Paraguay Guide

public of Paraguay - a country in South America. The area - 406,752 square meters. km.

Paraguay River divides the country into two unequal parts: the eastern (40% ) from the Paraná plateau (300-600 m), savannas and subtropical forests and Western ( 60%) - a vast plain Gran Chaco region (up to 250 m).

The climate is subtropical, hot summer: the average temperature in January is 27... 29 ° C, but in Gran Chaco can reach +43 ° C. In winter, the climate is temperate: The average temperature in July is 17... 19 ° C. The wet season in the Gran Chaco region - from November to March, dry - from April to October. In the west, 700-1000 mm of rain falls per year, on a plateau of Paraná 1500-2000 mm.
The largest rivers: the Parana ( in Guarani " big river ") in the Itaipu reservoir and a waterfall web - Kedas, Paraguay, Pilcomayo. In the southeast there are floods.

Forests cover 33 % of the territory, meadows and pastures - 55% of arable land - 6 %. The eastern part of the territory is covered with subtropical forests (trees Lapacho, quebracho, peroba, guatambu, Araucaria, yerba ). To the west of them are drawn with individual savanna forests along the rivers. West of the river. Paraguay are located drier savanna dominated by thorny shrubs grow wax palms and orange trees run wild. Everywhere there are philodendron and orchids. Live giant anteaters, giant armadillos, maned wolves, otters, Brazilian tapirs, jaguars, pumas, pampasskie deer, monkeys ( black howler monkeys ), potto knikazhu, blood-sucking bats, as well as 365 species of birds (including parrots, ibis, pelicans, flamingos ). In Chaco many termite mounds. There are 7 national parks: Chaco ( arid vegetation), Tinfunke, Teniente Enkiso, gray- bark ( dry tropical forest, savanna ), Ibikui ( tropical rainforest on the border with Brazil ), etc.

Guarani Indians of Guayaquil and lived in eastern Paraguay, and the Indians guaikuru - in the Chaco. In 1524, at p. Parana, and in 1527 on the river. Paraguay were first conquistadors. Spanish settlers quickly dissolved among the Guarani. The area first was part of the Viceroyalty of Peru. Later it appeared Jesuit missionaries, who turned the local population to Christianity. In the 1610-1767 years. there Jesuit state. Resisted Christianization of the tribes living in the Chaco. In 1767 the Jesuits were expelled, and the land returned to the Spanish crown. In 1811, proclaimed the independence of Paraguay, in the years 1864-1970. there was a war between Paraguay and neighboring Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay, during which the country has lost half of its territory (150 thousand sq. km.) and x / 4 of the population. In the 1928-1935 years. there was a war of Chaco between Paraguay and Bolivia, which resulted in the oil regions of Bolivia went Chaco Boreal. In the 19-20 centuries. Paraguay has a long history of dictators ( the darkest A. Stroessner dictatorship was ).

The head of the republic - the president, a bicameral parliament - the Congress ( Chamber of Deputies and Senate). The territory is divided into 17 departments.

Population - 6037 thousand., 96 % of whom live in the eastern part. 88 % - mestizo (mixed Spanish to Guarani Indians ), 9% - Europeans ( Spaniards, Germans, and Ukrainians ), 2% - the Indians, 1% - the Japanese and Koreans. Roman Catholic - 90 % Protestant - 10% (including Mennonites ). Guarani Indians profess the religion of the native. In urban areas 53 % of the population lives. The official languages ​​- Spanish and Guarani.