Living in Paraguay
The Heart of South America
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GEOGRAPHY
Geographically, Paraguay is a landlocked nation located in the heart of South America, bordering with Brazil, Argentina and Bolivia. The total surface is 406,752 square kilometers, or 157,048 sq. miles (about the size of California), which is divided into two very different regions by the Paraguay River. .
Paraguay is a nation with a developing economy. Its economic base is agriculture (cotton, soybeans, sugar cane, wheat, citric essences, and vegetable oils), cattle (plus other livestock), and forestry. Because of its centralized location, Paraguay is an excellent spot from which to visit other South American countries. Although flying to the major cities in the Southern Cone region is often quite reasonable, many of our ASA teachers opt to travel by bus in order to see the countryside.
CLIMATE
Paraguay’s climate is variable and unpredictable, but usually hot and almost always humid. It is subtropical, with summer and winter seasons opposite those in the U.S. Winds are generally moderate, but high winds, thunder, and spectacular electrical storms are common. On the average, Asuncion receives 59 inches (150 cm) of annual rainfall which is well distributed seasonally, but with a greater quantity in the summer months. The eastern and southern borders receive even more rain than Asuncion.
Summer is from November through March, with January’s average maximum temperatures at 92° F (33° C) and its mean temperature at 82° F (28° C). Several hot spells with very high humidity are common with little relief at night. Once the thermometer reaches about 100° (38° C), a tropical thunder storm is sure to cool things down, at least for a while. The relative humidity ranges between 67% and 78% year round and is particularly high in the summer. Needless to say, this high humidity requires an adjustment for those unaccustomed to the heat.
Winter extends from May through August. There are several cold spells with night temperatures in the 30’s (32° F = 0° C) and low 40’s in Fahrenheit (40° F = 4° C) accompanied by daytime temperatures in the 50’s (59° F = 15° C). Although these temperatures may not seem that cold, keep in mind that classrooms are not heated. These cold days are interspersed with several days in the high 70’s and even low 80’s (80° F = 27° C). Frosts are rare near Asuncion but occur frequently in the countryside.
Since you will be arriving in the middle of winter, don’t be tempted to put all of your heavy and bulky winter clothes in your shipment. By the time your shipment arrives, you may have already been uncomfortable on the cold days. In the case of maritime shipping, your first winter in Paraguay will almost be over by the time your winter clothes arrive. At the same time, don’t put all of your summer clothes into your shipment because during the winter Paraguay can also have warm spells with summer-like temperatures. In your luggage you need to have clothes for both cold and warm weather.
TIME ZONES
The entire country of Paraguay is located one time zone to the east of Eastern Standard Time. Since seasons in the Southern Hemisphere are reversed from those in the Northern Hemisphere, daylight savings time operates in Paraguay from approximately the first Sunday in October through the first Sunday in March. Approximately when the US moves the clock backward one hour to Standard Time, Asuncion moves forward one hour to Daylight Savings Time, and vice versa. Consequently, during the northern hemisphere winter (e.g. in December) Paraguay is two hours ahead of New York. During the northern hemisphere summer (e.g., in July), it is the same time in Paraguay as in New York. (During parts of March and October, Paraguay is exactly one hour ahead of New York since both are on Standard Time together for just a brief period of time).
FLORA AND FAUNA
There are beautiful flowering trees and plants year round here in Paraguay (e.g., poinsettia, lapacho, and chivato) and tropical fruits such as mangoes and papayas. If you like plants and have a green thumb, you will love it here. At the same time, the warm climate that permits lush vegetation also allows for a large variety of insects, such as cockroaches, snake-like worms and spiders.
Be prepared to face some of these harmless, but intimidating insects. Paraguay also has some of the oldest and some of the rarest animals in the world. Jaguars, pumas, monkeys, tapirs, alligators, giant lizards, sloths, capybaras (world’s largest rodent, nicknamed “water hog”), armadillos, coatis (the raccoon’s cousin), peccaries (wild pigs), and ant-eaters inhabit the jungles along Paraguay’s eastern border and/or the Chaco just west of Asuncion. Local bird watching and fishing are said to be among the best in the world. Paraguay is home to over 400 bird species (more than on the North American continent), including rheas, parrots, parakeets, macaws, storks, herons, and spoonbills. Fishermen, professionals and amateurs, regularly catch from 40 to 70-pound Surubi catfish as well as golden Dorados.
HISTORY
Discovered by Alejo Garcia in 1524, Paraguay was settled by Spaniards. Asuncion, one of the oldest cities in South America, was founded on August 15, 1537, by the Spanish conqueror Juan de Salazar y Espinoza on a natural bay along the Paraguay River. It was from Asuncion that several expeditions departed to different parts of the continent to found other cities. Asuncion, “Mother of Cities”, was the center of regional Spanish colonization. The Colonial era goes from 1524 through 1811, when Paraguay earned its independence from Spain. It was initially ruled by three long-term dictators: Gaspar Rodriguez de Francia (1814-1840), Carlos Antonio Lopez (1840-1860) and his son Mariscal Francisco Solano Lopez (1860-1870). The latter led Paraguay to war (Triple Alliance War 1867-1870) against Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay which ended when he was killed. 
After a series of internal upheavals, Paraguay again found itself at war in the years 1933-35, this time against Bolivia in an effort to defend the Chaco. Both of these major wars were fought on Paraguayan soil and nearly wiped out the country’s male population. Through this situation Paraguay became nicknamed “Land of Women” and welcomed thousands of immigrants from numerous European countries which resulted in the racial mixture characteristic of today’s Paraguayans. Following a decade of civil unrest in the 1940’s, General Alfredo Stroessner assumed power in 1954 and ruled for almost 35 years. He was overthrown by a coup on February 3, 1989 by General Andrés Rodriguez (his son’s father-in-law), who then served as President for the remainder of that five-year presidential period (see National Geographic, August 1992 – “Paraguay Plots a New Course”). Upon completing his term in 1993, Rodriguez handed over the presidency to his elected successor Juan Carlos Wasmosy. President Wasmosy completed his elected term in August 1998 and was succeeded by Pres. Raul Cubas-Grau who resigned in March 1999 following a week of unrest. The Presidency was assumed by Mr. Luis Gonzalez–Macchi following the constitutionally established line of power. The actual president is Nicanor Duarte Frutos
PEOPLE
In many parts of the continent a full fusion of Spanish and Indians did not take place as intensely as happened in Paraguay. This fusion is evident in many aspects of Paraguayan culture. Americans living and working here feel very welcome, as do most other foreigners.
The crossing of the native Guarani Indians and the European immigrants (mainly Spanish, but also many Italians, Germans and some French as well as Russians and Ukrainians) has created the Paraguayan culture. A relatively high percentage of Paraguayans have light-colored skin and blond or light brown hair. On the average, they are also much taller than the people in the Andean countries. Less than 1% of Paraguay’s inhabitants are indigenous, mainly from non-Guarani tribes which represent numerous language families. They still live in isolated villages as far as possible from encroaching civilization. Unfortunately many have lost their lands to agriculture and can now be seen begging on the streets of Asunción.
A relatively new aspect of Paraguay’s population is the large number of Asian immigrants, primarily Korean (who often run corner grocery stores), Japanese (who came to farm and usually live in one of the many Japanese agricultural communities), and Chinese, from both Taiwan and Hong Kong (who often own large import stores downtown). This immigration pattern is also evident at ASA which has a noticeable percentage of Asian
LANGUAGES
The official languages of Paraguay are Spanish and Guarani. Most government and business transactions take place in Spanish. Guarani is still very much alive and spoken by a majority of the people. Although Guarani is an indigenous language, it is not spoken by the few remaining Indian tribes but rather by the population in general. This type of bilingualism makes Paraguay a unique sociolinguistic phenomenon.
Unfortunately, Guarani was forbidden in the schools until the 1970’s when it was introduced into the national school system as a required subject at the junior high level. In 1994, the Ministry of Education implemented Bilingual Education (Spanish/Guarani) in the elementary schools which are designated as Spanish-medium or Guarani-medium. Visitors who learn even a few words of Guarani will be most appreciated by Paraguayans.
RELIGION
Paraguay is primarily a Catholic country. There is a patron saint for most aspects of life. December 8th is the national pilgrimage to the Virgin of Caacupe, whose Basilica is located about 35 miles east of Asuncion. Religious freedom, however, is respected and assured by Paraguay’s national constitution. Several Protestant churches are well represented here, such as Mennonite, Baptist, Methodist, Lutheran and Anglican. Some of these even offer services in English, as does one of the Catholic churches. There are also congregations of Mormons, Assembly of God, Disciples of Christ, Seventh day Adventists, Jehovah Witness, and Eastern Orthodox. A Jewish Synagogue exists as do centers of worship for Muslims and Buddhists, which serve the new wave of immigrants from Asia.
ENTERTAINMENT
Asuncion is an outdoor city where many people spend their leisure hours chatting with family and friends in the front yard, along sidewalks or at poolside barbecues, often passing around a gourd or horn cup (“guampa”) with a silver straw to sip the national tea, “yerba”. When served iced cold, this Paraguayan tea is called “terere,” and it quickly becomes a favorite beverage for many foreigners living in Paraguay. When this tea is sipped almost boiling hot, it is called “mate,” which is also consumed throughout all of the Southern Cone countries. Strolling is also a very common pastime for all age groups. There are several movie theaters in the city, and most films are in English with Spanish subtitles. Numerous video clubs and DVD clubs exist in Asuncion. Videos and DVDs in English are in fashion. Most homes have cablevision that includes HBO, ESPN and CNN. They broadcast many U.S. shows with Spanish subtitles, such as Friends, ER, and The West Wing.
There are many pubs and discotheques and a large variety of restaurants that range from a simple parrillada (barbecue) to more sophisticated, international cuisine. Recently a few restaurants have opened which specialize in traditional Paraguayan foods. Some restaurants also offer colorful shows which are very much enjoyed by tourists and newcomers. They feature guitars, harps, and famous Paraguayan songs, sung in Spanish and Guarani, as well as local folk dances. Although dance classes are available for learning salsa and tango, only a few places cater to couple dancing.
TOURIST ATTRACTIONS
During their two-week orientation, ASA’s new teachers are provided the opportunity to visit a few of Paraguay’s tourist attractions. By the end of their two years in Paraguay, the majority of our stateside teachers have visited most of these places and have also purchased a large assortment of handicrafts.
Jesuit ruins (Southern Paraguay and Argentina)
Yguazu Waterfalls (between Brazil and Argentina at Paraguay’s border)
Golden circuit (Caacupe, Piribebuy, Chololo, Pirareta, Paraguari)
San Bernardino on the Ypacarai lake (resort, casinos and summer homes)
The Chaco, west of the River Paraguay (abundant in flora and fauna)
Franciscan church and Gaspar R. de Francia Museum in Yaguaron
Towns know for their artisan handicrafts:
Aregua and Ita: Pottery
Carapegua: hammocks, bedspreads
Itagua: Ñanduti (lace)
Limpio: wicker and straw
Luque: Jewelry, guitars, harps
San Miguel: woolen items (handspun and hand woven)
Tobati: wood carvings
Yataity/Villarrica: ao-po’i (embroidery)
Ypacarai: leather goods
