Central South America.

GMT - 4 (GMT - 3 from the first Sunday in October to the first Sunday in March).

406,752 sq km (157,048 sq miles).

6.2 million (UN, 2005).

15.24 per sq km.

Asunción. Population: 539,000 (2005).

Paraguay is a landlocked country surrounded by Argentina, Bolivia and Brazil, lying some 1440km (900 miles) up the River Paraná from the Atlantic. The River Paraguay, a tributary of the Paraná, divides the country into two sharply contrasting regions. The Oriental zone, which covers 159,800 sq km (61,700 sq miles), consists of undulating country intersected by chains of hills rising to about 600m (2000ft), merging into the Mato Grosso Plateau in the north; the Paraná crosses the area in the east and south. East and southeast of Asunción lie the oldest centres of settlement inhabited by the greater part of the population. This area is bordered to the west by rolling pastures, and to the south by thick primeval forests. The Occidental zone, or Paraguayan Chaco, covers 246,827 sq km (95,300 sq miles). It is a flat alluvial plain, composed mainly of grey clay, which is marked by large areas of permanent swamp in the southern and eastern regions. Apart from a few small settlements, it is sparsely populated.

Paraguay’s new constitution, introduced in 1992, allows for a bicameral legislature with a 45-member Senate and 80-member Chamber of Deputies. Executive power rests with the president who is, like both houses of the legislature, elected for a five-year term.

Republic since 1967. Gained independence from Spain in 1811. Head of State and Government: President Óscar Nicanor Duarte Frutos since 2003. Recent history: Nicanor Duarte, from the ruling Colorado Party, won presidential elections in April 2003 with 38 per cent of the vote. Desptie a campaign based on promises to crack down on crime and corruption and to create new jobs through public work programmes, corruption remains widespread and Paraguay is a centre for smuggling, money laundering and organised crime. Around 60 per cent of Paraguayans live in poverty.

The official languages are Spanish and Guaraní; Guaraní is spoken by most of the rural population. Most Paraguayans are bilingual, but prefer to speak Guaraní outside Asunción.

Mostly Roman Catholic.

Shaking hands is the usual form of greeting. Smoking is not allowed in cinemas and theatres. Dress tends to be informal and sportswear is popular. Photography: Avoid sensitive subjects such as military installations.

220 volts AC, 50Hz.