Asunción

{{Infobox settlement |official_name = Asunción |native_name = Asunción |nickname = Father of Cities |motto = |image_skyline = |imagesize = 250px |image_caption = |image_flag = Flag of Asunción.svg |image_seal = Escudo de Asunción (Paraguay).svg |image_seal size = 75px |image_skyline = Asuncion compilado.jpg |imagesize = 360px | image_caption = On the top:the Palacio de los López, the National Pantheon of the Heroes and the Mariscal López avenue. Medium: The "Cabildo de Asuncion" , the Cathedral of Asuncion , and the Hotel Guaraní. Below: Asuncion by night , Moderns buildings , and Asuncion downtown. |map_caption = |pushpin_map = Paraguay |pushpin_label_position = bottom |pushpin_map_caption = Location in Paraguay |coordinates_region = PY |subdivision_type = Country |subdivision_name = |subdivision_type1 = autonomous capital district |subdivision_name1 = Gran Asunción |leader_title = Intendant |leader_name = Arnaldo Samaniego González |established_title = Founded |established_date = August 15, 1537 |area_magnitude = |area_total_sq_mi = 45.2 |area_total_km2 = 117 |area_land_sq_mi = |area_land_km2 = |area_water_sq_mi = |area_water_km2 = |area_water_percent = |area_urban_sq_mi = |area_urban_km2 = |area_metro_sq_mi = |area_metro_km2 = 1000 |population_as_of = 2009 Roughly 30% of Paraguay's 6 million people live within Greater Asunción. Sixty-five percent of the total population in the city are under the age of 30.

The population has increased greatly during the last few decades as a consequence of internal migration from other Departments of Paraguay, at first because of the economic boom in the 1970s, and later because of economic recession in the countryside. The adjacent cities in the Gran Asunción area, such as Luque, Lambaré, San Lorenzo, Fernando de la Mora and Mariano Roque Alonso, have absorbed most of this influx due to the low cost of the land and easy access to Asunción. The city has ranked as the least expensive city to live in for five years running by Mercer Human Resource Consulting. These cities have also experienced significant economic growth and expansion.

Geography

Asunción is located between the parallels 25º 15' and 25º 20' of south latitude and between the meridians 57º 40' and 57º 30' of west longitude. The city sits on the left bank of the Paraguay River, almost at the confluence of this river with the River Pilcomayo. The Paraguay River and the Bay of Asunción in the northwest separate the city from the Occidental Region of Paraguay and Argentina in the south part of the city. The rest of the city is surrounded by the Central Department.

With its location along the Paraguay River, the city offers many landscapes; it spreads out over gentle hills in a pattern of rectangular blocks. Places such as Cerro Lambaré, a hill located in Lambaré, offer a spectacular show in the springtime because of the blossoming lapacho trees in the area. Parks such as Parque Independencia and Parque Carlos Antonio López offer large areas of typical Paraguayan vegetation and are frequented by tourists. There are several small hills and slightly elevated areas throughout the city, including Cabará, Clavel, Tarumá, Cachinga, and Tacumbú, among others.

Climate

Asunción features a tropical savanna climate that borders on a humid subtropical climate. Asunción generally has a relatively short dry season that spans from June to September and a wet season that covers the remainder of the year. The climate of Asunción can be described as hot and humid for most of the year. During the wet season, Asunción is generally hot and humid though towards the end of this season, it becomes noticeably cooler. In contrast, Asunción's dry season is pleasantly mild.

Neighborhoods

The neighborhoods of Asunción, called "barrios" by their residents, are territorial subdivisions established by law.

The city of Asunción is composed of the following neighborhoods:

{| |- |valign="top"|

Campo Grande

Carlos A. López

Catedral

Ciudad Nueva

Ricardo Brugada, also known as La Chacarita

Dr. Francia

El Palomar

Gral. Díaz

Herrera

Hipódromo

Itá Pytá Punta

Itá Enramada

Jara

La Encarnación

La Residenta

Loma Pytá

Las Carmelitas

Las Lomas

Las Mercedes

Los Laureles

Manora

Mbocayaty

Mburicao

Mburucuyá

Madame Lynch

Nazareth

Barrio Obrero

|width="50"|  |valign="top"|

Pinoza

Republicano

Recoleta

Roberto L. Pettit

Sajonia

Salvador del Mundo

San Antonio

San Cristóbal

San Jorge

San Rafael

San Roque

San Pablo

San Vicente

Santa Ana

Santa María

Santísima Trinidad

Tablada Nueva

Tacumbú

Tembetary

Tuyucuá

Varadero

Villa Antelco

Villa Aurelia

Villa Morra

Villa Victoria

Ycua Saty

Ytay

Zeballos Cué

|}

Education

The literacy rate is 95 percent, the highest in Paraguay. The number of schools has doubled since 1982 . Student numbers have doubled since 1962.

Schools

The city has a large number of both public and private schools. The best-known public schools are the Colegio Nacional de la Capital (which is one of the oldest schools in the city, founded in 1877), Colegio Nacional Presidente Franco and Colegio Nacional Asunción Escalada. The best-known private schools are Colegio Inmaculado Corazón de María, Salesianito, Colegio Cristo Rey, Colegio Internacional, Colegio San José, Colegio Santa Teresa de Jesús, American School of Asunción, Colegio Dante Alighieri, Colegio Santa Clara, Colegio Goethe and Colegio de la Asunción.

Universities

The main universities in the city are the Universidad Católica Nuestra Señora de la Asunción (private Catholic university) and the Universidad Nacional de Asunción (state-run). The Católica has a small campus in the downtown area next to the Cathedral and a larger campus in the Santa Ana neighborhood, outwards toward the adjoining city of Lambaré, while the Universidad Nacional has its main campus in the city of San Lorenzo, some 5 km eastward from Asunción. There are also a number of smaller privately run universities such as Uninorte, Universidad Americana and Universidad Autónoma de Asunción, among others.

Economy

Although the economically active population of Asunción has not increased significantly in the last 10 years, it has doubled since 1962.

The industrial distribution of the economically active population show that the tertiary (business and services) sector is the most important, employing 8 out of 10 of all economically active people. The secondary sector (manufacturing and construction) employs 16% of the active population, while the primary sector (farming) is practically non-existent, as Asunción is a completely urban district.

In terms of commerce, it should be noted that this sector has grown considerably in recent years stretching towards the suburbs where shopping malls and supermarkets have been built.

Paraguay's only stock exchange, the BVPASA, is located here. The city itself is listed on it, as .

In July 2008, Asunción was found to be the "cheapest city in the world" by Mercer.

Transportation

Because the Paraguay River runs right next to Asunción the city is served by a river terminal in the downtown area. This port is strategically located inside a bay and it is where most freight enters and leaves the country. There is a lesser terminal in the Sajonia neighbourhood, and a shuttle port in Ita Enramada, almost opposite the Argentine city of Clorinda.

Public transportation is used heavily and is served through buses that reach all the regions of the city and surrounding dormitory communities. The main long-distance bus terminal is on the Avenida República Argentina and its bus services connect all of the Departments of Paraguay, as well as international routes to nearby countries such as Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia and Uruguay.

Asunción is served by the Silvio Pettirossi International Airport located in the city of Luque.

Air

Silvio Pettirossi International Airport' is Paraguay's main national and international gateway, located at Luque, suburb of the capital Asunción. It is named after the Paraguayan aviator Silvio Pettirossi and was formerly known as Presidente Stroessner International Airport, after Paraguay's former dictator General Alfredo Stroessner.

Tourist attractions

The city is home to the Godoi Museum and the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes (which contains old paintings from the 19th century), the Church of La Encarnación and the Metropolitan Cathedral, and the National Pantheon of the Heroes, a smaller version of Les Invalides in Paris, where many of the nation's heroes are entombed. Other landmarks include the Palacio de los López, the old Senate building (a modern building opened to house Congress in 2003), the Cathedral Metropolitana and the Casa de la Independencia (one of the few examples of colonial architecture remaining in the city).

Calle Palma is the main street downtown where several historical buildings, plazas, shops, restaurants and cafes are located. The "Manzana de la Rivera", located in front of the Presidential Palace, is a series of old traditional homes that have been restored and serve as a museum showcasing the architectural evolution of the city. The old railway station maintains the old trains that now are used in tourist trips to the cities of Luque and Areguá.

Asunción also has luxurious malls that contain shops selling well-known brands. The biggest shopping malls are Shopping del Sol, which includes a Macy's-style department store; Mariscal López Shopping, Shopping Villa Morra in the central part of the city, and the Mall Excelsior downtown.

Sports and entertainment

Football is the main sport in Paraguay, and Asunción is home to some of the most important and traditional soccer teams like Olimpia, Cerro Porteño and Club Libertad, Club Nacional, Club Guaraní, Club Sol de América, which have their own stadiums and sport facilities for affiliated members. The Defensores del Chaco stadium is the main football stadium of the country and is located in the neighbourhood of Sajonia, just a few minutes away from the centre of Asunción. Since it is a national stadium sometimes it is used for other activities such as rock concerts. Asunción is algo the heart of Paraguayan rugby union.

The nightlife revolves around two areas: one in the downtown part of the city and the other in the neighbourhoods of Manora and Las Carmelitas, a night full of stripclubs and bars.

As it has been happening in many other parts of the world, cinemas have migrated into the main shopping malls.

Asunción also hosts several symphony orchestras, and ballet, opera and theater companies. The most well known orchestras are the City of Asunción's Symphony Orchestra (OSCA), the National Symphony Orchestra and the Northern University Symphony Orchestra. Among professional ballet companies, most renowned are the Asunción Classic and Modern Municipal Ballet, the National Ballet and the Northern University Ballet. The main opera company is the Northern University Opera Company. A long-standing theater company is Arlequín Theater Foundation's. Traditional venues include the Municipal Theater, the Paraguayan-Japanese Center, the Central Bank's Great Lyric Theater, the Juan de Salazar Cultural Center, the Americas Theater, the Tom Jobim Theater, the Arlequín Theater and the Manzana de la Rivera.

International relations

Twin towns — Sister cities

Asunción is twinned with:

References

Notes

External links

3dLatinamerica.com Many 3-dimensional high-quality images of Asunción and other cities in Latin America (also viewable in standard 2-D)

Senatur Asunción Info (in Spanish)

Map of downtown area and a downloadable map of the city (part 1)

Municipality of Asunción

Category:Capital districts and territories Category:Capitals in South America Category:Departments of Paraguay Category:Districts of Paraguay Category:Populated places established in 1537 Category:Populated places in Paraguay