The original inhabitants were the Guaraní indians, who settled the country around 1500 B.C. The Spaniards arrived in 1524, and by all accounts were welcomed by the

indians who had a surfeit of females and encouraged the settlers to take wives. The Spaniards took advantage of this, having between 30 to 50 women each. 70 years later the Jesuits began to convert the natives and set up missions which flourished for 150 years. There followed a turbulent time: Paraguay achieved independance in 1811 and was ruled by a succession of dictators. This culminated in the war against the Triple Alliance in 1864, when the President Francisco Solano López launched a war against Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay and lost. This was the bloodiest war ever fought on American soil - of the then 1,377,000 Paraguayans only 6,000 men and 220,000 women survived and the country was reduced in size as the victors each took a piece.

There have been successive waves of immigration to Paraguay,mainly from Germany, including more than a few Nazis....

After the end of the final dictatorship, that of Alfredo Stroessner, in 1989 in a coup, democratic government was formed. Today, the democracy grows stronger despite the weaknesses of the economy and the politicians.

• History • Leaders • War of the Triple Alliance • Chaco War

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