Today we head to Paraguay, a landlocked country in South America. Unexpectedly for a landlocked country, Paraguay has a navy and access to the Atlantic Ocean through the Paraguay and Paraná rivers. Actually, if I’m honest, I’m not so surprised by this. Bolivia, Central African Republic and Laos all have navies, although Paraguay’s navy is the largest.
On another water-related topic, Paraguay is home to South America’s second-largest river, the Paraguay River which is 2,695 km long. It’s also home to the world’s second-largest underground aquifer, the Guarani Aquifer. I imagine there have never been hosepipe bans in Paraguay.
Paraguay has an Australian community, started by radical socialist Australians who moved to Paraguay in the late 1800s in search of a master-planned community christened “New Australia”. As well as an Australian community, Paraguay is also home to a large German population. At the end of World War II, many Germans fled to Paraguay fearing the repercussions of their involvement in the war.
This proved to be a good move for these people as by the 1950s Paraguay was a dictatorship led by Alfredo Stroessner who’s regime acted as a safe haven. Stroessner was president of Paraguay until 1989 when he was overthrown in a military coup ushering in a new era of democracy in Paraguay.
Today Paraguay is more democratic, yet still has vast water reserves. Perfect for brewing Cerveza Pilsen.
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