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| Location: |
Central South America, northeast of Argentina
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| Geographic coordinates: |
23 00 S, 58 00 W
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| Map references: |
South America
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| Area: |
total:
406,750 sq km
land:
397,300 sq km
water:
9,450 sq km
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| Area - comparative: |
slightly smaller than California
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| Land boundaries: |
total:
3,920 km
border countries:
Argentina 1,880 km, Bolivia 750 km, Brazil 1,290 km
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| Coastline: |
0 km (landlocked)
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| Maritime claims: |
none (landlocked)
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| Climate: |
subtropical to temperate; substantial rainfall in the eastern portions, becoming semiarid in the far west
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| 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
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| Elevation extremes: |
lowest point:
junction of Rio Paraguay and Rio Parana 46 m
highest point:
Cerro Pero (Cerro Tres Kandu) 842 m
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| Natural resources: |
hydropower, timber, iron ore, manganese, limestone
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| Land use: |
arable land:
6%
permanent crops:
0%
permanent pastures:
55%
forests and woodland:
32%
other:
7% (1993 est.)
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| Irrigated land: |
670 sq km (1993 est.)
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| Natural hazards: |
local flooding in southeast (early September to June); poorly drained plains may become boggy (early October to June)
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| Environment - current issues: |
deforestation (an estimated 2 million hectares of forest land were lost from 1958-85); water pollution; inadequate means for waste disposal present health risks for many urban residents
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| 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:
Nuclear Test Ban
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| Geography - note: |
landlocked; lies between Argentina, Bolivia, and Brazil
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