| 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: 3,920 km
border countries: Argentina 1,880 km, Bolivia 750 km, Brazil 1,290 km |
| 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 present 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. |
