church and the cabinet, forbade colonial citizens from marrying one other, being allowed to marry only blacks, mulattoes or natives, and cut off Paraguay from the rest of South America. Because of de Francia's abolition of freedom, and his drive for complete power, Yegros and several other ex-politicians attempted to host a coup-d'etat against him, which failed, and they were imprisoned for life.

After World War II, politics became particularly unstable, with several political parties fighting for power in the late 1940s, which most notably brought about the Paraguayan civil war of 1947.^[16] A series of unstable governments ensued until the establishment, in 1954, of the stable regime of dictator Alfredo Stroessner, who remained in office for more than three decades, until 1989. Paraguay was modernized to some extent under Stroessner's regime, although his rule was marked by extensive abuses.^[17]

Post-1979[link]

The splits in the Colorado Party in the 1980s, and the conditions that led to this — Stroessner's advanced age, the character of the regime, the economic downturn, and international isolation — provided an opportunity for demonstrations and statements by the opposition prior to the 1988 general elections.^{[citation needed]}

PLRA leader Domingo Laino served as the focal point of the opposition in the second half of the 1980s. The government's effort to isolate Laino by exiling him in 1982 had backfired. On his sixth attempt, in 1986, Laino returned with three television crews from the U.S., a former United States ambassador to Paraguay, and a group of Uruguayan and Argentine congressmen. Despite the international contingent, the police violently barred Laino's return.^{[citation needed]}

However, the Stroessner regime relented in April 1987, and permitted Laino to arrive in Asunción. Laino took the lead in organizing demonstrations and diminishing somewhat the normal opposition party infighting. The opposition was unable to reach agreement on a common strategy regarding the elections, with some parties advocating abstention, and others calling for blank voting. Nonetheless, the parties did cooperate in holding numerous 'lightning demonstrations' (mítines relámpagos), especially in rural areas. Such demonstrations were held and disbanded quickly before the arrival of the police.

In response to the upsurge in opposition activities, Stroessner condemned the Accord for advocating "sabotage of the general elections and disrespect of the law", and used the national police and civilian vigilantes of the Colorado Party to break up demonstrations. A number of opposition leaders were imprisoned or otherwise harassed. Hermes Rafael Saguier, another key leader of the PLRA, was imprisoned for four months in 1987 on charges of sedition. In early February 1988, police arrested 200 people attending a National Coordinating Committee meeting in Coronel Oviedo. Laino and several other opposition figures were arrested before dawn on the day of the election, 14 February, and held for twelve hours. The government declared Stroessner's re-election with 89% of the vote.^[18]

While contending that these results reflected the virtual Colorado monopoly on the mass media, opposition politicians also saw several encouraging developments. Some 53% of those polled indicated that there was an "uneasiness" in Paraguayan society. Furthermore, 74% believed that the political situation needed changes, including 45% who wanted a substantial or total change. Finally, 31% stated that they planned to abstain from voting in the February elections.^{[citation needed]}

1989 military coup and later developments[link]

On 3 February 1989, Stroessner was overthrown in a military coup headed by General Andrés Rodríguez. As president, Rodríguez instituted political, legal, and economic reforms and initiated a rapprochement with the international community.

The June 1992 constitution established a democratic system of government and dramatically improved protection of fundamental rights. In May 1993, Colorado Party candidate Juan Carlos Wasmosy was elected as Paraguay's first civilian president in almost 40 years, in what international observers deemed fair and free elections.

With support from the United States, the Organization of American States, and other countries in the region, the Paraguayan people rejected an April 1996 attempt by then Army Chief General Lino Oviedo to oust President Wasmosy, taking an important step to strengthen democracy.^{[citation needed]}

Oviedo became the Colorado candidate for president in the 1998 election, but when the Supreme Court upheld in April his conviction on charges related to the 1996 coup attempt, he was not allowed to run and remained in confinement. His former running mate, Raúl Cubas, became the Colorado Party's candidate, and was elected in May in elections deemed by international observers to be free and fair. One of Cubas' first acts after taking office in August was to commute Oviedo's sentence and release him from confinement. In December 1998, Paraguay's Supreme Court declared these actions unconstitutional. In this tense atmosphere, the murder of Vice President and long-time Oviedo rival Luis María Argaña on 23 March 1999, led the Chamber of Deputies to impeach Cubas the next day.^{[citation needed]} The 26 March murder of eight student antigovernment demonstrators, widely believed to have been carried out by Oviedo supporters, made it clear that the Senate would vote to remove Cubas on 29 March, and Cubas resigned on 28 March.^{[citation needed]} Senate President Luis González Macchi, a Cubas opponent, was peacefully sworn in as president the same day.

The President Fernando Lugo on Independence day, Asunción, Paraguay.

In 2003, Nicanor Duarte Frutos was elected and sworn in as president.

For the 2008 general elections, the Colorado Party was once again a favorite. This time, their candidate was not an internal opponent to the President and self-proclaimed reformer, as in the two previous elections, but Minister of Education Blanca Ovelar, the first woman to appear as a candidate for a major party in Paraguayan history. However after sixty years of Colorado rule, voters chose a non-politician, former Roman Catholic Bishop Fernando Lugo. Although he was a longtime follower of the controversial liberation theology he was backed by the center-right Liberal Party, the Colorado Party's traditional opponents.

Outgoing President Nicanor Duarte Frutos hailed the moment as the first time in the history of this nation that a government had handed power to opposition forces in an orderly and peaceful fashion.

Lugo was sworn in on 15 August 2008, but unlike other South American countries such as Venezuela, Ecuador and Bolivia, Lugo's leftist agenda remains largely unimplemented^{[citation needed]} as the Paraguayan Congress continues to be dominated by right-wing elected officials.^{[citation needed]}

Political instability in the past year, fueled by disputes within Fernando Lugo's cabinet, has led the right wing Colorado Party to regain popularity. Reports suggest that the businessman Horacio Cartes is the new political figure amid disputes. Despite the DEA's strong accusations against Cartes involving him in drug trafficking, he continues to amass followers in the political arena.

On 14 January 2011, the Colorado Party convention enabled Horacio Cartes to run as the presidential candidate for the party, even though, as reports suggest, the party's constitution didn't allow it.^{[clarification needed]}

Administrative subdivisions[link]

Paraguay consists of seventeen departments and one capital district (distrito capital). These are, with their capitals indicated:

Alto Paraguay

Boquerón

Presidente Hayes

Amambay

Concepción

San Pedro

Distrito Capital

Guairá

Caazapá

Alto
Paraná

Caaguazú

Canindeyú

Itapúa

Paraguarí

Misiones

Ñeembucú

Cordillera

Central

Brazil

Bolivia

Argentina

The departments are further divided into districts (distritos).

Demographics[link]

Paraguay population density (people per km²)

National Routes

There is no official data on the ethnic composition of the Paraguayan population, because the Department of Statistics, Surveys and Censuses^[19] of Paraguay does not include the concepts of race and ethnicity in census surveys,^[20] although it does inquire about the indigenous population. According to the census of 2002, the indigenous population was 1.7% of Paraguay's total population.^[21]

Traditionally, the majority of the Paraguayan population is considered mixed (mestizo in Spanish), because of the widespread offspring of Guaraní women and Spanish settlers during Spain's domination of the country.^[22] Other demographers contend the total "mostly white" percentage has grown in the last century as a result of European immigration and "whites" are now estimated at 20% or one-fifth of the country's population.^{[citation needed]}

According to the CIA World Factbook, Paraguay has a population of 6,669,086, 95% of which are mestizo (mixed European and Amerindian) and 5% are labelled as "other" ^[23] and are members of indigenous tribal groups. They are divided into 17 distinct ethnolinguistic groupings, many of which are poorly documented.

One remarkable trace of the indigenous Guaraní culture that has endured in Paraguay is the Guaraní language, generally understoood by about 90% of the population. However, nearly all Paraguayans speak Spanish, which alongside Guaraní is an official language.^[24] Small groups of ethnic Italians, Germans, Russians, Japanese, Koreans, Chinese, Arabs, Ukrainians, Brazilians, and Argentines had also settled in Paraguay, and they have to an extent retained their languages and culture, particularly the Brazilians, who represent the largest number at around 400,000.^[25] Many of the Brazilians are descendants of German, Italian and Polish immigrants.^[26] There are an estimated 63,000 Afro-Paraguayans, or 1% of the population.^[27] Some 25,000 German-speaking Mennonites live in the Paraguayan Chaco.^[28]

Paraguay has one of the more important German communities in South America. German settlers founded several towns as Hohenau, Filadelfia, Neuland, Obligado, Nueva Germania, etc. Some specialized German sites that promote German immigration to Paraguay refers to 5–7% of German-descent Paraguayan population and 150,000 German-Brazilian-descent population^{[29][30][31][32]}

Paraguay's population is distributed unevenly through the country. About 56% of Paraguayans live in urban areas. The vast majority of the people live in the eastern region near the capital and largest city, Asunción, accounting for 10% of the country's population. The Gran Chaco region, which includes the Alto Paraguay, Boquerón and Presidente Hayes Department, and accounts for about 60% of the territory, is home to less than 2% of the population.

Largest cities[link]

v t e Largest cities or towns of Paraguay (2002 DGEEC census)[33]
	Rank	City name	Department	Pop.	Rank	City name	Department	Pop.
Asunción Ciudad del Este	1	Asunción	Capital District	512,112	11	Alonso	Central	65,229
	2	Ciudad del Este	Alto Paraná	222,274	12	Pedro Juan Caballero	Amambay	64,592
	3	San Lorenzo	Central	204,356	13	Villa Elisa	Central	53,166
	4	Luque	Central	170,986	14	Caaguaz	Caaguazú	48,941
	5	Capiatá	Central	154,274	15	Coronel Oviedo	Caaguazú	48,773
	6	Lambaré	Central	119,795	16	Hernandarias	Alto Paraná	47,266
	7	Fernando de la Mora	Central	113,560	17	Presidente Franco	Alto Paraná	47,246
	8	Limpio	Central	73,158	18	Itauguá	Central	45,577
	9	Ñemby	Central	71,909	19	Concepción	Concepción	44,070
	10	Encarnación	Itapúa	67,173	20	Villarrica	Guairá	38,961

Asunción, the capital of Paraguay.

Religion[link]

According to the 2002 census, 89.9% of the population is Roman Catholic, 6.2% is evangelical Christian, 1.1% is other Christian, 0.6% practice indigenous religions.

A U.S. State Department report on Religious Freedom names Roman Catholicism, Evangelical Christianity, mainline Protestantism, Judaism (Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform), Mormonism, and the Baha'i Faith as prominent religious groups. It also mentions a large Muslim community in Alto Paraná (as a result of Middle-Eastern immigration, especially from Lebanon) and the Mennonite community in Boquerón.^[34]

Social issues[link]

Various poverty estimates suggest that 30–50% of the population is poor.^[35] In rural areas, 41.20% of the people lack a monthly income to cover basic necessities, whereas in urban centers this figure is 27.6%. The top 10% of the population holds 43.8% of the national income, while the lowest 10% has 0.5%. The economic recession has worsened income inequality, notably in the rural areas, where the Gini coefficient has risen from 0.56 in 1995 to 0.66 in 1999.

More recent data (2009)^[36] show that 35% of the Paraguayan population is poor, 19% of which live in extreme poverty. Moreover, 71% of the later live in rural areas of the country.

Similarly, land concentration in the Paraguayan countryside is one of the highest in the globe: 10% of the population controls 66% of the land, while 30% of the rural people are landless.^[37] This inequality has caused a great deal of tensions between the landless and land owners.^[38]

Economy[link]