Paraguay Geography
What is the terrain and geography like in Paraguay?
Overview
Located in the heart of South America, Paraguay is a landlocked, agricultural country. The Parana-Paraguay River system is Paraguay’s commercial access to the outside world. Rivers and their tributaries largely define Paraguay's boundaries, and the Paraguay River divides the country into two dissimilar sections, east and west.The eastern section consists of rolling, fertile farming areas and grasslands, together with large, wooded areas and jungle patches near the Brazilian border. Most of the country's population live in the east and engage in small-scale agriculture. Asuncion and other commercially important towns-Encarnacion, Ciudad del Este, Pedro Juan Caballero, Concepcion, Coronel Oviedo, and Villarrica are in this area, and most are accessible by paved roads. The western section, nearly two-thirds of Paraguay's total area, is called the Chaco. It is a low-lying plateau covered with grassy meadows, bogs, spiny bushes, palms, and small trees. Lacking roads and navigable rivers, much of the region is inaccessible. Only 3% of the population live in this area.
The riverfront elevation of Asuncion is 177 feet above sea level. Residential areas are situated on low hills that rise another 200 feet. Elevations throughout Paraguay are moderate, the highest range of hills, located in the eastern region, rises to about 2,000 feet.
Geography - note
landlocked; lies between Argentina, Bolivia, and Brazil; population concentrated in southern part of countryParaguay Use of Natural Resources
| Geographic Location | South America |
| Total Area |
157,047 Square Miles 406,752 Square Kilometers |
| Land Area |
153,398 Square Miles 397,302 Square Kilometers |
| Water Area |
3,649 Square Miles 9,450 Square Kilometers |
| Land Boundaries |
2,482 Miles 3,995 Kilometers |
| Irrigated Land |
259 Square Miles 670 Square Kilometers |
| Border Countries | Argentina 1,880 km, Bolivia 750 km, Brazil 1,290 km |
| Geographic Coordinates | 23 00 S, 58 00 W |
| Terrain | grassy plains and wooded hills east of Rio Paraguay; Gran Chaco region west of Rio Paraguay mostly low, marshy plain near the river, and dry forest and thorny scrub elsewhere |
| Highest Point | 842 Meters |
| Highest Point Location | Cerro Pero (Cerro Tres Kandu) 842 m |
| Lowest Point | 46 Meters |
| Lowest Point Location | junction of Rio Paraguay and Rio Parana 46 m |
| Natural Resources | hydropower, timber, iron ore, manganese, limestone |
| Time Zone | UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) |
| Daylight saving time | +1hr, begins first Sunday in October; ends last Sunday in March |