A Handy Guide to Paraguay Trivia Quiz

Answer: Corazón de América

Paraguay is a landlocked nation, bordered by Bolivia and Brazil to the north and Argentina to the south. Its location in the middle of the continent gives rise to its nickname 'Corazón de América' or, in English, 'Heart of America' - however the geographic centre (according to most methods of measurement) of South America is actually in neighbouring Brazil.

Spanish is one of Paraguay's two official languages and is definitely the one that tourists or visitors to the country are more likely to be able to speak. The other is Guarani - an indigenous language of South America that is one of the most commonly spoken of the Tupian language family. The majority of Paraguayans speak both languages, but Guarani actually tends to more widely spoken than Spanish - this makes it a relatively rare example of an American indigenous language that has not been displaced by the introduction of European languages following colonisation.

The incorrect options are Spanish for lungs (pulmones), liver (hígado) and brain (cerebro) of America - none of these body parts are ever likely to make an appearance on a typical Valentine's card!

Answer: Mercosur

Mercosur (also known as Mercosul in Spanish) is a trade bloc founded to promote the principle of free trade, the supply of goods and services, and integration between South American nations. It was founded in 1991 by Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay - and Venezuela subsequently became a full member in 2012. Most of the remaining South American nations became associate members between 1996 and 2004, while Guyana and Suriname applied to become associate members in 2013.

Paraguay's relationship with Mercosur has not always been plain-sailing - the nation was temporarily suspended from the bloc in 2012 following the controversial impeachment and removal from office of President Fernando Lugo, a former Roman Catholic bishop. The leaders of Paraguay's fellow Mercosur members likened the events to a coup d'état and suspended Paraguay's membership for breaking Mercosur's requirement for democracy in member states.

Paraguay was a founder member of OAS, but in 1948 not 1991; the Andean Community was formed in 1969 as the 'Andean Pact'; and the USAN is a union between the Andean Community and Mercosur that came into force in 2011. The picture clue shows the constellation known as the Southern Cross, which appears on Mercosur's emblem and flag.

Answer: Saltos del Monday

The Saltos del Monday (or Monday Falls) are found on the River Monday, not far from its confluence with the River Paraná - which marks the southern section of Paraguay's border with Brazil. The falls are approximately 120 m (400 ft) wide and 45 m (150 ft) high at their maximum extent, but actually consist of three separate main falls with numerous smaller sections. The whole area can be viewed from a series of walkways and trails which form part of the wider Municipal Park Monday - which also includes beautiful forests and is home to a wide range of plant and animal life. For those who want to do something more active than just looking at the beautiful scenery, there are also plenty of hiking trails and climbing routes along the course of the river.

The Presidente Franco District forms the south-eastern part of the city of Cuidad del Este, the second largest city in Paraguay, and is a port city on the Paraná River. It is named after the former President of Paraguay, Manuel Franco.

If you look closely at the picture clue, which shows a calendar clock, you'll see that it's set to Monday - not any of the other days of the week presented as incorrect options!

Answer: Rutherford B. Hayes

Rutherford B. Hayes (pictured) was US President from 1877 to 1881. The Paraguayan department shares his name because Hayes was responsible for Paraguay retaining the territory following its earlier defeat in the War of the Triple Alliance.

The War of the Triple Alliance (a.k.a. the Paraguayan War) was a conflict between Paraguay and the combined forces of Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay which lasted from 1864 to 1870. The war devastated Paraguay - estimates of casualties vary wildly but range from about 300,000 to 1.2 million and it is commonly suggested that well over 50% of the country's population lost their lives. After the war Brazil and Argentina carved up a large portion of Paraguayan territory between them, but couldn't agree on the fate of the area that is now known as the Presidente Hayes department. US President Rutherford B. Hayes was called in to arbitrate and found in favour of Paraguay retaining the land.

The three incorrect options are all 19th century US Presidents. James K. Polk held the position from 1845 to 1849, Ulysses S. Grant was Hayes' direct predecessor as President, and Chester A. Arthur took over after Hayes' successor, James Garfield, was assassinated after just six months in the job.

Answer: Soya bean

Paraguay is one of the world's largest producers of soya beans (or soybeans). The beans themselves are actually native to East Asia, but are believed to have been transported to South America in the early 1880s. They grow particularly well in warmer climates with hot summers - so Paraguay definitely fits the bill!

Soya beans are an important food crop worldwide, with numerous different uses. These include being eaten directly (as shown by the nice plateful in the picture clue); turned into soya milk and other alternatives for dairy products; made into vegetable protein products and used as a replacement for meat by vegetarians; and fermented to make foodstuffs such as soy sauce or tempeh. They are also used for animal feed, fertilisers and oil.

Mung beans, chickpeas and lentils are not major export products of South America.

Answer: Zimbabwe

In terms of total area, Paraguay ranks 8th out of the 13 countries and dependent territories that make up mainland South America - it would take more than 20 (relatively) little Paraguays to make up the size of the continent's largest nation, Brazil. Worldwide, the closest country in size to Paraguay is the African nation of Zimbabwe (which is about 16,000 square kms or 6,000 square miles smaller). However, the African country is much more heavily populated than Paraguay - its population density was twice that of Paraguay's according to 2012 estimates.

Of the incorrect options, Chad has a total area of about 1,284,000 square kms (496,000 square miles), South Africa is about 1,221,000 square kms (471,000 square miles) and Malawi is only about 118,000 square kms (46,000 square miles).

The picture clue shows an outline map of Zimbabwe - it is a landlocked country (like Paraguay) and is located directly north of South Africa.

Answer: Roman Catholicism

Paraguay does not have an official religion as the Paraguayan Constitution (drawn up in 1992) specifically recognised the right to freedom of religion and the independence of religious organisations. However, the vast majority of Paraguayans are Christians and the vast majority of those are Roman Catholics. The spread of Christianity to South America began with the exploration and subsequent colonisation of the continent by European nations from the 16th century onwards. The Jesuits were a particularly prominent group in this process - they were responsible for the missionary activity known as the 'Reductions of Paraguay'.

According to the 2002 Census in Paraguay, about 97% of the population were Christian, including 90% who were Roman Catholics. Together, the incorrect options only accounted for around 0.25% of the population, while other religions such as Judaism, Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism collectively accounted for only around 0.1% of the population.

The photograph shown in the picture clue was taken in 1897 and depicts St Peter's Basilica, one of the largest churches in Vatican City - the home of Roman Catholicism.

Answer: Tropic of Capricorn

The position of the Tropic of Capricorn actually varies slowly with changes in the Earth's axial tilt relative to the plane of the Earth's orbit, but generally speaking it is equivalent to 23° south in latitude and passes through central Paraguay. The line marks a division between areas with a tropical climate (to the north) and the more temperate areas (to the south). As a result Paraguay has a mix of tropical and sub-tropical climates.

The Tropics of Capricorn and Cancer, along with the Equator and the two polar circles (Antarctic and Arctic) make up the five major circles of latitude. However, only the position of the equator is actually fixed over time.

The Equator runs through the South American countries of Brazil, Colombia, and (unsurprisingly perhaps) Ecuador; the Tropic of Cancer is in the northern hemisphere, only passing through Mexico in the Americas ; and the Antarctic Circle is much further south surrounding the continent of Antarctica. The mountain goat (pictured) is often used as a symbol for the astrological sign, Capricorn.

Answer: Chacoan tuco-tuco

The Chacoan tuco-tuco (Ctenomys dorsalis) is one of over 50 species of tuco-tuco native to South America. It is a small burrowing rodent and is highly adapted for a life underground with a cylindrical body, small ears, strong legs and an affinity for digging. Most tuco-tucos live a solitary lifestyle but some species are more social - however, in general these cute little animals are fairly sedentary and rarely leave their burrows with the exception of the odd nocturnal foraging trip. In appearance they are similar to the pocket gophers of North America and are relatives of the degu - which is a popular pet.

The Chacoan tuco-tuco takes its name from area in Paraguay to which it is endemic. The Chaco forms the north-western part of Paraguay and is characterised by its plains, forests, desert areas and abundant wildlife (although you wouldn't find a chinchilla there as those furry rodents are native to Peru and Chile).

I have to admit to some artistic licence with the picture clue for this question - the depicted creature is, in fact, a different species of tuco-tuco (a Brazilian tuco-tuco to be precise). The Chacoan version looks similar though!

Answer: River Paraguay

The River Paraguay flows through the centre of the country and also marks the boundary between the highly populated Paraneña region to the south-east and the isolated plains of the Chaco region to the north-west. Asunción is just within the Paraneña region as it stands on the left (eastern) bank of the River Paraguay, close to the border with Argentina.

Asunción is one of the oldest cities in South America, sometimes known as the 'Mother of Cities'. As well as being the seat of Paraguay's government, it is a major port and industrial centre and home to over half a million people. The wider urban area around Asunción is estimated to be home to about 30% of the country's population. If you ever find yourself in this historic city then key tourist attractions include impressive buildings such as the National Pantheon of Heroes, the Metropolitan Cathedral and the Palacio de los López.

The rivers Paraná and Acaray are located in eastern Paraguay while the Pilcomayo is a tributary of the River Paraguay and forms much of the border between Paraguay's western Chaco region and Argentina.