 The climate in eastern Paraguay is humid, with rainfall evenly distributed throughout the year. Temperatures are almost universally hot in summer (January to March), averaging 35 degrees C (95 degrees F), but can drop as low as 5 degress C (41 degrees F) in winter (July to September). Temperatures are higher in the Chaco and the rainfall is more erratic. Paraguay is a land-locked country whose major trading partners include Brazil, Netherlands, and Argentina. It is bordered by Brazil, Argentina, and Bolivia, and shares with Brazil and Argentina the thundering Iguazu Falls, surrounded by lush rainforest. To the west of the Rio Paraguay, the third largest river in the western hemisphere, lays the Chaco, a sparsely populated tract of dry plain land. Most of the population resides in the east, near the capital. Area: 407,000 sq km (158, 730 sq mi) Population: 4.8 million Capital city: Ascuncion (pop 500,000) People: 95% Mestizo Language: Spanish and Guarani (Guarani is the indigenous language, spoken by nearly everyone in the country. Some of the poorer citizens do not speak Spanish.) Religion: 97% Roman Catholic, 3% Mennonite and other Protestants National Resources: Hydropower, timber, iron, ore, manganese, limestone, and the possibilities of oil reserves in the Chaco were recently discovered in 2008. Agricultural Products: Cotton, sugarcane, soybeans, corn, wheat, tobacco, cassava, fruits, vegetables, beef, pork, eggs, milk, timber. Exports: Soybeans, feed, cotton, meat, edible oils, electricity, wood, leather People & Politics - Culture |