Some Fun (and not-so-fun) Facts About Paraguay

Boy with Paraguay map on face

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"

capybara

Fact-in-a-box

Paraguay is home of the world’s largest rodent, a 300-lb guinea pig, called the carpincho (or capybara).