Chaco (Paraguay)

The Paraguayan Chaco or Región Occidental (Western Region) is a semi-arid region in Paraguay, with a very low population density. The area is being rapidly deforested.

The Chaco is a large geographic area that is sparsely populated. Many of those living in the region are native peoples. It covers the departments of Boquerón, Upper Paraguay and the Department of Presidente Hayes, Paraguay.

The Chaco region was the scene of the longest territorial war to occur in South America; an armed conflict between Paraguay and Bolivia, lasting from 1932-1935.

The chaco is also home to sites of historical significance that have been preserved, including Boquerón, Campo Grande, Via Campo, Nanawa, the site of the battle of Cañada Strongest, Carmen, Kilometro 7, Picuiba, and Villamontes, amongst others.

Location

The Paraguayan Chaco is located between the Pilcomayo and Paraguay Rivers, which provide saline soils that attract a rich variety of plants and animals. Its boundaries are the border with Argentina along the Pilcomayo River to the west; the border with Brazil over the mouth of Apa River to the south-east; is the border with Bolivia to the north; and the border with the Región Oriental (Eastern Region) to the south.

Paraguay

Coordinates: 23°S 58°W / 23°S 58°W / -23; -58

Paraguay (/ˈpærəɡwaɪ/; Spanish: [paɾaˈɣwai]; Guarani: Paraguái [paɾaˈɣwaj]), officially the Republic of Paraguay (Spanish: República del Paraguay, Guarani: Tetã Paraguái), is a landlocked country in central South America, bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the east and northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest. Paraguay lies on both banks of the Paraguay River, which runs through the center of the country from north to south. Due to its central location in South America, it is sometimes referred to as Corazón de Sudamérica ("Heart of South America").

The indigenous Guaraní had been living in Paraguay for at least a millennium before the Spanish conquered the territory in the 16th century. Spanish settlers and Jesuit missions introduced Christianity and Spanish culture to the region. Paraguay was a peripheral colony of the Spanish Empire, with few urban centers and settlers. Following independence from Spain in 1811, Paraguay was ruled by a series of dictators who generally implemented isolationist and protectionist policies.

Paraguay River

The Paraguay River (Río Paraguay in Spanish, Rio Paraguai in Portuguese, Ysyry Paraguái in Guarani) is a major river in south-central South America, running through Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay and Argentina. It flows about 2,621 kilometres (1,629 mi) from its headwaters in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso to its confluence with the Paraná River north of Corrientes.

Course

The Paraguay's source is south of Diamantino in the Mato Grosso state of Brazil. It follows a generally southwesterly course, passing through the Brazilian city of Cáceres. It then turns in a generally southward direction, flowing through the Pantanal wetlands, the city of Corumbá, then running close to the Brazil-Bolivia border for a short distance in the Brazilian states of Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul.

From the city of Puerto Bahia Negra, Paraguay, the river forms the border between Paraguay and Brazil, flowing almost due south before the confluence with the Apa River.

The Paraguay makes a long, gentle curve to the south-southeast before resuming a more south-southwesterly course, dividing the country of Paraguay into two distinct halves: the Gran Chaco region to the west, a largely uninhabited semi-arid region; and the eastern forested departments of the country, accounting for some 98% of the country's inhabitants. As such the river is considered perhaps the key geographical feature of the country with which it shares its name.

Paraguay, Cuba

Paraguay is a settlement in Cuba near Guantánamo Bay. It is located in the southern part of the municipality of Guantánamo, near Mariana Grajales Airport.

See also

References