Paraguay

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Entry posted by korver · July 24, 2020

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true earth

Paraguay is a landlocked country between Argentina, Brazil and Bolivia, home to large swaths of swampland and chaco wildernesses comprising of grassy fields and scrubland. The capital, Asunción, on the banks of the Paraguay River, is known for its grand Government Palace and storied history. Although Paraguay might get overshadowed by some of it's more well known neighbors, the country still holds its own with plenty of impressive natural and man made wonders. Today, we'll be taking a trip off the beaten path to explore this gem of a country.

Our journey to Paraguay begins in the country's capital and largest city - Asunción. Bordered by the Paraguay River, this city of 540,000 is the country's chief port and primary business, entertainment, and industrial center.

Asunción is a city with a storied past. Founded in 1537 by Spanish explorers looking for gold, it's the longest continually inhabited area in the Río de la Plata Basin and one of the continent's oldest cities - giving it the name "The Mother of Cities". Here we see a scene from Asunción's past during the late 1500s - when the city was at its peak of power during colonial times.

We travel east from Asunción to perhaps Paraguay's most famous landmark - the massive Itaipu Dam. The dam is one of the largest operational hydroelectric energy producers in the world and provides almost 90% of Paraguay's energy.

Over the decades, Paraguay's Gran Chaco has changed dramatically. Although logging in the region is highly documented - Paraguay's western Boquerón department is home to one of the world's highest logging rates.

A closeup look at one of the countless small cattle ranches on the fringes of the Paraguayan Chaco. The rapid growth of soya production in Paraguay has been pushing more and more cattle ranchers into the Chaco over the years.

The Gran Chaco is so vast that some places are only accessible via airplane. Between the scorching summer temperatures and endless maze of thick bushes and vegetation - it's not hard to see why early Mennonite settlers called this land "Green Hell".

Our tour finishes with another look over the Gran Chaco near Paraguay's border with Argentina. In the parts of the Chaco that haven't been touched by human interaction yet, this landscape is truly one of a kind - with over 3,400 species of plants, 500 species of birds, and 150 species of mammals, these swamplands are one of the most biologically diverse locations on earth.