Who lived in the region of Paraguay before Europeans arrived?

Long before the arrival of Europeans, the region between the Paraguay and Paraná rivers was occupied by the Guaraní people, who settled the area between approximately 2000 and 1000 BCE.1

The Guaraní were a Tupian-speaking, seminomadic society. Their lifestyle was typical of tropical forest Indigenous groups: men focused on hunting and fishing, while women cultivated crops such as corn, cassava, and sweet potatoes. They lived in villages composed of large thatched dwellings, which were protected by defensive palisades.1

The Guaraní were a warlike people who frequently engaged in conflicts with raiders from the Gran Chaco region, often pushing their military campaigns as far as the borders of the Inca empire. Due to their established presence and regional influence, they became the primary allies of early European explorers seeking routes to the mineral wealth of Peru.1