From Wikitravel

Paraguay [1] is a landlocked country in South America, northeast of Argentina, with borders with Bolivia and Brazil .

Contents 1 Regions 2 Cities 3 Other destinations 4 Understand 4.1 Geography 4.2 Economy 5 Get in 5.1 By plane 5.2 By train 5.3 By car 5.4 By bus 5.5 By boat 6 Get around 6.1 By taxi 6.2 By train 6.3 By car 6.4 By bus 6.5 By boat 7 Talk 8 Buy 9 Eat 10 Drink 11 Sleep 12 Learn 13 Work 14 Stay safe 15 Stay healthy 16 Respect 17 Contact 17.1 Communications 18 Search Engine

Regions

• The Chaco
• Paranena

Administrative divisions 

17 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento) and 1 capital city*; Alto Paraguay, Alto Parana, Amambay, Asuncion*, Boqueron, Caaguazu, Caazapa, Canindeyu, Central, Concepcion, Cordillera, Guaira, Itapua, Misiones, Neembucu, Paraguari, Presidente Hayes, San Pedro

Cities

• Asuncion - the capital
• Ciudad del Este - - this busy border city is also Paraguay's gateway to the Iguazu Falls
• Encarnacion and its Jesuit Missions of La Santisima Trinidad de Parana and Jesus de Tavarangue
• San Antonio
• Villeta

Other destinations

Understand

Colonized for 3 centuries by the Spanish, since the 1500s, Paraguay has managed to keep a lot of it indigenous character and identity. Nowadays, the mestizos (Spanish + Amerindian) account for more than 90% of the country's 6 million inhabitants and Guarani is, side by side with Spanish, the country's official language.

In the past, Franciscan and Jesuit missions mingled with the Guaranis' dream of Yvy maraë´y, a land without evil, and produced singular societies. The ruins of the Jesuit Missions of La Santisima Trinidad de Parana and Jesus de Tavarangue, UNESCO World Heritage sites, and several villages throughout the country, are witnesses to that peaceful past.

But Paraguay also has a history of blood and tears. In the disastrous War of the Triple Alliance (1865-70), waged by the allied forces of Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay, the country lost two-thirds of all adult males and much of its territory. It stagnated economically for the next half century. In the Chaco War of 1932-35, large, economically important areas were won from Bolivia. The 35-year military dictatorship of Alfredo Stroessner was overthrown in 1989, and, despite a marked increase in political infighting in recent years, democratic governors have been in power since then.

• National holiday: Independence Day, 14 May (1811)

Geography

With an area of about 406.000 sq Km, Paraguay is divided between East and West (Chaco) regions by the Paraguay river. Despite being landlocked, the country is bordered and criss-crossed by navigable rivers.

The Tropic of Capricorn also crosses the country from east to west and determines a more tropical climate to the north and subtropical to temperate to the south.

Economy

Economy - overview 

Paraguay has a market economy marked by a large informal sector. The informal sector features both reexport of imported consumer goods to neighboring countries as well as the activities of thousands of microenterprises and urban street vendors. Because of the importance of the informal sector, accurate economic measures are difficult to obtain. A large percentage of the population derives their living from agricultural activity, often on a subsistence basis. The formal economy grew by an average of about 3% annually in 1995-97, but GDP declined slightly in 1998, 1999, and 2000. On a per capita basis, real income has stagnated at 1980 levels. Most observers attribute Paraguay's poor economic performance to political uncertainty, corruption, lack of progress on structural reform, substantial internal and foreign debt, and deficient infrastructure.

GDP 

purchasing power parity - $26.2 billion (2001 est.)

GDP - per capita 

purchasing power parity - $4,600 (2001 est.)

Get in

By plane

Flights go out from other South American airports to Asuncion on a fairly regular basis. There are also two daily flights from Sao Paulo to Ciudad del Este.

By train

By car

By bus

By boat

A boat travels up the Paraguay river from Concepción by many ports to the north of the border with Brazil. Most of these boats weren't designed to carry passengers so expect a sticky crowded experience, but you can buy just about anything on board, even cold beer. Bring something comfortable to sleep on!

Get around

By taxi

Taxis in the cities are really expensive, especially in comparison to the busses. Outside Asunción there are no meters so make sure you decide on a price before you get in. Bargaining on a price may be useful, as tourists have been asked for US$20 for a five minute ride...

By train

Railways 

total: 971 km
standard gauge: 441 km 1.435-m gauge
note: there are 470 km of various gauges that are privately owned
narrow gauge: 60 km 1.000-m gauge

By car

There are highways connecting all the major regions of Paraguay, but most of them are one lane each way. You may hit toll booths along the way. Police may pull you over for any reason, and will expect bribes.

By bus

http://www.laencarnacena.com.py
http://www.nsa.com.py

By boat

Waterways 

3,100 km

Ports and harbors 

Asuncion, Villeta, San Antonio, Encarnacion

Merchant marine 

total: 21 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 34,623 GRT/36,821 DWT
ships by type: cargo 14, chemical tanker 1, petroleum tanker 3, roll on/roll off 3
note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Argentina 2, Japan 1 (2002 est.)

Talk

Both Spanish and Guarani are official. Most people in and around Asuncion speak Spanish and it's usually more difficult to understand than in other countries because Paraguayans tend to speak with a "mush mouth." Use of English is not widespread. Outside of Asuncion and big cities Guarani is all you will hear. Due to the extensive use of Guarani, even those that have managed to learn Spanish do not always do so very well, often making many mistakes that any non-native speaker of Spanish would.

In Paraguay Vos is used instead of Tu. There is a slight change in conjugation but not big enough that you won't be understood using Tu. This Vos is NOT the same as Vosotros.

Buy

Currency 

guarani (PYG)

Exchange rates 

guarani per US dollar - 4,783.0 (January 2002), 4,107.7 (2001), 3,486.4 (2000), 3,119.1 (1999), 2,726.5 (1998), 2,177.9 (1997); note - since early 1998, the exchange rate has operated as a managed float; prior to that, the exchange rate was determined freely in the market

Eat

You'll find much of the standard South American cuisine here - beans, rice, with some Brazilian influence as well (fried bananas, pineapple). Also highly popular are empanadas (meat/egg stuffed in a pastry and baked) and milanesa (breaded and fried chicken/beef/fish) - these are considered fast food, and are also found in other countries in the region. If you order a hamburger at a restaurant, expect it to come topped with a fried egg. Asado (BBQ) is great, and prices are quite reasonable - 20000 Guaranis ($3.20 US) will get you an all you can eat buffet at many nice places. 5000 Guarani is enough to pay for a hamburger. Paraguayan food isn't particularly spicy, so those who can't tolerate spices won't have problems here. There is a lot of traditional food. Chipa-a bread baked in a fire, usually made out of cassava (yuca) flour. Cassava is often substituted for potatoes. Sopa Paraguay a form of corn bread are two of the most well known.

Drink

It's not advisable to drink the tap water (unless boiled), but you probably won't get sick if you do. The national beverage in Paraguay is a tea called mate, and is made from the yerba plant. It is served in wooden cups, and is drunk through a metal straw called a bombilla. The tea is prepared by pouring dry yerba into the cup, then adding water (hot or cold) and optionally sugar. When prepared cold, it is called "tereré". Often, herbs are added to the mix. The taste is best described as earthy and bitter; it will take getting used to if you plan to drink it. Drinking mate is most definitely one of the social customs of Paraguay, shops will close around noon for a siesta and a mate round with friends. If you can get used to the taste and participate, locals will be appreciative. This drink is also found in other South American countries such as Argentina, Uruguay, and parts of Brazil.

Beer is widely available, as are many liquors.

A national soft drink, called Pulp, is available in orange and grapefruit flavor and found mostly around Asunción.

Sleep

Learn

Work

Stay safe

There aren't many large cities in Paraguay, which means that if you stay clear of them, you are unlikely to run into any trouble. The police are known to be corrupt, and if you are pulled over for any reason, you will almost be expected to pay a bribe. In the cities, crime is common, though not as rampant as in other cities such as Rio. Ciudad del Este is a money laundering capital of the world, and also a counterfeit capital. You'll want to keep an eye on your bags and wallet here. Generally, as long as you aren't involved in drug smuggling (inadvertently or otherwise), and beware of pickpockets, you should be safe most of the time.

Legal system 

based on Argentine codes, Roman law, and French codes; judicial review of legislative acts in Supreme Court of Justice

Stay healthy

Hospitals in Paraguay range from decent to unsanitary and unequipped. If you get desperately ill, try to get to the best hospital even if it takes a bit longer - you may not find surgical gloves in the worst of them. There are many stray dogs running the streets - avoid them. They usually won't bother you. You may pick up a foot flea known locally as pique (Tunga penetrans), these will usually collect around your toes. They will lay eggs in your feet if not taken care of - the best way to get rid of them is to pierce the site with a stitching needle and pour hydrogen peroxide over the area. Then dig the bug out. You may notice itching or tenderness in your feet if you have picked one up.

Respect

Contact

Diplomatic representation in the US 

chief of mission: Ambassador Leila Teresa RACHID COWLES
chancery: 2400 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
consulate(s) general: Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York
FAX: [1] (202) 234-4508
telephone: [1] (202) 483-6960 through 6962

Diplomatic representation from the US 

chief of mission: Ambassador James C. CASON
embassy: 1776 Avenida Mariscal Lopez, Casilla Postal 402, Asuncion
mailing address: Unit 4711, APO AA 34036-0001
telephone: [595] (21) 213-715
FAX: [595] (21) 213-728
Website: http://asuncion.usembassy.gov/

Communications

Telephones - main lines in use 

290,475 (2001)

Telephones - mobile cellular 

510,000 (2001)

Telephone system 

general assessment: meager telephone service; principal switching center is Asuncion
domestic: fair microwave radio relay network
international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations 

AM 46, FM 27, shortwave 6 (three inactive) (1998)

Radios 

925,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations 

4 (2001)

Televisions 

990,000 (2001)

Internet country code 

.py

Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 

4 (2000)

Internet users 

20,000 (2000)

Search Engine

Spanish Search Engine: http://www.buscar.com.py/

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