REPUBLIC OF PARAGUAY Official name: Tetâ Paraguay / República del Paraguay (Republic of Paraguay) Location: South America International organisations: The Organisation of American States, The United Nations, The World Trade Organisation Borders: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil Coastline: None Land area: 406,750 Km2 Population: 5,800,000

Ethnicity: Almost the entire population is of mestizo (mixed Amerindian and European) descent.
Languages: Guarani (an Amerindian language) and Spanish are official languages. Over 90% speak Guarani as their first language, but Spanish is the language of government, business and the media. There is a German-speaking minority.
Religion: Over 90% of the population are Catholic Christians. There is a small Protestant minority.
Form of government: Presidential democratic republic. Paraguay is divided into 17 Departments and the Capital City.
Capital: Asunción
Constitution: The Constitution of the Republic of Paraguay came into effect on 20 June 1992
Head of state: The President, elected by direct universal suffrage for a five-year term.
Head of government: The President, who appoints all ministers.
Legislature: Paraguay has a bicameral legislature, the National Congress (Congreso Nacional). The Chamber of Deputies (Cámara de Diputados) has 80 members, elected for five-year terms by proportional representation. The Chamber of Senators (Cámara de Senadores) has 45 members, elected for five-year terms by proportional representation.
Electoral authority: The Superior Tribunal for Electoral Justice administers national elections.
Freedom House rating: Political Rights 4, Civil Liberties 3

Political history Paraguay came under Spanish rule in the 1530s, and from 1559 it was part of the Viceroyalty of Peru. In 1776 it was transferred to the Viceroyalty of Río de la Plata, thus becoming a dependency of Buenos Aires. When Argentina declared its independence in 1811, the Paraguayans remained loyal to Spain, but preferred independence to rule from Buenos Aires. Paraguay became independent in May 1811. José Gaspar Rodríguez de Francia ruled Paraguay as a benevolent dictator until 1840. Through the 19th and 20th centuries the country, one of the poorest in the Americas suffered from chronic instability. Periods of chaos alternated with rule by strongmen, the most notable being Carlos Antonio López and his son, Francisco Solano López. In the 1860s Paraguay fought the War of the Triple Alliance against Argentina, Uruguay, and Brazil, in which it lost half its population. In the 20th century Paraguay was dominated by political conflict between the conservative Colorados (Reds) and the liberal Blancos (Whites). The Blancos came to power in 1904, but instability continued - between 1904 and 1922, Paraguay had fifteen presidents. In the 1930s there was another disastrous war, against Bolivia. Higinio Morínigo ruled as a dictator from 1940 to 1948.

After another interlude of instability, General Alfredo Stroessner took power in May 1954. Ruling with the support of the Army and the Colorados, Stroessner held dictatorial power until 1989, when he was overthrown by the army. The coup-leader, General Andres Rodriguez, introduced the 1992 constitution, which established a democratic system of government.

In May 1993, Juan Carlos Wasmosy was elected as Paraguay's first civilian president for 40 years. Despite a failed coup attempt in 1996, the assassination of the Vice-President and the subsequent impeachment of President Raul Cubas Grau in 1999, Paraguay has enjoyed the longest period of democratic government in its history.

Paraguayan politics continue to be dominated by the two traditional parties, the conservative Republican National Alliance (the Colorados), and the liberal Democratic Alliance, a coalition of the Authentic Radical Liberal Party (the Blancos) and the National Agreement party. In April 2003 the Colorados easily retained the Presidency.