Political overview

Paraguay is a unitary presidential republic whose capital and largest city is Asunción. The country is divided into 17 departments plus one capital district, and national politics are shaped by the interaction between the central government in Asunción and those subnational departments rivers and hydroelectric resources (shared with Brazil and Argentina) play an outsized role in the economy and state finances.

Cultural heritage and identity

Paraguay’s culture is a distinctive fusion of Spanish and Guaraní influences: Spanish and Guaraní are both official languages and Guaraní remains widely spoken, serving as a core marker of national identity. Traditional customs from drinking tereré (cold mate) and producing ñandutí lace to music played on the Paraguayan harp and styles such as the polka and guarania keep indigenous and mestizo heritage alive in everyday life and public festivals. The country’s Jesuit mission sites are also central to its cultural story and international recognition.

Geographical landscape, area and climate

Landlocked in south-central South America, Paraguay covers roughly 406,700 km² and is bisected by the Paraguay River into two broad regions: the humid, more densely populated Eastern region (where most agriculture and cities lie) and the semi-arid, sparsely populated Gran Chaco to the west. The climate ranges from subtropical in the east to more tropical in the north of the Chaco; seasonal rains and warm summers contrast with cooler, dry winds in winter, creating a variety of ecosystems that now support growing ecotourism (from riverside Asunción and Encarnación to the Chaco wilderness and the Itaipú/Yacyretá hydro areas).