Pilar, Paraguay

**Pilar** is the caipital ceety o the Paraguayan depairtment o Ñeembucú, locatit alang the Paraguay River in the souothwastren pairt o the kintra. Locatit aboot 358&nbsp;km (222&nbsp;mi) frae Asunción, Pilar serves as an important centre o commerce an govrenment for the far soothwastren region o the kintra.

## History

Pilar wis foondit bi Pedro Melo de Portugal on October 12, 1779.  The oreeginal name o the settlemnt wis *Villa del Ñeembucú*, named for the nearbi Arroyo Ñeembucú that flows intae the Paraguay River.  Fower years later it wis renamed *Villa del Pilar* bi Spainyie priest  Marcial Antonio Uliambre, for the Basilica o Oor Lady o the Pillar () in his hametoun o Zaragoza.

The auld toun cooncil biggin in Pilar is whaur umwhile preses Francisco Solano López is believed tae hae uttered a nou famous phrase in defiance against combatants in the costly War o the Triple Alliance : "Niver shall the sacred insignia o ma kintra faw frae ma haunds".

## Climate

Situatit near the confluence o the Paraguay an Paraná rivers, Pilar is in a region o the kintra wi mony sma streams, rivers an wetlands that contribute tae a humid climate.  The average annual temperatur is 22&nbsp;°C (72&nbsp;°F).  Simmer temperaturs can reach as heich as 40&nbsp;°C (104&nbsp;°F), an it winter it drops tae as law as 2&nbsp;°C (36&nbsp;°F). The rainy months are Januar, Mairch, Aprile an October; the dryer are Mey an August.

## Demographics

Pilar haes a tot population o 29,327, wi 14,298 men an 15,030 weemen, accordin tae information providit bi the General Directorate o Statistics, Polls an Census.

## Tourism
The centre o the ceety is hame tae a lairge nummer o historical biggins datin back tae the foundin o the ceety.

The Basilica o Oor Lady o Pilar, whose feast day is celebratit on October 12, is a magnificent kirk constructit bi Italian missionaries tae the ceety.

Durin Semana Santa the ceety is the steid o a lairge fishin tournament an competition that attracts pairticipants an spectators frae aw ower Paraguay an Northren Argentinae.

The cieety's location on the Rio Paraguay provides a prime location for boatin an fishin. Thare are walkin paths, pavilions, an pairks locatit on the shores o the river. The shores o the calmer Arroyo Ñeembucú provide the ceety's residents wi a beach tae enjoy on het December days.

The Toun Cooncil Museum wis constructit in 1817, durin the govrenment o Preses Gaspar Rodríguez de Francia. It is excellently preserved. This is the anerlie biggin o this natur that is still preserved in the kintra. The museum contains objects o historical importance includin photographs, trophies an medals that belanged tae the Marshall López, as well as pieces o columns frae the auld kirk, wappens, bullets, ammunitions, chains, lances, shields an ither historical airtifacts.

## Transportation
Pilar is served bi Carlos Miguel Jiménez Airport, housomeivver traffeck is leemitit tae private airplanes.

Ferry traffeck frae the harbor o Pilar connects tae Puerto Cano in Argentinae.  Thare is a paved heich-gate -#4 Naitional Heich-gate, 140&nbsp;km lang- that stairts at San Ignacio an leads tae Pilar.

Till quite recently, thare wis nae paved route tae Asunción, an the ceety wis nearly isolatit durin periods o rain. The day, housomeivver, thare are daily buses tae various ither ceeties. The primary mode o transportation tae ither ceeties is byi bus frae the Central Terminal, which affers routes tae Asunción an its suburbs sic as Luque, Ñemby, an San Lorenzo, as well as Ciudad del Este, Villarica, Pedro Juan Caballero, Encarnacion, Santa Rita, Concepción, an Villa Hayes.

Athin the ceety, motorcycles an mopeds mak up the bulk o traffeck, wi bicycles an aa constitutin a significant percentage o traffeck. In addition, it is quite possible tae fynd fowk on horseback, in horse-drawn carts, on fuit, an in caurs or trucks on the same street.

## Gallery

|Auld toun cooncil biggin
|Naitional Bank o Public Wirks


## Sources
*World Gazeteer: Paraguay &ndash; Warld-Gazetteer.com