Geography of Paraguay
Location: | Central South America, northeast of Argentina |
Geographic coordinates: | 23 00 S, 58 00 W |
Map references: | South America |
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: 3,995 km border countries: Argentina 1,880 km, Bolivia 750 km, Brazil 1,365 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: 7.47% permanent crops: 0.24% other: 92.29% (2005) |
Irrigated land: | 670 sq km (2003) |
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 |