ABSTRACT
Landlocked and sparse, the "Heart of South America" is bordered by Brazil to the east, Argentina to the south and west, and Bolivia to the north. At 406,000 square kilometers, it is larger than Germany and only slightly smaller than California, but with only seven million inhabitants, it is one of the least densely populated countries in the world. Before the first European settlers arrived in Paraguay in 1516, several distinct indigenous tribes known for being great warriors inhabited the area. Asunción was founded in August 1537, making it the oldest continuous settlement in the Rio de la Plata Basin. Paraguay's trail-blazing path to sovereignty was sparked by the May Revolution of 1810 in Argentina. Seeing an opportunity arise, the Paraguay Intendancy disavowed Argentina's attempt at independence, and when the junta-backed Argentine revolutionaries tried to invade Paraguayan land they were summarily defeated in two key battles in early 1811.
