The People

Most of the people are mestizos (mixed Spanish and Indian), with Indians accounting for less than 3 per cent of the population. Other ethnic groups include Germans and Japanese.

The vast majority of the people of Paraguay live between the Paraguay River and the escarpment. The Chaco Boreal is largely uninhabited.

Spanish is the official language of Paraguay, but most of the people also speak Guaraní, an Indian language. Roman Catholicism is the official religion, and most Paraguayans are Roman Catholics. Mennonites are the largest Protestant group.

Education is free and attendance at primary schools is compulsory from age 7 to 14. However, schools are not available in all areas. Secondary schools offer academic and commercial instruction and teacher training. The government also provides vocational education and an adult literacy program. About 10 per cent of the population is illiterate. Institutions of higher education include the National University (founded 1890) and the Catholic University (1960), both in Asunción.

Paraguayan cultural life is centered in Asunción. Here are the National Museum and Archives, National History and Ethnography Museum, and National Museum of Fine Arts and Antiquities.