Country Profile

Paraguay, the full name of the Republic of Paraguay, has an area of ​​406,800 square kilometers. It is a landlocked country in central South America. It borders Bolivia to the north, Brazil to the east, and Argentina to the west and south. The Paraguay River runs through the middle from north to south, dividing the country into two parts: the east of the river is an extension of the Brazilian plateau, which occupies about one-third of the territory, and is 300-600 meters above sea level. It is mostly mountainous, undulating plains and swamps. It is fertile and suitable for agriculture and animal husbandry, and it has concentrated more than 90% of the country's population. Hexi is part of the Gran Chaco Plain, with an altitude of 100-400 meters. It is mainly composed of virgin forests and grasslands, sparsely populated and mostly undeveloped. The Tropic of Capricorn traverses the central part, with a tropical grassland climate in the north and subtropical forest climate in the south. The temperature in summer (December to February of the following year) is 26-33℃; in winter (June to August) the temperature is 10-20℃. Precipitation decreases from east to west, about 1,300 mm in the east and 400 mm in the arid areas in the west.

It was originally the residence of Guarani Indians. It became a Spanish colony in 1537. Independence on May 14, 1811.

National flag: a horizontal rectangle with a ratio of length to width of 2:1. From top to bottom, it consists of three parallel and equal horizontal rectangles of red, white, and blue. The central front of the flag is the national emblem, and the back is the financial seal.

Paraguay has a population of 5.88 million (2002). Indo-European mixed races account for 95%, and the rest are Indians and whites. Spanish and Guarani are the official languages, and Guarani is the national language. Most residents believe in Catholicism.

The economy of Paraguay is dominated by agriculture, animal husbandry and forestry. The crops include cassava, corn, soybeans, rice, sugar cane, wheat, tobacco, cotton, coffee, etc. It also produces tung oil, yerba mate and fruits. The animal husbandry is dominated by cattle breeding. Industries include meat and forest products processing, oil extraction, sugar making, textiles, cement, cigarettes, etc. The bulk of the output is cotton, soybeans, and wood. Others include cottonseed oil, tung oil, tobacco, tannic acid, mate tea, leather, etc. Import machinery, petroleum, vehicles, steel, chemical products, food, etc.

Main cities

Asuncion: Asuncion, the capital of Paraguay, is located on the east bank of the Paraguay River, where the Picomayo and Paraguay rivers converge. The terrain is flat, 47.4 meters above sea level. Asuncion is summer from December to February of the following year, with an average temperature of 27°C; from June to August, it is winter with an average temperature of 17°C.

Asuncion was founded in 1537 by Juan de Ayolas. The city was named "Asuncion" because of the fenced residential area built on the foundation of the city on August 15, 1537 on the Assumption Day. "Asuncion" means "Ascension Day" in Spanish.

Asuncion is a picturesque river port city, people call it "the capital of forest and water". The hillside is high and there are orange groves all over. When the harvest season comes, oranges are covered with orange trees, like bright lights, so many people call Asuncion the "Orange City".

The city of Asunción retains the rectangular shape of the Spanish rule, with wide blocks, trees, flowers, and lawns. The city consists of two parts: the new city and the old city. The main street of the city-National Independence Avenue, which runs through the city center. On the street, there are buildings such as Heroes' Square, government agency buildings, and central bank buildings. Another street traversing the city, Palm Street, is the bustling commercial district of the city. The buildings in Asuncion are in the style of ancient Spain. Encarnacion Church, Presidential Palace, Parliament Building, and Hall of Heroes are all Spanish-style buildings left over from the 19th century. In the city center, there are many modern multi-storey buildings. Among them, the Guarani National Hotel was designed by Os Niemeyer, the chief designer of Brasilia, the new capital of Brazil.