9781422286449

Paraguay

12

Quick Facts: The Geography of Paraguay

Location: landlocked in South America, with Argentina to the south, Bolivia to the north, and Brazil to the east. Area: (about the size of California) total: 157,046 square miles (406,750 sq km) land: 153,398 square miles (397,300 sq km) water: 3,649 square miles (9,450 sq km) Borders: Argentina, 1,168 miles (1,880 km); Bolivia, 466 miles (750 km); Brazil, 802 miles (1,291 km). Climate: subtropical to temperate.

Terrain: broad plateaus and low wooded hills in the Región Oriental, east of the Paraguay River; west of the Paraguay River, the Chaco is a plain—semi-dry in parts, marshy in others. Elevation extremes: lowest point: junction of Paraguay and Paraná Rivers, 151 feet (46 meters). highest point: Cerro Pero, 2,762 feet (842 meters). Natural hazards: floods in the summer, droughts in the winter.

Source: CIA World Factbook 2015.

summer lasts from October to March, and winter from May to August. April features fall-like weather, whereas September is Paraguay’s spring month. The Región Oriental has a subtropical climate. Its summers are warm. The average summer temperature in Asunción, for example, is about 80°F (27°C). During the Región Oriental’s mild winter season, the average tem- perature in Asunción is 63°F (18°C), though temperatures occasionally reach the freezing mark. Rainfall is substantial, between 50 and 60 inches (127–152 centimeters) annually, and evenly distributed throughout the year. In the Chaco the weather is tropical. Temperatures stay warm most of the year, sometimes climbing to 100°F (38°C). The most important seasonal