Description
Paraguay, officially the Republic of Paraguay, is a country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the east and northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest. Its capital is Asunción. Although it is one of only two landlocked countries in South America (the other is Bolivia), the country has coasts, beaches and ports on the Paraguay and Paraná rivers that give exit to the Atlantic Ocean through the Paraná-Paraguay Waterway. Due to its central location in South America, it is sometimes referred to as Corazón de Sudamérica (“Heart of South America”). Paraguayans are known for being a very happy and easy-living people and many times the country has topped the “world’s happiest place” charts because of the “positive experiences” lived and expressed by the population.
The flag of Paraguay was officially adopted in 1842. Each side of this tricolour flag contains a horizontal tricolour of red, white and blue with the National Emblem centred on the white band. The emblem on the obverse side is the national coat of arms of Paraguay: a yellow five-pointed star surrounded by a green wreath of palm and olive leaves tied with ribbons of the colour of the stripes, and capped by the words REPUBLICA DEL PARAGUAY (“Republic of Paraguay” in Spanish), all within two concentric circles). The colours of the flag are believed to be inspired by the flag of France to show independence and liberty, and the coat of arms represents the independence of Paraguay. The emblem on the reverse side is the seal of the treasury: a yellow lion below a red Phrygian cap on the top of a pole (symbolising courage) and the words Paz y Justicia (“Peace and Justice”). The differences in the obverse and reverse sides come from the period when José de Francia was in power (1814–1840). On July 15, 2013, the flag was revised. The coat of arms was simplified and the design was brought closer to its original form.