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Paraguay is a country located in South America, being the fifth smallest in the continent, since it has an area of 406,752 km2. It is bordering with Bolivia to the north and northwest, with Brazil to the east and northeast, and with the Argentine country to the south, southwest and southeast; This great territory is characterized by two natural regions that are separated by the Paraguay River.
If you want to know in more detail what are the natural regions in Paraguay and what are the natural limits by which these regions are separated, do not stop reading this interesting article by Ecologist Verde in which it will also talk about the geographical and climatic characteristics of the country.
How is the relief and climate of Paraguay
The relief of Paraguay It is predominantly flat, especially in the Western region and undulating in the Eastern region, where there are some mountain ranges with latitudes above sea level ranging from 200 to 400 meters, the highest point being 856 meters above sea level Cerro Tres Kandú that is located in the Cordillera del Ybytyruz in the center of the Eastern region.
On the other hand, the climate of Paraguay It ranges from tropical to subtropical, characterized by large thermal variations determined by the flat character of the territory and continentality. The polar and tropical air masses make the summers very hot and with abundant rainfall (from December to March). However, winters present temperatures with low temperatures and little rainfall (from June to September).
Although these are the general characteristics, the climate and relief of each natural region of Paraguay will be specified below, since there are great differences between the two.
In these other articles you can learn more about this country:
- Plants in danger of extinction in Paraguay.
- Animals in danger of extinction in Paraguay.
Western region
The Western region or also call Chaco it occupies approximately 61% of the Paraguayan territory. This is in the right bank of the Paraguay River towards the west, being a biogeographic barrier that separates the Western Region from the Eastern Region. The Chaco region is characterized by being a great arid and dry plain, however, it conserves most of the biological and ecological wealth of Paraguay, with forests that present tree species such as palo santo, quebracho, guatambú and clover suit. On the other hand, a large part of its extensions are destined to livestock activities.
It has already been mentioned that it is a plain, although some minor elevations are present in it, such as Cerro León. It is a sparsely populated region, due to the floods that occur in the rainy season, due to the overflowing of rivers and streams that flow into the Paraguay River. The climate of this region is warm semi-arid to the west of the region, and tropical savanna to the south and northwest, specifically in the departments of Alto Paraguay and Presidente Hayes. In general, it experiences alternately dry seasons in the winter months and flooded in the summer months, and is characterized by high temperatures throughout the year, exceeding 30 ° C between September and April.
On the other hand, the Chaco region is subdivided into the ecoregions of Los Médanos, Cerrado, Pantanal, Chaco Húmedo and Chaco Seco.
Here you can read more about the Chaco Forest: characteristics, flora and fauna.
Eastern Region
To left bank of the Paraguay river, approximately, occupying 39% of the national territory and extending towards the east, is the Eastern Region. This territory is humid and undulating, in it numerous water courses are located, and plains interrupted by mid-altitude mountain ranges, such as those of Caaguazú, Mbaracayú and Amambay, which are characterized by being covered with leafy forests. The predominant forests in the area are subtropical and tropical. Their lands are also suitable for the development of crops, that is why in this region there is great economic wealth, the most important products being wood, petit-grain oil and yerba mate.
When we have talked about the Western region, the scarce population present in it was mentioned, however, in the Eastern region there is most of the Uruguayan population.
The climate of the region is divided into a humid subtropical climate that occurs in the south, and a tropical savanna climate that occurs in the north. The average annual temperature in the south is 20ºC and 24ºC in the north. In general, the summer months are very hot (without exceeding 30 ° C) and with the presence of abundant rains. On the other hand, winters are mild, with an average temperature to the south of 16 ° C and to the north of 19 ° C. Rainfall in the area is generally abundant throughout the year, although higher in the south.
In the Eastern Region are the Aquidaban, Amambay, Alto Paraná, Selva Central, Litoral Central and Ñeembucu ecoregions.
If you want to read more articles similar to Natural regions of Paraguay, we recommend that you enter our Ecosystems category.
