AGRICULTURAL SURVEY OF SOUTH AMERICA 79 
POPULATION AND POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS 
No complete census of the population of Paraguay has ever been 
taken. The total population is estimated at from 650,000 to 
1,000,000, the latter figure probably being somewhere near the truth. 
In the war between Paraguay and the coalition formed by Brazil, 
Uruguay, and Argentina from 1865 to 1872, it is said that practically 
all the men over 10 years of age were exterminated, so that since then 
the women have greatly outnumbered the men and have had to take 
an active part in the manual labor of the country. As a result the 
women are erect, well developed, and industrious. Large families 
are the rule. 
The population of Paraguay has as a base the original Guarani 
Indians, a fine aboriginal race, crossed with Spanish adventurers, 
with some additions during the last half century of Germans and 
Italians. The characteristics of the race are fine physical appearance 
and development, amiable disposition, and a smiling, light-hearted 
demeanor. The men are brave, but are inclined to be indolent ; the 
women are well developed and handsome, with a distinct resemblance 
to the Chinese type, amiable, faithful, and very industrious. More 
than 90 per cent of the population lives east of the Paraguay River. 
GOVERNMENT 
Paraguay is a Republic with a constitution, like other South 
American constitutions, copied after that of the United States. 
The president is elected for a term of four years and is reeligible only 
after eight consecutive years. In other respects the constitution 
follows closely that of the United States. The National Govern- 
ment has a few executive departments with a minister in charge 
of each. The statistical organization is in the Department of Haci- 
enda (Treasury). The Bureau of Agricultural Statistics has a 
small force of employees who copy into registers various data of a 
statistical nature that come to them weekly, monthly, quarterly, 
and annually from the customhouses, schools, prisons, etc. The 
official hours of labor are from 8 to 11 a. m. 
The country is divided into departments, each of which is divided 
into partidos (counties) and companias (townships). Each depart- 
ment has a capital, each partido a principal town, and each compania 
a town or village. This is the basis of a semimilitary organization 
of police and instruction. 
East of the Paraguay River the country is divided into 12 depart- 
ments and a capital district. The population of these departments 
varies from 26,000 to 176,000. In 1920 the capital, Asuncion, had 
99,836; Villarrica, 26,000; Encarnacion, 12,500; and other cities 
ranging from 2,500 to 14,000 inhabitants each. The Chaco, west 
of the river, is divided into four military departments with an esti- 
mated population of about 70,000, of which about 50,000 are Indians. 
The official language of the government, of the schools, of the 
press, and of educated people, is Spanish, but the common language 
spoken by people in the country is Guarani, which is said to be very 
difficult to learn. 
