Some Fun (and not-so-fun) Facts About Paraguay
Paraguay is "The Heart of South America"
35% of the population is below the poverty line and 19% of the poor live in extreme poverty
Its subtropical climate has gotten hotter over the last 50 years because of rampant deforestation
Paraguayans spend hours a day sharing "tereré," an ice-cold tea made from the yerba mate plant
Most Paraguayans are "mestizos," a mix of indigenous and European roots
Between 1904-1954, Paraguay had 31 presidents, most of whom were removed from office by force
Paraguay is bilingual with Spanish and the indigenous language Guaraní
The domestic violence rate is at 60%, but an estimated 70% of all incidents are never reported
A large portion of the country's income comes from two huge hydro-electric dams on their borders, so Paraguayans pay very low taxes
Since gaining its independence from Spain in 1811, Paraguay has spent a total of 91 years under various dictators
In 2015 the World Economic Forum ranked Paraguay dead last in the world for quality of elementary education
Paraguay is one of the top world producers of soybeans, stevia, tung oil, corn, wheat and beef
A traditional dance in Paraguay involves girls dancing with huge stacks of wine bottles balanced on their heads. (Seriously, it's awesome.)
In 2017, Gallup rated Paraguay the Happiest Country in the World for the second year in a row due to "the cultural tendency in the region to focus on life's positives"
Fact-in-a-box
Paraguay is home of the world’s largest rodent, a 300-lb guinea pig, called the carpincho (or capybara).