In Paragauy, there are two national languages! One of them is Spanish, and the other one is Guaraní. Guaraní is the language of the indigenous people (which means that native people) who lived here long before people moved to the country from Europe and other parts of the world. Paraguay embraces the history of these people and their Guaraní hertiage. In 1992, the country made Guaraní a national language and required that this language be taught in public schools along with Spanish. There are many people in the rural parts of the country that only speak Guaraní. However, in the major cities, most people speak Spanish but use Guaraní expressions and words frequently.
The currency in Paraguay is called Guaraní, just like the language and indigenous people! One US dollar is worth about 6,500 Guaraní. It took me some time to get used to dealing with so many zeros! The money here is very colorful, unlike in the United States. Some of the bills are pink, some are purple and others are red! There are also coins (which are referred to as moneda) that look somewhat similar to the coins in the US. These coins are also silver and circular.
