Paraguay

We've pulled together a few interesting facts about Paraguay's geography, history and culture, and have a complete set of flag printables - including jigsaw, notebooking pages, colouring page and bookmarks - for you to enjoy. Useful when you are learning about the country, or perhaps supporting Paraguay in a sporting occasion!

Paraguay River, Paraguay

Learn about Paraguay

Geography of Paraguay:

• Paraguay is a small inland country in South America which is surrounded by the larger nations of Brazil in the northeast, Bolivia in the northwest and Argentina to the south.
• The country is divided into two regions by the Paraguay River, which is the second longest river in South America after the Amazon.
• In the west, the Chaco is a vast semi-arid land covered with hard wood trees called 'quebracho' or 'axe breaker', which contain valuable tannins used to make leather.
• Eastern Paraguay, known as the Paranena, has low green hills and is home to most of the population of 6,500,000.

Paraguay on map of South America. Find a printable version here.

• The Itaipu Dam was built on the River Parana, on the border with Brazil, the joint owner. It is the world's largest hydroelectric dam in terms of energy generated, producing sustainable electricity for both countries. The project used as much concrete as could have been used to build 210 football stadiums!
• The world's largest wetland area, called the Panatal, covers 200,00 square kilometres of Paraguay, Brazil and Bolivia. Home to abundant wildlife such as the capybara, a large rodent, and 650 species of bird, this flooded grassland region is under threat from cattle grazing and agriculture.

History of Paraguay:

• The capital Ascuncion city is known as the "Mother of all Cities" because Spanish explorers used it as a base in the 16th century. It was capital of a Spanish province which included parts of Brazil and Argentina called the Indies.
• Paraguay gained independence in 1811. The country fought a costly war against Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay from 1865-1870.
• The Chaco War, fought with Bolivia from 1932-35, was only finally settled in a treaty of 2009.

Paraguay Culture:

• Of the many indigenous people, the Guarani are famous for their distinctive language, which is spoken by most Paraguayans.
• 'Sopa paraguaya' is the national food. Although it means Paraguayan soup, this rich cheesy dish is actually a spongy cake.
• Amongst famous Paraguayans is footballer Roque Santa Cruz, the highest goalscorer for the Paraguayan team, who plays for Malaga.

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The Paraguay Flag

The flag of Paraguay is unusual because the front and back are different!  The front of the flag shows the national coat of arms, and the reverse shows the seal of the treasury. The flag was first adopted in 1842.

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Our Paraguay Resources