ROOTS

ROOTS•Teach

•Restore•Encourage•Establish•Support

By: Brendan Carroll, Byron Reding, Jesse Detulio, Anthony DeApolo, Shannon Ellis

MISSION STATEMENT“We are rebuilding lives

and the rainforest from the "roots" up. Through tireless conservation, education, and reforestation, we are committed to saving therainforest and ensuring a secure and

better future for all. Our basic operation can be identified by TREES: Teach, Restore, Encourage, Establish and Support.”

Paraguay Flag

Situation•Deforestation and habit loss is a serious issue in Paraguay •35% of the Atlantic Forest was lost in Paraguay between 1989 and 2003.•Flooding and natural disasters have also been effecting the forests of Paraguay •the Upper Parana Atlantic Forest in Paraguay has one of the highest rates of deforestation in Latin America

Main Languages• Paraguayan Guaraní, is,

alongside Spanish, one of the official languages of Paraguay

• Paraguay's constitution is bilingual

• State-produced textbooks are typically half in Spanish and half in Guaraní

Video on Deforestation• Shows how deforestation is forcing a tribe to leave land that has been occupied by them for generations•http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/video/2010/sep/28/deforestation-paraguay

•Strong national identity dating back to the first colonists•Family Oriented•Large gap between rich and poor•Spanish explorers married native Guarani women in early 15th century•Gained independence from Spain and Argentina in 1811•National Identity is shaped by struggles of the early colonists

Social Culture

Culture • Paraguayan culture is a blend

chiefly of Guaranian and Spanish elements, supplemented by more recent Argentine, German, and Italian influences.

• Paraguay has remained isolated and therefore has retained many features introduced in the 16th and 17th centuries

• characterized by the Spanish word tranquil - "tranquilo" - a highly valued characteristic of its easy-going and friendly people

Population (2008): 6,163,913.

Government Type: Constitutional Republic.

Paraguay's population is distributed unevenly throughout the country. The vast majority of the people live in the eastern region, most within 160 kilometers (100 mi.) of Asuncion, the capital and largest city.

Ethnically, culturally, and socially, Paraguay has one of the most homogeneous populations in South America. About 95% of the people are of mixed Spanish and Guarani Indian descent

Paraguay has a predominantly agricultural economy, with a struggling commercial sector. There is a large subsistence sector, including sizable urban unemployment and underemployment, and a large underground re-export sector

http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/1841.htm

Background

Demographics• Population estimated at

5.2 million (1999)• Approx. 95% of

population is Mestizo (Half Spanish, Half Guarani)

• About 95% of the population is less than 60 yrs. old

• Less than 3% of the population lives in the area known as the “Chaco”

• The Chaco is 61% of land area in Western Paraguay

Map of Paraguay

Works CitedCountry, By. "Paraguay: Environmental Profile." Rainforests. Web. 26 Oct. 2010.

<http://rainforests.mongabay.com/20paraguay.htm>. Date, By. "PARAGUAY." WELCOME TO ILLEGAL-LOGGING.INFO. Web. 26 Oct. 2010. <http://www.illegal-

logging.info/approach.php?a_id=117>. Nature, By. "The Proper Etiquette In Paraguay - Travel Etiquette (UK)." Essential Etiquette Advice and

Information for Worldwide Travel at Travel Etiquette (UK). Web. 26 Oct. 2010. <http://www.traveletiquette.co.uk/EtiquetteParaguay.html>.

"Paraguay Environment - Current Issues - Geography." Index Mundi - Country Facts. Web. 26 Oct. 2010. <http://www.indexmundi.com/paraguay/environment_current_issues.html>.

"Paraguay Guide -- National Geographic." Travel & Cultures -- National Geographic. Web. 26 Oct. 2010. <http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/countries/paraguay-guide/>.

"Paraguay." U.S. Department of State. Web. 26 Oct. 2010. <http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/1841.htm>.

"WWF - Agriculture and Environment: Commodities." WWF - WWF. Web. 26 Oct. 2010. <http://wwf.panda.org/what_we_do/footprint/agriculture/soybeans/>.

"WWF - Environmental Problems in Paraguay." WWF - WWF. Web. 26 Oct. 2010. <http://wwf.panda.org/who_we_are/wwf_offices/paraguay/environmental_problems_paraguay/>.