People and Population
- Paraguay, for thousands of years, was home to the Guarani people.
- Paraguay was conquered by Spain but was left largely untouched by their culture.
- 95% of population is a mixture of Spanish and Guarani called Mesizo.
- Spanish is the dominant language, but at least 90% of the country also speak a unique language, named after the countries first people, called Guarani.
Rural and Urban Life
- Asuncion, the capital of Paraguay, is the largest city in the country. It may seem beautiful, but there are some dangerous areas that even the residents of the city avoid. Only about 16% of the people in Asuncion have internet access, and about 17% of the population do not have jobs.
- In rural Paraguay, there are many large ranches. This is because east of the Paraguayan river there is a large flatland that is attractive to farmers and ranchers. These are also the most popular jobs in the country.
Food and Drink
- The main food in Paraguay is Cassava, a tuber with a lot of roots, and corn.
- Asado is the same as an American barbecue. Asado actually means barbecue in Guarani and is a family gathering.
- Chipa is a food that is traditionally prepared for Christmas and Holy Week.
Recreation and Fun in Paraguay
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The Arts and Cultural Traditions
- A famous musician from Paraguay is Gloria Pinada who had a very loud and high pitched voice but it never failed her.
- Another musician from Paraguay was Filepe Soza, who was famous for teaching guitar and being an excellent player. Paraguayan musicians are not that well known, and there is not much information on these two musical artists.
Holy Week
- Easter in Paraguay is known as Holy Week.
- During this week, Paraguayans make Chipa, a type of bagel that they make at the beginning of the week and are not allowed to make more of for the entire week.
- On Friday of this week, it is frowned upon to drink anything and on Friday morning they bathe in cold water, believing the water purifies them.