Physical Geography

The country is divided into two distinct regions by the Paraguay River. West of the river is the Chaco Boreal, the northern part of the Gran Chaco, the other parts of which are in Bolivia and Argentina. The Chaco Boreal is a low, flat, infertile plain. It becomes progressively drier and bleaker toward the west, with scrub forests giving way to meager grasslands. Marshes occur in the east, especially along the major rivers.

East of the Paraguay River is a plateau-and-plains region crossed by a sharp escarpment running north-south and reaching a maximum elevation of almost 2,300 feet (700 m). East of the escarpment is the Paraná Plateau; west of it is a plains region that has long been the economic heartland of Paraguay. Subtropical forests grow in parts of the east.

The major rivers are the Paraná, which flows into the Atlantic Ocean, and the Paraguay and Pilcomayo. Rivers in the Chaco Boreal are sluggish and are not navigable.

The climate of Paraguay is subtropical. Temperatures average 80° F. to 90° F. (27° to 32° C.) in the summer, with extremes in excess of 100° F. (38° C.). Winter temperatures average 60° F. (16° C.), but there are frequent periods of freezing weather. Although there is no distinct rainy season, rainfall is heaviest in the warm months. Precipitation is greatest in the eastern plateau, where it averages more than 80 inches (2,030 mm) annually. The amount decreases toward the west to less than 30 inches (760 mm). Most of the Chaco has winter droughts and summer floods.