The Guarani are a Native American people who once lived widely in central and southern South America.
Small populations still live in Paraguay, Uruguay, Argentina, and Brazil; some still practice their traditional communal agriculture.
In Paraguay, their influence has been especially strong. Ninety percent of the country’s largely mestizo population speak Guarani. Guarani songs, dances, poems, and myths are an important part of Paraguay’s heritage.
Tapioca, a starch used in puddings, is a Guarani word.
