Paraguay - 4th Term of President Stroessner
1973 Silver 300 Guaranies 37mm (26.89 grams) 0.720 Silver (0.6158 oz ASW)
Reference: KM# 29
300 GUARANIES PAZ Y JUSTICIA REPUBLICA DEL PARAGUAY, Seated lion with liberty cap on pole within circle (National Arms called as "Sello de Hacienda")
STROESSNER 1968 - 1973, Bust of President Alfredo Stroessner left.
Edge Lettering:
CENTENARIO DE LA EPOPEYA NACIONAL
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Alfredo Stroessner (November 3, 1912 – August 16, 2006) was a Paraguayan Army officer who served as President of Paraguay from 1954 to 1989. He ascended to the position after leading an army coup in 1954. His 35-year-long rule, marked by an uninterrupted period of repression in his country, is the longest in modern South American history. Stroessner's rule is ranked 20th-longest among non-royal national leaders since 1900 and made him one of the world's longest-serving non-royal heads of state. The edge inscription appears to refer to the centennial of the disastrous Paraguayan War (also known as the War of the Triple Alliance) which began in 1864, in which Paraguay fought against Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay. This war cost the country about 25-33% of its territory, and a massive portion of its population. It is estimated that the population of Paraguay was 450,000 to 900,000 before the war, and only 220,000 after of the war--of which only 28,000 were adult males. Brazilian forces seized the national archives in 1869 and move them to Rio; they have not been returned. The treaty between Paraguay and Brazil was not signed until 1872, and Brazilian forces occupied Paraguay until 1876.
 Paraguay officially the Republic of Paraguay (Spanish: República del Paraguay; Guarani: Tetã Paraguái), 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. 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").
 Spanish conquistadores arrived in 1524 after navigating northwards from the Río de la Plata to the Paraná River, and finally up the Paraguay River. In 1537, they established the city of Asunción, which was the first capital of the Governorate of Paraguay and Río de la Plata. Paraguay was the epicenter of the Jesuit Missions, where the Guaraní people were educated and introduced to Christianity and European culture under the direction of the Society of Jesus in Jesuit reductions, mainly during the 17th century. However, after the expulsion of the Jesuits from Spanish territories in 1767, Paraguay increasingly became a peripheral colony, with few urban centers and settlers. Following independence from Spain at the beginning of the 19th century, Paraguay was ruled by a series of authoritarian governments who generally implemented nationalist, isolationist and protectionist policies. This period ended with the disastrous Paraguayan War, during which Paraguay lost at least 50% of its prewar population and around 25-33% of its territory to the Triple Alliance of Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay. In the 20th century, Paraguay faced another major international conflict - the Chaco War - against Bolivia, from which the Paraguayans emerged victorious. Afterwards, the country entered a period of military dictatorships, ending with the 35 year regime of Alfredo Stroessner that lasted until he was toppled in 1989 by an internal military coup. This marked the beginning of the "democratic era" of Paraguay.
With around seven million inhabitants, Paraguay is a founding member of Mercosur, an original member of the United Nations, the Organization of American States, the Non-Aligned Movement and the Lima Group. Also, the city of Luque, in Asuncion's Metropolitan Area, is the seat of the CONMEBOL. The Guarani culture is very influential and more than 90% of the people speak different forms of the Guarani language in addition to Spanish. 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.
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