PARAGUAY

PARAGUAY

Paraguay is a landlocked country in South America. There are river ports and beaches and the Paraguay River flows into Río de La Plata. The country is surrounded by Argentina, Bolivia and Brazil and its capital is Asunción. Spanish and Guaraní are spoken. Before colonisation by Spain, semi-nomadic Indian peoples lived there. In the 16th century, Spanish armies tried to make incursions into the Inca Empire via Paraguay.

In the 18th century, the Indian population lived in Misiones (mission stations of the Jesuit order) where Christianity was imposed and where they were taught literacy and acclimatised to living in a western form of society. Guaraní is a unified language that has been shaped by the Jesuits on the basis of Indian languages. In 1767 the Spanish king expelled the Jesuits from the country. Over time, the villages were abandoned and the ruins of the various impressive churches were declared world heritage by UNESCO. The film ‘The Mission‘ was made in 1986 and won a number of awards.

From 1864-1970 war was waged between Paraguay, Argentina and Brazil. Paraguay lost the war, part of its territory and half of its population perished. There were hardly any young men left. From 1928-1935 there was a war with Bolivia over the border areas, in which 30,000 Paraguayans lost their lives.

The country consists of low hills and savannah. In the river valleys of the Paraguay and Paraná there is tropical rainforest. The climate is temperate subtropical, in winter it can occasionally freeze.

Agricultural products include soy, corn, grain, sunflower oil, sugar and stevia. Deforestation is used to expand the agricultural area and mining provides raw materials for cement, iron and steel.

On the border with Brazil, there is the Itaipú hydroelectric power station, near the impressive Iguaçú Falls. Paraguay is not a traditional tourist destination; tourists from neighbouring countries mainly come for the shopping. There are also, however, opportunities for ecotourism and expeditions in nature reserves. The biggest tourist attraction is the ruins of several Misiones.

The capital Asunción (founded in 1537) is situated on seven hills. The old town (casco histórico) is on the hill with the church Iglesia de la Encarnación. Palacio de los López is the presidential palace. Along the Paraguay River is boulevard La Costanera. Mercado Cuatro is a market where you can also find souvenirs.

At about 30 km from Asunción lies Lago Ypacaraí. Around the lake, there are villages with hotels, like San Bernardino, Areguá and Ypacaraí. Nearby, you will find the Ybytyruzu hills, including the Cerro Peró, (the ‘bare mountain’ (842 m.)

Ciudad del Este is the largest city on the Brazilian border. Many Lebanese, Indian and Taiwanese traders have settled here.

Paraguayan music mainly uses the guitar and the harp. Trio Los Paraguayos has been around since the 1950s.

The gastronomy is based on local products (corn, beans, rice, beef) with Italian and German influences. Yerba mate is a green tea onto which boiling water is poured; it is then sucked up with a metal tube with holes. Various herbs are added for taste or medicinal purposes. Mate is known in all Río de la Plata countries. If you want to taste mate, you may have to make it yourself as it is not on the menu in restaurants. You can buy mate in health food shops but it is less strong in taste.

$772,-

Paraguay_map
Capital Asunción
Population 6.811.000
Language Spaans en Guarani
Currency Paraguayaanse guarani
Visa required www.visum.nl
Vaccination(s) Multiple vaccinations are required
Voltage 220 V
Traffic Left-hand traffic

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PARAGUAY HOTELS & APARTMENTS

PARAGUAY HOTELS & APARTMENTS

PARAGUAY
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