Culture
Living culture A bilingual country where Guaraní is spoken on the street, on the radio and at home. Ñandutí lace, harp, polka and guarania, myths still told and festivals handed down.
Crafts Music & dance Guaraní Myths Traditions History Curiosities People Indigenous peoples
Did you know…? 1 The Paraguayan flag has two different sides:… Tap to reveal ↻
Did you know…? The Paraguayan flag has two different sides: the front bears the national coat of arms with the May star; the back carries the Treasury seal, with a lion, a Phrygian cap and the motto 'Paz y Justicia' (Peace and Justice).
Did you know…? 2 According to the national statistics institute (INE,… Tap to reveal ↻
Did you know…? According to the national statistics institute (INE, 2025 household survey), 38.7% of the population aged 5 and over speaks both Guaraní and Spanish at home and 27.9% mainly Guaraní: two out of three use Guaraní at home.
Did you know…? 3 Guaraní has been an official language alongside… Tap to reveal ↻
Did you know…? Guaraní has been an official language alongside Spanish since the 1992 Constitution. It's an exceptional case in the Americas: a language of Indigenous origin spoken by the majority of the population, Indigenous or not.
Did you know…? 4 In 2016 the Itaipú Dam, shared with… Tap to reveal ↻
Did you know…? In 2016 the Itaipú Dam, shared with Brazil, produced 103,098,366 MWh — the world record for hydroelectric generation in a single year until China's Three Gorges Dam surpassed it in 2020. It has 20 generating units and 14,000 MW of installed capacity.
Did you know…? 5 Almost all of Paraguay's electricity comes from… Tap to reveal ↻
Did you know…? Almost all of Paraguay's electricity comes from its three hydroelectric plants: Itaipú, Yacyretá (shared with Argentina) and Acaray. The country produces more than it consumes and exports the surplus to its neighbors.
Did you know…? 6 Beneath Lake Itaipú lie the Guaíra Falls… Tap to reveal ↻
Did you know…? Beneath Lake Itaipú lie the Guaíra Falls (Sete Quedas), once among the most voluminous waterfalls in the world, submerged by the reservoir in 1982. The city of Salto del Guairá still bears their name.
Did you know…? 7 The guarania is a musical genre with… Tap to reveal ↻
Did you know…? The guarania is a musical genre with a date and an author: José Asunción Flores created it in 1925. In 2024 UNESCO inscribed it on the list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Did you know…? 8 Paraguay has four elements on UNESCO's Intangible… Tap to reveal ↻
Did you know…? Paraguay has four elements on UNESCO's Intangible Heritage lists: tereré and pohã ñana medicinal herbs (2020), the sixty-stripe poncho (2023), the guarania (2024) and ñai'ũpo pottery (2025).
Did you know…? 9 Tereré — iced yerba mate — is… Tap to reveal ↻
Did you know…? Tereré — iced yerba mate — is the national drink under Law 4261/2011, which set the last Saturday of February as National Tereré Day.
Did you know…? 10 The headquarters of CONMEBOL, South America's football… Tap to reveal ↻
Did you know…? The headquarters of CONMEBOL, South America's football confederation, is in Luque, next to Asunción's airport. It houses the South American Football Museum, with trophies and memorabilia from its tournaments (check opening hours before you go).
Did you know…? 11 A Paraguayan city and department are named… Tap to reveal ↻
Did you know…? A Paraguayan city and department are named after a US president: Rutherford B. Hayes, whose 1878 arbitration award gave Paraguay the Chaco territory disputed with Argentina.
Did you know…? 12 Nueva Germania (San Pedro) was founded in… Tap to reveal ↻
Did you know…? Nueva Germania (San Pedro) was founded in 1887 by Bernhard Förster and Elisabeth Förster-Nietzsche, the philosopher's sister, as a model 'Aryan' colony built on racist and antisemitic ideas. The project collapsed within a few years; today it's a rural district of San Pedro.
Did you know…? 13 The taguá, or Chacoan peccary, was known… Tap to reveal ↻
Did you know…? The taguá, or Chacoan peccary, was known to science only from fossils and was thought to be extinct. In 1975 Ralph Wetzel reported that it was still alive in the Paraguayan Chaco, where locals had always known it.
Did you know…? 14 Augusto Roa Bastos, author of 'I the… Tap to reveal ↻
Did you know…? Augusto Roa Bastos, author of 'I the Supreme' ('Yo el Supremo'), won the Cervantes Prize in 1989: he is the only Paraguayan writer to have received it.
Did you know…? 15 Friendship Day on July 30 was born… Tap to reveal ↻
Did you know…? Friendship Day on July 30 was born in 1958 in Puerto Pinasco, in the Paraguayan Chaco, at the initiative of Dr. Ramón Artemio Bracho. The UN adopted it as an international day in 2011.
Did you know…? 16 The lyrics of Paraguay's national anthem were… Tap to reveal ↻
Did you know…? The lyrics of Paraguay's national anthem were written by the Uruguayan Francisco Acuña de Figueroa, who also wrote the lyrics of Uruguay's anthem.
Did you know…? 17 Though landlocked, Paraguay has one of the… Tap to reveal ↻
Did you know…? Though landlocked, Paraguay has one of the largest barge fleets in the world (the press and shipping industry often call it the third largest, though there are no official figures): its exports travel down the Paraguay–Paraná waterway.
Did you know…? 18 Despite having no coastline, Paraguay has a… Tap to reveal ↻
Did you know…? Despite having no coastline, Paraguay has a navy: it patrols the Paraguay and Paraná rivers. One of its gunboats from the Chaco War era, the Humaitá, is preserved as a museum ship (check with the Navy whether it's open to visitors).
Did you know…? 19 Stevia is Paraguayan: the Guaraní called it… Tap to reveal ↻
Did you know…? Stevia is Paraguayan: the Guaraní called it ka'a he'ẽ, 'sweet herb', and used it to sweeten their mate. The Swiss naturalist Moisés Bertoni described it for science in the late 19th century.
Did you know…? 20 Asunción is the 'Mother of Cities' because… Tap to reveal ↻
Did you know…? Asunción is the 'Mother of Cities' because the founders of Santa Cruz de la Sierra (1561), Santa Fe (1573), Buenos Aires in its second founding (1580) and Corrientes (1588) all set out from here.
Did you know…? 21 On October 21, 1861, the first section… Tap to reveal ↻
Did you know…? On October 21, 1861, the first section of the Paraguayan railway opened, between Asunción and Trinidad: one of the first in South America. Today there are no regular passenger trains, except the cross-border Encarnación–Posadas train over the San Roque González Bridge.
Did you know…? 22 The national bird is the bare-throated bellbird… Tap to reveal ↻
Did you know…? The national bird is the bare-throated bellbird (Procnias nudicollis), declared by law in 2004. Its metallic call carries over great distances and inspired one of the most famous harp polkas.
Did you know…? 23 The Dutchman William Paats brought the first… Tap to reveal ↻
Did you know…? The Dutchman William Paats brought the first soccer ball to Paraguay and suggested the name of Club Olimpia, founded by a group of young men on July 25, 1902: it's the oldest club in the country.
Did you know…? 24 The Central Chaco is home to Mennonite… Tap to reveal ↻
Did you know…? The Central Chaco is home to Mennonite colonies that began arriving in the late 1920s; in Filadelfia and Loma Plata you'll hear Plautdietsch, a Low German dialect, alongside Spanish, Guaraní and Indigenous languages.
Did you know…? 25 Luque was Paraguay's capital from February 22… Tap to reveal ↻
Did you know…? Luque was Paraguay's capital from February 22 to December 7, 1868, during the War of the Triple Alliance, when the government left Asunción in the face of the Allied advance.
Did you know…? 26 Paraguayan women won the vote with Law… Tap to reveal ↻
Did you know…? Paraguayan women won the vote with Law 704 of July 5, 1961: Paraguay was the last country in South America to recognize women's suffrage.
Did you know…? 27 At the 2026 World Cup, Paraguay knocked… Tap to reveal ↻
Did you know…? At the 2026 World Cup, Paraguay knocked Germany out on penalties (4–3, after a 1–1 draw) in the round of 32: it was the first time the German team had ever lost a World Cup penalty shootout.
Did you know…? 28 The Jesuit mission ruins of Santísima Trinidad… Tap to reveal ↻
Did you know…? The Jesuit mission ruins of Santísima Trinidad de Paraná and Jesús de Tavarangue, in Itapúa, have been UNESCO World Heritage Sites since 1993.
Did you know…? 29 The currency is also called the guaraní… Tap to reveal ↻
Did you know…? The currency is also called the guaraní (₲): it replaced the peso in 1943. Since prices come with lots of zeros, double-check your bills when you pay.
Did you know…? 30 Children's Day is celebrated on August 16… Tap to reveal ↻
Did you know…? Children's Day is celebrated on August 16 in memory of the Battle of Acosta Ñu (1869), where children and teenagers fought in the final stage of the War of the Triple Alliance.
Did you know…? 31 The first written mention of the polka… Tap to reveal ↻
Did you know…? The first written mention of the polka danced by Paraguayans dates from 27 November 1858, in the newspaper El Semanario. From that European rhythm the Paraguayan polka eventually grew, mixing binary and ternary pulses.
Did you know…? 32 In the bottle dance, the most advanced… Tap to reveal ↻
Did you know…? In the bottle dance, the most advanced dancers balance ten or more bottles on their heads, and the bottles often carry a tricolor ribbon. The dance is accompanied by Paraguayan polka.
Did you know…? 33 At the 1948 London Olympic Games, Paraguay… Tap to reveal ↻
Did you know…? At the 1948 London Olympic Games, Paraguay sent three musicians instead of athletes: the Trío Olímpico. They sang on the BBC, at Oxford and before the British royal family.
Did you know…? 34 The first guarania ever recorded on a… Tap to reveal ↻
Did you know…? The first guarania ever recorded on a disc was 'Ñasaindype', by José Asunción Flores with lyrics by Félix Fernández, sung by Agustín Barboza in 1934. The genre had been created in 1925.
Did you know…? 35 'Cascada', the Paraguayan-harp piece by Luque-born Digno… Tap to reveal ↻
Did you know…? 'Cascada', the Paraguayan-harp piece by Luque-born Digno García, was used for years as the opening theme of Vatican Radio's programs for Latin America.
Did you know…? 36 After the War of the Triple Alliance,… Tap to reveal ↻
Did you know…? After the War of the Triple Alliance, several musicians reconstructed the anthem's music from memory, based on what the few surviving soldiers remembered. The current official version is the one arranged by Remberto Giménez in 1933 and declared authentic by the government in 1934.
Did you know…? 37 A 1959 decree made the broadcasting of… Tap to reveal ↻
Did you know…? A 1959 decree made the broadcasting of Paraguayan music mandatory at celebrations and on radio stations, accounting for half of the content aired. It is a key fact for understanding the weight of folklore on 20th-century radio.
Did you know…? 38 The first rock LP recorded in Paraguay… Tap to reveal ↻
Did you know…? The first rock LP recorded in Paraguay was 'Música para los perros' by Pro Rock Ensamble, launched with a concert on 23 November 1983, with nine songs.
Did you know…? 39 Los Rebeldes, a beat-rock band, were the… Tap to reveal ↻
Did you know…? Los Rebeldes, a beat-rock band, were the first Paraguayan rock group to record a disc: four songs, between 1968 and 1969, before moving to Brazil.
Did you know…? 40 The first Paraguayan zarzuela, 'La tejedora de… Tap to reveal ↻
Did you know…? The first Paraguayan zarzuela, 'La tejedora de ñandutí', premiered on 15 August 1956 at the Teatro Municipal Ignacio A. Pane. The music is by Juan Carlos Moreno González and the libretto by Juan Manuel Frutos Pane.
Did you know…? 41 Maneco Galeano's last song was 'Poncho de… Tap to reveal ↻
Did you know…? Maneco Galeano's last song was 'Poncho de sesenta listas', which won second prize at the first Festival Ypacaraí de la Composición Musical in 1980. He died that same year, aged 35.
Did you know…? 42 Novelist Gabriel Casaccia set nearly all his… Tap to reveal ↻
Did you know…? Novelist Gabriel Casaccia set nearly all his work in Areguá, and asked for his remains to return there: he is buried in the Areguá cemetery under a monument by sculptor Hermann Guggiari. That town has been compared to García Márquez's Macondo.
Did you know…? 43 Carlos Colombino invented xylopainting: instead of using… Tap to reveal ↻
Did you know…? Carlos Colombino invented xylopainting: instead of using the wooden block only to print, he made it the artwork itself, carved and painted in oil, with the cedar grain as part of the composition.
Did you know…? 44 The catalog of Olga Blinder's 1952 exhibition,… Tap to reveal ↻
Did you know…? The catalog of Olga Blinder's 1952 exhibition, written by Josefina Plá and João Rossi, is known as the manifesto of Paraguayan modern art.
Did you know…? 45 In 1974, during the restoration of the… Tap to reveal ↻
Did you know…? In 1974, during the restoration of the Chiquitos churches (Bolivia), an Austrian architect found over 10,000 music manuscripts from the Jesuit missions, including pages by composer Domenico Zipoli, who had arrived in America in 1717.
Did you know…? 46 Paraguay's first official musical ensemble was organized… Tap to reveal ↻
Did you know…? Paraguay's first official musical ensemble was organized in 1545, just eight years after Asunción was founded: a choir of musicians gathered by the Spaniard Gregorio de Acosta, with musicians from the Cathedral.
Did you know…? 47 The takuapu, the Guaraní rhythm staff dropped… Tap to reveal ↻
Did you know…? The takuapu, the Guaraní rhythm staff dropped against the ground to produce a deep sound that carries far, is traditionally played only by women.
Did you know…? 48 Kuarahy mimby means 'flute of the sun'… Tap to reveal ↻
Did you know…? Kuarahy mimby means 'flute of the sun' in Guaraní and is the name of the whistling heron, a wetland bird with a distinctive whistle. It is also the title of a 1944 symphonic poem by Juan Carlos Moreno González.
Did you know…? 49 An anecdote says Eloy Fariña Núñez was… Tap to reveal ↻
Did you know…? An anecdote says Eloy Fariña Núñez was offered a senior post in Argentina on condition that he adopt that nationality. He answered that he had two mothers: one poor but dignified, Paraguay, who gave him life, and one rich and generous, Argentina. He got the post without changing his nationality.
Did you know…? 50 León Cadogan, the ethnologist who recorded the… Tap to reveal ↻
Did you know…? León Cadogan, the ethnologist who recorded the Mbya's sacred texts in 'Ayvu rapyta', was the son of Australian immigrants from the New Australia colony. He was the first non-Indigenous researcher allowed access to that people's ritual language.