Paraguay 🇵🇾
Paraguay is a country in South America with a population of 6,780,744. Its capital is Asunción. The official currency is PYG, and the main languages are Spanish, GuaranÃ.
Quick facts
- Capital: Asunción
- Continent: South America
- Population: 6,780,744
- Area: 406,752 km²
- Density: 16.7 people per km²
- Currency: PYG
- Languages: Spanish, GuaranÃ
- ISO code: PY
Where Paraguay sits
Paraguay 🇵🇾 is one of 12 countries in South America, with its capital at Asunción. It covers 406,752 square kilometres — 59th in the world — and is home to about 6,780,744 people, 108th globally.
The countries it shares a continent with include Brazil, Colombia, Argentina, Peru and Venezuela. If you are learning geography region by region — which works far better than alphabetically, because memory for places is spatial — those are the ones to learn alongside it.
How Paraguay compares
Raw figures are hard to hold on their own, so it helps to anchor them. In population, Paraguay sits closest to Bulgaria and Libya. In land area, its nearest counterparts are Zimbabwe and Norway.
At 16.7 people per square kilometre it is about 3.6 times below the world average of 59.4. It ranks higher by area than by population, so it is more spacious than its population alone suggests.
Spanish is an official language in 20 countries here, among them Argentina, Bolivia, Chile and Colombia, and 15 others. The PYG is used by Paraguay and no one else.
To see Paraguay next to every other country, sort the country rankings by population, area or density; its currency and languages are listed alongside every other country's in world currencies and world languages.
How to remember Paraguay
Asunción is on the Paraguay River, right on the border with Argentina. It is one of the oldest cities in South America and is nicknamed 'Mother of Cities'. For the flag, flip it over: it is the one with two different sides.
The flag of Paraguay: red, white and blue
🇵🇾 The flag is three horizontal stripes of red, white and blue, with a different emblem on each side: the national coat of arms on the front and the treasury seal on the back. Paraguay's flag is one of very few national flags whose two sides are different.
Region and neighbours
Paraguay is a landlocked country in the heart of South America, split by the Paraguay River into a wetter east and the dry Gran Chaco in the west. It shares land borders with 3 countries: Argentina, Brazil and Bolivia. Paraguay is landlocked, with no coast on the open ocean.
- Argentina 🇦🇷 — capital Buenos Aires
- Brazil 🇧🇷 — capital BrasÃlia
- Bolivia 🇧🇴 — capital Sucre
Three facts about Paraguay
- GuaranÃ, an Indigenous language, is an official language alongside Spanish, and most Paraguayans speak it.
- The Itaipu Dam on the Paraná River, shared with Brazil, is one of the largest hydroelectric dams in the world.
- Asunción was founded in 1537.
Sources: Wikipedia: Paraguay, Wikipedia: Flag of Paraguay, Wikipedia: Asunción, CIA World Factbook.
Quiz yourself on Paraguay
- South American capitals quiz — match Paraguay to Asunción
- South American flags quiz — spot the Paraguay flag among its neighbours
- Landlocked countries quiz — Paraguay has no sea coast
Quizzes that include Paraguay
Three angles are worth covering for any country — where it is, what its flag looks like, and what its capital is. For Paraguay those are:
- South America map quiz — place it on a blank map
- South America flags quiz — identify its flag among its neighbours
- South America capitals quiz — match it to Asunción
- Paraguay capital quiz — five quick questions starting with Paraguay
- Daily Map Challenge — five countries to find on a blank world map, the same five for everyone each day
Doing all three for one continent before moving on is far more efficient than learning flags globally, then capitals globally, then the map.
Read more about Paraguay
- Capital of Paraguay: Asunción — the capital in detail, with size and density rankings
- All 12 countries of South America
Nearby countries
- Argentina 🇦🇷 — capital Buenos Aires
- Bolivia 🇧🇴 — capital Sucre
- Brazil 🇧🇷 — capital BrasÃlia
- Chile 🇨🇱 — capital Santiago
- Colombia 🇨🇴 — capital Bogotá
- Ecuador 🇪🇨 — capital Quito
- Guyana 🇬🇾 — capital Georgetown
- Peru 🇵🇪 — capital Lima
- Suriname 🇸🇷 — capital Paramaribo
- Uruguay 🇺🇾 — capital Montevideo
- Venezuela 🇻🇪 — capital Caracas
Frequently asked questions
What are the colours of the Paraguay flag?
The flag of Paraguay is three horizontal stripes of red, white and blue, with a different emblem on each side: the national coat of arms on the front and the treasury seal on the back. Paraguay's flag is one of very few national flags whose two sides are different.
Which countries border Paraguay?
Paraguay shares land borders with Argentina, Brazil and Bolivia.
How can I remember the capital of Paraguay?
Asunción is on the Paraguay River, right on the border with Argentina. It is one of the oldest cities in South America and is nicknamed 'Mother of Cities'. For the flag, flip it over: it is the one with two different sides.