Beautiful waterfalls with what on second glance seems to be mud-colored water. A small outcropping of dark green grass appears in the foreground with its own tiny waterfall running through it.

Known as “the land of water,” this country is likely one unfamiliar to many though it’s an interesting one.

According to WeLeaf, it has a large navy although it is only bordered by land. It had the first railway on its continent.& today, 99.9% of the country’s energy comes from hydroelectric power.

Any guesses which country?

What if I noted that according to Serious Facts, this land:

Has a literacy rate higher than that of the US
Still allows dueling by pistol if both parties are blood donors
Offers soybeans & hydroelectric power as its top 2 exports
Is the second biggest producer of cannabis
Has Guarani as one of its two official languages

What if I added that it has colonies of Germans, Russians, Japanese, & Belgians all with their traditional cultures & languages preserved. Or maybe more of you would guess if I added in that the largest living rodent of the world is native to this land (the capybara) or that the national beverage is maté.

So what country are we reading next?

It’s the República del Paraguay (Republic of Paraguay). And if you’re curious why there are so many Germans, Russians, Japanese, & Belgians in Paraguay, it’s because many Nazi followers flocked there after WWII.

But I think the more extraordinary story is the awe-inspiring Paraguayan orchestra whose members play instruments made out of trash in a slum built on top of a landfill. If you’re unfamiliar with the Landfill Harmonica, the documentary is not to be missed!

Check out the trailer & watch the multi-award winning documentary on Amazon.

Click here to watch the documentary on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2FkclNW

HAVE ANY BOOK SUGGESTIONS?

Just let us know your Paraguayan suggestions by Sun., Aug. 16 11PM ET. (That’s NYC time. See it converted to your time below.)

Time converter at worldtimebuddy.com

You can comment with your suggestion below or in our online book club in Facebook.

We'll use 2 suggestions from book club members, 2 suggestions from Ivor (the moderator), 1 suggestion from Mia (the book club co-admin), & 1 of my suggestions to compile a list of 6 books on which book club members will provide their thoughts. The book judged as best from the list will then be read.

Please note - We're specific in our books, they must:

Largely occur in the location specified unless the world described is an alternate reality
Be written by an author born there who has spent a good portion of their life there
Exist in paperback & ebook available on both Amazon & Kindle at least in the US & hopefully elsewhere