Not many people know this, but Paraguay is home to more than 40,000 Mennonites (similar in religion, language, and lifestyle to the Amish of the USA's Northeast and Midwest). Originally hailing from Russia (where they'd lived since the 1760s after moving there from Prussia), here they're spread across 27 colonies, many concentrated especially up in the Chaco region of the rural northwest (well, let's face it, outside Asunción most of this country is pretty rural anyway), and conserve their original dialect of Dutch-influenced German, Plautdietsch, as well as simple way of life (including traveling via horsepower instead of cars/trucks).

You can read more about them here: https://www.spanish.academy/blog/the-mennonites-of-paraguay-far-removed-from-society/

 

(Mariano Mantel/flickr)

 

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