Paraguay, officially the Republic of Paraguay (Spanish: República del Paraguay IPAes: reˈpuβlika ðel paɾaˈɣwai; Guaraní: Tetã Paraguái), is one of the only two landlocked countries in South America (along with Bolivia). It lies on both banks of the Paraguay River, bordering Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the east and northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest. Due to its central location in South America, the country is sometimes referred to as Corazón de América  Heart of America.

Etymology

The country is named for a river that runs almost right through the middle of it, from north to south. There are at least four versions for the origin of the river's name:

The literal translation from Guaraní is Para=great river or sea; Gua = from or belonging to or place; Y = water or river or lake. This could lead to:

• "Water or river belonging to the sea" (the Atlantic Ocean).
• "Water or river that belongs to a great river" (the Paraná River).
• "Water or river that comes from a sea" or "water or river from the place where the sea is" (the Pantanal wetland).

The fourth version states that it could be a corruption from Payaguá-y, "river of the Payaguás", a tribe that inhabited the banks and navigated its course.

History

main: History of Paraguay Pre-Columbian society in the wooded, fertile region which is now present-day Paraguay consisted of seminomadic, Guarani-speaking tribes, who were recognized for their fierce warrior traditions. Europeans first arrived in the area in the early sixteenth century and the settlement of Asunción was founded on August 15 1537 by the Spanish explorer Juan de Salazar y Espinoza. The city eventually became the center of a Spanish colonial province, as well as a primary site of the Jesuit missions and settlements in South America in the eighteenth century. Jesuit Reductions were founded and flourished in eastern Paraguay for about 150 years until their destruction by the Spanish crown in 1767. Paraguay declared its independence after overthrowing the local Spanish administration on May 14, 1811.

Paraguay's history has been characterized by long periods of authoritarian governments, political instability and infighting, and devastating wars with its neighbors. Its post-colonial history can be divided into several distinct periods:

1811 - 1816: Establishment and consolidation of Paraguay's Independence

1816 - 1840: Governments of José Gaspar Rodríguez de Francia