Paraguay, Population

Paraguay has perhaps the most racially homogenous population in South America. About 95 percent of the people are mestizos (people of mixed Spanish and Native American ancestry). Minority groups include individuals of pure Spanish ancestry, living mainly in Asuncion; unassimilated Guarani people of the eastern forest region; and small colonies of immigrants from Japan, Italy, Portugal, Canada, and other countries. The Mennonites, a German-speaking religious sect, form a notable immigrant group. Some 44 percent of the population lives in rural areas.