Paraguay is located in the heart of the South American continent. It is bordered by Argentina in the south and west, Brazil in the east and Bolivia in the northwest. Paraguay has a subtropical climate. Winters are mild, with an average temperature of 18 degrees Celsius. Summers are also mild, with an average temperature of 32 degrees Celsius. Although the temperatures often exceed these averages during mid summer and mid winter, the country is overall quite temperate. The hot and sunny summers, coupled with the lack of frost during winter and the plentiful rainfall that Paraguay enjoys, make the country perfect for almost all types of agricultural activity.

Paraguay is a developing country, which is comprised mainly of several large cities, and a whole lot of rural area. The current population of the country is just below 7 million people, with almost 2 million of those living in the Greater Asuncion Metropolitan area. Asuncion is one of the greenest cities on earth, with many tree-lined streets and parks. It is a modern city, although it has an aging infrastructure, and is growing larger and more modern every year. All of the best services, whether they are medical, educational, commercial or cultural are located in Asuncion. The rest of the country is a rural landscape with moderately sized cities interspersed among beautiful vistas of open plains, rolling hills and dense forests.

Paraguayans are generally a relaxed and friendly people, who are more concerned with raising a family, enjoying their lives and avoiding stress than the majority of immigrants and visitors to their country. In surveys, Paraguayans consistently rank among the happiest people on Earth. From an ethnic standpoint, the Paraguayan people are largely the product of European immigration, with strong influences from Spain, Italy and Germany as well as from the indigenous peoples of the country which, although they hail from various tribes, are collectively called Guarani. There are also immigrant communities of Germans, Mennonites, Koreans and Brazilians which exist in various parts of the nation.

Paraguay has two official languages: Spanish and Guarani. Most Paraguayans speak mainly Spanish, and have varying knowledge of Guarani, although those who live in more rural areas speak only Guarani.