Paraguay
Republic of Paraguay
Population
6.8M
GDP
$41.9B
Capital
Asuncion
Government
Unitary presidential constit...
At a Glance
Human Development
0.7
HDI (0-1)
Democracy
6.3
EIU (0-10)
Press Freedom
—
RSF score
Corruption
—
TI CPI (0-100)
Innovation
—
GII score
Happiness
—
WHR (0-10)
Paraguay is a landlocked South American country and a founding member of both the United Nations and Mercosur. It is one of the most bilingual countries in the Americas, with Guarani (an indigenous language) holding co-official status alongside Spanish and spoken by over 90% of the population.
Paraguay is one of the world's largest producers of hydroelectric power, primarily through the Itaipu Dam (shared with Brazil) and the Yacyreta Dam (shared with Argentina). Despite this abundant clean energy, Paraguay remains one of South America's poorer countries, with significant inequality.
Paraguay is one of the few remaining countries that recognises Taiwan, which significantly shapes its engagement with China and the broader geopolitics of the Taiwan issue.
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As Paraguay, your bilingual Guarani-Spanish identity is a powerful statement on indigenous language preservation -- use it to lead on cultural rights and linguistic diversity. Paraguay's massive hydroelectric capacity makes you a clean energy leader despite being a developing country.
Coordinate with Mercosur partners (Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay) on trade and regional issues. Your Taiwan recognition is a distinctive position -- understand its implications and be prepared to navigate the cross-strait diplomacy it creates.
Paraguay's agricultural exports (soybeans, beef) make you a stakeholder in trade liberalisation and food security debates. As a landlocked country, you share concerns with other landlocked developing nations about transit access and trade logistics. Advocate for the Almaty Programme of Action and its successors.
Foreign Policy
Paraguay's foreign policy centres on Mercosur integration, bilateral relationships with its larger neighbours (Brazil and Argentina), and trade expansion for its agricultural exports (soybeans, beef, and grains). It is one of Taiwan's most significant diplomatic allies in South America.
Paraguay's Taiwan recognition means it has no formal relations with China, which limits some economic opportunities but earns Taiwanese development aid and investment. Paraguay has been a consistent voice for democratic governance in the OAS and opposed the Maduro government in Venezuela.