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.
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.
