Paraguay
and Bolivia are the two only countries of South America which
do not have exits on the sea. Paraguay is located at the limit
of Argentina, Bolivia and Brazil, with 1440 km of the Atlantic
by going up the course of the Panama river, which marks the
border with Argentina and Brazil.
The Paraguay river, which is an affluent of Parana, divides
the country into two well differentiated areas. On the one
hand, there is Paraguay Oriental which covers 159 800 km²
with a landscape with meadows, hills, forests tropical and
semi-tropical and which is in North with the plate of Mato
Grosso. The Parana river delimits the zone in the East and
the South. In the West of this area there are many pastures
and the South is covered with forests. The Orientale zone
is populated and the principal cities are concentrated there.
The other area called Paraguay Occidental is also known under
the name del Chaco, on the left of the Paraguay river and
which covers 246 827 km². This zone is divided at the
same time into two well differentiated zones: the Chaco Viola
and Bajo Chaco. The Chaco viola is characterized by its savannas,
lakes and forests; and Bajo Chaco, bordered by the rivers
Paraguay and Pilcomayo, is almost on the sea level. In general,
it is an alluvial plain made up mainly of clay gray and great
marshy zones. The weather conditions make agriculture difficult,
thus the principal inhabitants are dedicated to the breeding.
Certain zones of this area are practically uninhabited with
1 habitant/km².
