Paraguay is an open and wide country with only about 4,7 million people, which is just a bit more than the number of citizans in Berlin/Germany. It is clear that you don`t need so many regulations, orders and laws for so few inhabitants. To cut a long story short, you can really feel a freedom as shown in Marlboro advertisments. Enjoy your life and pure freedom in the country of the sun and exotic flowers.

Location and Size
Paraguay is, besides Bolivia, the only inland of the new world. Only the Rio Parana connects it with the more than 1,000 km away ocean. The north borders on Bolivia and the east to Brasil, whereas all southern parts of the country are neighbour to Argentina. The mainly plain country is run through by hilly foramtions. Its location is from 54 to 62 degree of western longitude and 19 to 27 degree of southern latitude. Paraguay`s size is about 406,752 km².

The Climate
The climate is similar to the Californian. The north of the country has a tropic climate, whereas most of Paraguay encluding the capital Asuncion has a subtropic one. In the eastern parts of Paraguay, where also Colonia Independencia is located, it rains regularly and the soil is therefore very fertile. The annual average of the rain`s frequency and heaviness decreases from 1,4000 to 2,000 mm from the eastern to the western parts of the country.

The temperature varies between max. 40 °C (only exceptionally) in the summer and min. 0 degrees in a short winter (meant are the South American seasons!).

Plants and Animals
Due to the variety of subtropical plants and annimals, Paraguay is a paradise for every botanist, hunter and fisher and anyone else who loves nature.

You can find all over Paraguay the beautiful Lapacho tree, whose yellow, pink or white blossoms give in the summer reason for enthusiasm to every photographer. Paraguay has an enormous variety of annimals. Especially in the ever lonlier area Chaco are still annimals, which seem to have lived there since a more prematured era of the earth. Richer than anywhere else seem the variety of plants of the Paraguayan rivers. In those rivers you can find Dordos, which weigh sometimes up to 30 kg, or the delicous Surubis as well as the dreadful Piranhas.

Paraguays Presidents
Paraguay became indipendent in 1811 and has a democratic based government for about 9 years. Alfredeo Strössner, born in Encaranacion/South Paraguay in 1912, had ruled the country before it became a democracy. He was commander-in-chief of the armed forces and putsched himself to power, which finished an era of political disorder of 40 presidents. He radically suppressed oppostions and democratical movements. But even though Paraguay experienced an economical and cultural improvement during Strössner`s regency. After a relatively non hostile putsch on 3 February 1989, General Andres Rodriguez took over the governmental power and in May of the same year he was elected with 70% for the first democratic president of Paraguay. Since a few months is Gonzalez Macchi the third president.

Switzerland of South America
Beside of many notable national banks, some very considerable banks from the USA, England, Germany and Japan as well as some other countries have opened branches in Paraguay with success. Therefore it is not out of place to call the country nowadays "Switzerland of South America."

About 150,000 inhabitants are from European origin. Many of them have successfully started their own business in industry, trade or farming and earn their living by beeing one`s own boss.

The offical language is Spanish, but the Indian dialect Guarani has the equal rights. The Indian language is nice to hear but unfortunately hard to learn. Therefore it is good to know that all Paraguayan grow up bilingua and that they speak Spanish fluently.

Paraguay is propably one of the last countries on earth with no income tax, which means that no inhabitant has to pay any tax on their salaries or wages - and that legally. For the country is the value added tax the most important income source. The IVA is at 10% and compared to Paraguay`s neighbours Brasil and Argentina negligible. For 20 ha you pay about 30,00 DM land tax a year. The tax for an upper middle class car is around 70,00 DM yearly and there is no obligation for car insurance.

Common wages and salaries are very low. The offical minimum wage is around 450,00 DM the month, but only experts or citizans of the capital are paid regularly with money. In the countryside an unlearned worker earns not more than 10,00 DM a day and a housekeeper with a few years experience not more than 400,00 DM a month. Of course do experts earn more money than an unlearned colleague.

The national currency is called Guarani and one of the most stable in South America.