Answer:
A large group of Mennonites lives in Paraguay. Most of them lived in the Boqueron department in the arid Chaco region. The group consists of approximately 40,000 persons, of which more than 30,000 belong to the traditional Mennonites. The language of most of these Mennonites is Plautdietsch.
The Mennonite community is known for its strict rules of faith. The families are large, marrying outside their own community is not accepted, although the rules have been applied less strictly in recent years than before. For example, women generally do not wear pants, have long hair, and wear headwear in the form of a hat after marriage. In some settlements even radio, television and cars are taboo.
The Paraguayan government sold them land and gave them the so-called Privilegium. This means that they are exempt from military service. They are allowed to set up their own schools, with German as their basic language. In addition, they are given the opportunity to enforce their own laws and economic organization and are exempt from tax as individuals. This is paid by the cooperative, of which all Mennonites from a certain colony are members.
