Facts

Official Name: Republic of Paraguay

Flag	Coat of Arms
Motto: Peace and Justice
Anthem: Paraguayos, Republica o Muerte
Capital	Asunción 25°16′ S 57°40′ W
Largest city	Asunción
Official language(s)	Spanish, Guarani
Government President Vice President	Parliamentary democracy Nicanor Duarte Frutos Luis Castiglioni Joria
Independence Declared	From Spain May 14, 1811
Area  • Total   • Water (%)	406,750 km²  2.3%
Population  • 2005 est. census  • Density	6,347,884 15/km²
GDP (PPP)  • Total  • Per capita	2004 estimate $27,581,000,000 $4,553
Currency	Guaraní

The Republic of Paraguay (Spanish: República del Paraguay) is a landlocked nation in South America. It lies on both banks of the Paraguay River, bordering Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest. The name of the country means "water that goes to the water," derived from the Guaraní words pará ("ocean"), gua ("to/from"), and y ("water"). The expression in Guaraní often refers solely to Asunción, but in Spanish refers to the entire country.

Source: "Paraguay." Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. 28 April 2006. <http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paraguay>.