17 interesting facts about Paraguay

17 interesting facts about Paraguay

We learned the most interesting facts about Paraguay during our visit to the country

The American essayist PJ O’Rourke once quipped that Paraguay is “not famous anywhere or for anything.” He then went on a business trip there, fell in love with the country and promptly moved there.

While we can't say we felt the same striking pull, we certainly appreciated Paraguay's history and authenticity. The small and struggling country is a steamy subtropical land of striking contrasts and a tragic and torrid history filled with violence and loss.

Despite our relatively short stay, we came across a variety of interesting facts about Paraguay, the best of which we share below.

Interesting facts about Paraguay

1. Mehr als 80 % der Paraguayer sind Mestizen: Menschen gemischter spanischer und indianischer Abstammung. (Quelle: BBC)
2. Paraguay ist ein zweisprachiges Land: Guaraní ist seine erste Sprache und Spanisch seine zweite. Es ist auch eines der wenigen südamerikanischen Länder, das seine Muttersprache als Amtssprache beibehält. (Quelle: CIA World Factbook)
3. Guaraní ist eine lautmalerische Sprache. Viele seiner Worte, wie auch seine Musik, imitieren die natürlichen Geräusche von Tieren und der natürlichen Umgebung. (Quelle: The Guardian)

alt=“A map of Paraguay and its neighbors”>Paraguay shares La Triple Frontera

1. Die erste von vielen geografisch interessanten Tatsachen über Paraguay ist, dass es eines von drei Ländern ist, die sich La Triple Frontera (Die Dreifache Grenze) teilen, eine Dreiländergrenze entlang der Kreuzung von Paraguay, Argentinien und Brasilien. (Quelle: BBC)

2. Due to the country's central location in South America, it is sometimes referred to as the Corazón de Sudamérica (Heart of South America). (Source: Huffington Post)

3. The Asunción-Encarnación railway was the first railway line in South America. It was built by British engineers in 1858-1861. (Source: Lonely Planet)

alt=“Interesting facts about the Paraguay train”>

1. In Paraguay ist das Pistolenduell noch legal, solange beide Parteien registrierte Blutspender sind. Das ist natürlich eine meiner interessantesten Fakten über Paraguay. (Quelle: Chicago Tribune)

2. In 1811 Paraguay gained independence from Spain. However, in the first 60 years of independence it was ruled by three dictators. (Source: InfoPlease)

3. The country's third dictator, Francisco López, waged war against Uruguay, Brazil and Argentina in 1865-1870. During the conflict (known as the War of the Triple Alliance), half of the male population was killed. (Source: Economist)

alt=“Interesting facts about the palace of Paraguay”>Palacio de López in Asunción

1. Das Land verlor auch die Iguazú-Wasserfälle an Brasilien. Heute sind die Wasserfälle eine der wichtigsten Touristenattraktionen Brasiliens (und der Welt). (Quelle: Economist)

2. In the 20th century, Paraguay experienced another three decades of dictatorship under Alfredo Stroessner, who was finally overthrown in 1989. (Source: BBC)

3. Along with Bolivia, Paraguay is one of two landlocked countries in South America. (Source: CIA World Factbook)

4. Paraguay may not have a coastline, but Paraguay has the largest navy of any landlocked country, with naval aviation, a river defense corps and a coast guard all part of its armed forces. (Source: Military History Now)

5. The distribution of wealth in Paraguay is markedly unequal, with 80% of the land held by 2.5% of the population and 161 people controlling 90% of the country's wealth. (Source: The Guardian)

alt=“Interesting facts about Paraguay Chaco – 1″>The uninhabited north (Image: Ilosuna, Creative Commons)

1. Ein Großteil des Nordwestens Paraguays wird vom Chaco eingenommen, einer riesigen und weitgehend unbewohnten Ebene. Paraguay und Bolivien kämpften in den 1930er Jahren darum und hinterließen 100.000 Tote. (Quelle: BBC)

2. One of the more surprising facts about Paraguay is that it gets 99.9% of its electricity from hydroelectric power plants, with 75% of that coming from the Itaipu Dam. (Source: CIA World Factbook)

3. The Itaipu Dam is a binational dam operated by Brazil and Paraguay on the Paraná River and is the second largest hydroelectric dam in the world. Built in 1984, it was the largest until the opening of the Three Gorges Dam in China in 2008. (Source: Wikipedia)

alt="Dam of Paraguay">

Lonely Planet South America contains a comprehensive travel guide to the country, including many other interesting facts about Paraguay - ideal for those who want to both explore the main attractions and take the road less traveled.

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