Paraguay
Geography: Paraguay is a landlocked country in South America. It is located in the Southern Cone region, and it is a relatively small country. It is bordered by Bolivia to the north and northwest, Brazil to the northeast and east, and Argentina to the southeast, south, and west. The Paraguay River runs through the country from north to south, separating it into two distinct regions: the Region Oriental (Eastern Region) and the Region Occidental (Western Region). The Western Region is also called Chaco Boreal. The climate of Paraguay’s East Region is mostly subtropical, as it is mainly south of the Tropic of Capricorn. It is strictly tropical in the Chaco Boreal, which is north of the Tropic of Capricorn. Temperatures in the East Region
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Most of the citizens are Mestizo (a mix between European and Indian ancestry) and they pride themselves on their Guarani descent. 300,000 Brazilians, most of whom were farmers, immigrated to the East Region in the 1970s due to the less expensive land in Paraguay. Immigrants have come from all over the world, and in places like Germany, Italy, Spain, Japan, Korea, China, and Taiwan. There are about 30,000 German speaking Mennonites in Paraguay, half of whom live in the Chaco. Indians make up 2 percent of Paraguay’s population, including the Ache, Chirpa, and Mbya in the East in addition to the Toba, Maskoy, and Lengua in the Chaco. Of course, there are other small Indian groups scattered throughout the country, although they face possible “extinction.” Many Indians receive support from missionary groups, as well as the Paraguayan Indian Institute. Nine-tenths of the population of Paraguay is Roman Catholic, with a minority of evangelical Protestants. The constitution, however, recognizes no official language which emphasizes their independence from the Roman Catholic Church. Social life in Paraguay revolves around the family, as godparents take over for the children if the parents are no longer able to provide for their children. Many of Paraguay’s values regard family, and family in itself is a large value to Paraguayan culture. Families eat meals together, which consist of traditional Guarani food …show more content…
It is made up of three separate powers, the legislature, executive, and the judiciary bodies. The constitution written in 1967 was replaced recently by a new constitution composed in 1992. The new constitution states that Paraguay is a representative and pluralist democracy, and that the government carries out separate deeds in each body. The President is elected by majority vote for a five year term, as is the legislative body that is Congress. The judicial system is headed up by the Supreme Court, who is chosen by the Senate and the President. Paraguay’s local government is divided up into departments, as each department is divided into districts. Political parties in Paraguay are fairly new, as the Colorado Party (more formally known as the National Republican Association) had remained in power continuously until 2008. Prior to this time, General Alfredo Stroessner’s rule kept the parties under strict control and close watch. Paraguay’s military consists of an army, a navy, and an air force, all of which had to have membership to the Colorado Party until 1992 when the new constitution banned having any involvement in politics or political activities. Many of the diseases we don’t think about anymore still exist in the world to this day. Measles, tuberculosis, dysentery, and hepatitis are all prevalent in Paraguay, as a result of limited public health services. Education in Paraguay is
“Latin America includes the entire continent of South America, as well as Mexico. Central America, and the Caribbean Islands. Physical geography has played an important role in the economic development of Latin America.” (Doc A and Doc G) Latin America has many unique cultural characteristics, industrial products, agricultural products, and human activity.
The republic of Colombia has been fighting an internal war for over 50 years. On April 9th 1948, 1:00P.M. The leader of the Liberal Party Jorger Eliecer Gaitan walked out of his office in the downtown area, got shot 3 times and died once he got to the hospital. This day went down in Colombian history as the Bogotazo. Gaitan was a moderate socialist congressman that gave a voice to the middle and lower classes in Colombia. He gave hope to those that had nothing under the right wing elitist government. In 1948 after his death, the era of the Violencia started. A civil war between the Colombian communist party and the farmers against the right wing military conservative government due to the high inflation and unfair assistance to those that
The Times favored the democratic concepts professed by the middle class. A wave of freedom of speech, press, and assembly engulfed much of Latin America and bathed the middle class with satisfaction. New political parties emerged to represent broader segments of the population. Democracy, always a fragile plant anywhere, seemed ready to blossom throughout Latin America. Nowhere was this change more amply illustrated than in Guatemala, where Jorge Ubico ruled as dictator from 1931 until 1944.
Much of Guatemalan life revolves around families. Guatemalans say that parents are espejos (mirrors): through them, you learn who you are and what you can become. Children are able to depend on their parents for advice and guidance throughout their lives. Family members tend to live near each other, and Guatemalans rarely live or spend much time alone. Families also care for elderly relatives, and godparents (padrinos) are considered an important part of the family. Guatemalan women tend to marry young and have many children. Women give birth at home, though in cities they may go to a hospital (family life). The typical rural family is industrious; men usually work the fields, while women care for the children and weave beautiful textiles with motifs that are unique to each community. A diet of corn, beans, and a wide variety of fresh fruits and vegetables is standard. Chicken and rice dishes are also common. Beef or pork is less common among the poorer classes, but popular among middle and upper sectors in both town and country. Among a variety of native dishes, on festive occasions Guatemalans of all classes serve tam...
BOLIVIAN PARADISE Bolivia is an amazing country that is breathtaking and is similar to a paradise. Bolivia is an interesting country that practices an interesting style of living. Locals always have plenty to do. They can go out for pizza, go see movies, or simply sit and talk.
Colombia lies in the northern most part of South America, bordering the Caribbean Sea the Bogota is the capital of Colombia. Bordering between Panama and Venezuela and bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between Ecuador and Panama. The size of Colombia is 1,138,910 square kilometers less than three times the size of the state of Montana. Mainland territory divided into four major geographic regions. Andean highlands are composed of three mountain ranges and overriding valleys and Caribbean lowlands; Pacific lowlands; and llanos and tropical rainforest of Eastern Colombia. Colombia also has small islands in both the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean. Climate in Colombia has unique variety in temperature resulting in changing differences in elevation not much seasonal variation. The rocky terrain cut by large rivers that flow into the Caribbean the Pacific. The Amazon and the Orinoco facilitates the construction of enormous reservoirs, which have steadily increased the country’s generation of energy and supply of drinking water.
The Republic of Ecuador has a republic government. In January 15, 2007 President Rafael Correo Delgado was elected as the chief of state and has been in the position since then. Along his side is Lenin Moreno Garces as Vice-presiden...
Ecuador is a democratic South American country with an extensive history. Its capital city, Quito, holds the equator, the center of our world. The country’s highlights range from mountains and valleys to beaches and rainforests. It is the site of many historical moments and unique museums. It is one of the most naturally stunning places on the planet. Ecuador is an astonishing country.
After gaining independence, Latin American countries had difficulty in how to govern the newly instated states. In the chaos, people took advantage of this and instated themselves as dictators. They had simply took the position from the Spanish that they tried to vanquish (class notes). The power structure remained and the people who fought for independence were largely ignored and continuously oppressed. These dictatorships had remained in power until very recently. Paraguay was finally freed from the dictatorship in 1989 (Chapter
Political culture traditionally characterized by personalism, the tendency to give one's political loyalties to an individual rather than to a party. Politics from 1968 until his death in 1981 dominated by General Omar Torrijos Herrera, Their form of government is Executive under provisions of their 1972 Constitution, as amended in 1978 and 1983. The chief executive is president of the republic, he is assisted by two vice presidents, all elected by popular vote for five-year terms. The unit of currency is the Balboa which is equal to the United States dollar. Balboas are available only in coins.
Who has the greater legitimacy to represent the people? The president or the legislatures. In comparing the Chilean 1970 Presidential Election to 1979 Spanish appointment of Adolfo Suirez as Prime Minister, Linz notes “Allende received a six-year mandate for controlling the government even with much less than a majority of the popular vote, while Suirez, with a plurality of roughly the same size, found it necessary to work with other parties to sustain a minority government”. Linz supports the fusion of the executive and legislative branches because it forces a sense of cooperation. He points out that “presidential systems may be more or less dependent on the cooperation of the legislature; the balance between executive and legislative power in such systems can thus vary considerably” Linz admits that “presidential elections do offer the indisputable advantage of allowing the people to choose their chief executive openly, directly, and for a predictable span rather than leaving that decision to the backstage maneuvering of the politicians.” but qualifies it by stating that it is only and beneficial if the majority of the people of spoken. In Scott Mainwaring and Matthew Shugart’s critical appraisal of “The Perils of Presidentialism” they offer counter arguments when they suggest that a bicameral parliament can just as easily have dual legitimacy issues as a President and legislative body. It should be recognized that Linz does not address the checks and balances that allows for a more regulated government ensuring that power is not concentrated in the hands of one group. Nor does he address that elections
Paraguay is a small country located in the heart of South America. Paraguay is a developing country member of the MERCOSUR which has also friend relations with the United States, the European Union and few other trade programs agreement.
Uruguay's terrain varies for the different areas of the small country. In the southern areas of Uruguay the land consists of grassy plains, and the marshlands along the country's Atlantic coast. In the northern areas of Uruguay, not to mention the northwest area, there is a low plateau called the Cuchilla de Haedo.
Powers N. R., 1992, The Transition to Democracy in Paraguay: Problems and Prospectus, University of Notre Dame