Paraguay Geography:
Location:
Central South America, northeast of Argentina
Geographic coordinates:
23 00 S, 58 00 W
Map references:
Area:
total:
406,750 sq km
land:
397,300 sq km
water:
9,450 sq km
Area - comparative:
Slightly smaller than California
Land boundaries:
total: 3,920 km
border countries: Argentina 1880 km, Bolivia 750 km, Brazil 1290 km
Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)
Climate:
Subtropical to temperate; substantial rainfall in the eastern portions, becoming semiarid in the far west
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
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: junction of Rio Paraguay and Rio Parana 46 m
highest point: Cerro Pero (Cerro Tres Kandu) 842 m
Natural resources:
Hydropower, timber, iron ore, manganese, limestone
Land use:
arable land: 7.6%
permanent crops: 0.23%
other: 92.17%
(2001)
Irrigated land:
670 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards:
Local flooding in southeast (early September to June); poorly drained plains may become boggy (early October to June)
Environment - current issues:
Deforestation; water pollution; inadequate means for waste disposal pose health risks for many urban residents; loss of wetlands
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - Note:
Landlocked; lies between Argentina, Bolivia, and Brazil; population concentrated in southern part of country |
