|RNational holiday:|N Independence Days, May 14 and 15.
|RNature and climate:|N Paraguay River divides the country in a western and an eastern part.
The west is a part of the Gran Chaco lowlands with marshes and scrub trees. The east is the southern part of the Brazilian highland, slowly sloping towards the Paraguay River. This part is very fertile with dense forests at high elevation and savannahs and grasslands in the lower parts.
Average temperature in July between 26 and 30°C and in January between 16 and 22°C.
Percipitation about 1500 mm in the east and between 500 and 1000 mm in the west.
|RPeople:|N 95% Mestizo, a mix of Spaniards and Guarani Indians, small minorities of Europeans, Indians and blacks.
96% of the population live east of Paraguay River and accordingly only 4% west of it.
Spanish is the official language, but Guarani is in common use. 50% of the population is bilingual.
|REconomy:|N 44% of the labour force is occupied in agriculture, 34% in industry and trade and 18% in services.
Agriculture is the main industry and most important crops are oilseed, soybeans, cotton, wheat, manioc, sweet potatoes, tobacco, corn, rice and sugarcane. There is also an extensive illegal production of cannabis for the international drug trade.
Stockraising and forestry are extensive.
Manufacturing is based on the agricultural resources. Meat packing, oilseed crushing and milling are most important.
Paraguay have few mineral resources. Iron ore, manganese and limestone are extracted.
|RHistory:|N The Guarani Indians were settled farmers in eastern Paraguay long before the first European, Sebastian Cabot, in 1527 visited the area. In the 1530:s the Spanish seized control over the area and in 1537 they founded Asuncion and made it the capital.
The Spanish allied with the Guarani Indians against the nomadic Guaycuru Indians in the west.
In the early 17th century Jesuits established many missions in the southern parts and finally organized the whole colony. In 1767 the Jesuits were expelled and a period of anarchy followed.
Paraguay was declared an independent republic in 1811 and has since independence been governed by authoritarian dictators, most of them military officers.
Between 1865 and 1870 Paraguay was at war with Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay and lost most of its male population, total population dropped from 450 000 to 220 000. paraguay also lost vast areas in the war.
In a war against Bolivia 1932 to 1935 Paraguay won new land in the Gran Chaco-area.
In 1989 general Alfredo Stroessner, dictator since 1954, was ousted in a coup by another general.
