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South America and South Atlantic Islands
Paraguay |
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Last updated: 5 January 2009 |
Country information
GEOGRAPHY
Paraguay, a land locked country, is located in the heart of South America. It has borders with Bolivia on the north-west and north (750 km), Brazil on the north-east and east (1,290 km), and Argentina on the south-east, south, and west (1,880 km).
The Paraguay River divides the country into sharply contrasting regions: the Región Oriental in the east and the Chaco or Región Occidental in the west.
The Oriental region, where over 95% of Paraguayans live, consists mainly of the southern extension of the Paraná plateau. This elevation, from 300 to 600m high, forms a watershed that gives rise to numerous tributaries of the Paraguay and Paraná rivers. It has a grassy and fertile soil. Lake Ypoa and Lake Ypacarai are the main large inland bodies of water.
The Gran Chaco is an alluvial plain that extends from Paraguay into Bolivia (west), Argentina (south) and Brazil (east). It has a semi-arid climate and consists mainly of grassy plains, swamps and scrub forest. Except for a few Mennonites colonies it is almost unpopulated. The climate is subtropical, with heavy rainfall in summer. Average temperatures range from about 17°C in July to 40+°C in January.
