Diario las Américas., 1958-07-12
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PARAGUAY Located in the in
terror of South America, Paraguay
has an area of $50, 900 square miles
and a population of more than
1,5O0,0 900 The Paraguay River di-
yides the country into two great
regions: the Easter and the West
ern. In the western part are the
great plains known as "El Chaco",
from where they get the "quebrac'
no., a tanning substance, while the
eastern part has the Woodlands
and grazing lands the from the
backbone of the economy TO the
country These are very fertile
lands, producing large crops of
mandioca, cotton, tobacco, sugar
cane, mate, sometimes called Pa
raguayan tea, and numerous fruits.
Paraguay has three important
rivers. The Paraguay, the most i'm
porant waterway and principal
contact with the outside world,
forms part of the western border.
The Alto Parana, merging with the
Paraguay in the south, forms part
of the southern and eastern bound
aries, while the PiLcomayo, flow
ing across the Chaco from Bolivia,
forms the southwestern border.
When the Spaniard Alejo Gar
cha, exploring fol Portugal in the
1520's made his way from Brazil
to Bolivia, he found the land that
is now Paraguay inhabited by nu-
merGus Indians, the most import
ant being the Guaranis. The first
founded at Asuncion in 1887. Until
permanent Spanish settlement was
1917, Paraguay and Argentina
were ruled jointly by the same
Spanish Governor. The seat of the
Government was Asuci6n until Is
80, when it was moved to Buenos
Aires.
From 1917 until 1911, when they
gained their independence, Para
quay and Argentina remained Sc
parate colonies governed by the
Viceroyatly of Peru, and later by
the Viceroyatly of La Plata, which
was established in Buenos Aires in
1776. On May IA, 1911, Paraguay
won its independence from Spain
without bloodsheu, when the Gov.
ernor agreed to resign.
Paraguayans are mostly descend
ants of Spanish settlers and Qua.
rani Indians, but in later years
many Germans, Italians and Ar.
gentines have settled there. In the
Chaco region, Mennonites from Ca.
NADIA, Russia, Germany and Poland
have established well ordered and
attractive villages.
The principal exports of Para.
quay are meat tanning materials,
mandioca, tobacco, yerba mate, etc.
Principal imports are chemical and
pharmaceutical products, machine
ry, motto vehicles, tools, iron and
steel manufactures, etc.
Asuncion, the capital, is located
on the banks of the Paraguay
River. has a population of IT'S 900.
1t is the center of all activities of
the country. Many factories line
the river bank. The oldest section
borders a bay extending from the
Paraguay river. Most public build.
ings in Asuncion date from the lat
ter part of the 10Th. century. Out
standing are the Congressional Pa.
lace, the Government Palace, the
National Pantheon and the Church
of La Encarnacion.
Historical collections can be seen
at the Godoy Museum. In the
nearby suburb OF Trinidad, there
is a Botanical Garden of tropical
plants which is said to be one of
the finest in the Americas. Villeta,
the most important orange ship.
ping port, is a center for the to-
bacco and cotton industries as
well.
The Carlos Antonio Lopez Park,
in the highest part of the city,
offers q panorama of the city, bay
and river of extraordinary beauty,
with the sun settling across the
water and vanishing beyond the
dinstant Chaco.
Spanish Version Page 8,