PARAGUAY
South America

Paraguay is an intriguing and often overlooked country. Famous for its dictator Alfredo Stroessner, who was deposed in 1989 after 35 years in power, the country now enjoys a free democracy.

This landlocked country, which did not even have a single traffic light forty years ago, is not well-developed outside the capital Asuncion.

The Rio Paraguay runs roughly north to south through the middle of the country, dividing it into two distinct regions. The east is covered by dense forest, rivers and waterfalls. West of the Paraguay River is the Chaco, a great wilderness marshland with much tropical flora.

The culture comprises a unique mix of the original Guaraní Indians, Spanish colonial and that of the most recent immigrants - Korean. Many of the population speak Guaraní as their first language. Paraguay has always welcomed fugitives from both tyranny and justice, and the presence of traditional Mennonite religious communities is juxtaposed with those of the descendants of fleeing Nazis.