Asunción (full name:
La Muy Noble y Leal Ciudad de Nuestra Señora Santa María de
la Asunción) is the capital and largest city of Paraguay
.
The "Ciudad de Asunción" is an
autonomous capital district not
part of any
department.
The
metropolitan area, called
Gran Asunción, includes
the cities of San Lorenzo
, Fernando de la Mora
, Lambaré
, Luque
, Mariano Roque
Alonso
, Ñemby
, San
Antonio
, Limpio
, Capiatá
and Villa Elisa
, which are part of the Central Department. The Asunción
metropolitan area has more than 1.9
million inhabitants. Asunción is located at
(-25.2667, -57.6667). The Municipality of Asuncion is listed on the
Asuncion Stock Exchange, as , a unique
feature of any city.
It is the home of the national government, principal port, and the
chief industrial and cultural centre of the country. Local
manufacturing production includes
footwear,
textiles, and
tobacco products.
The Spanish word
asunción means
assumption in
English. It refers to the
Assumption
of Mary; the full name means
Our Lady, Holy Mary of the
Assumption.
History
Asunción is one of the oldest cities in
South America and the longest continually
inhabited area in the River Plate Basin; for this reason that it is
known as "Mother of Cities".
It was from here that the colonial
expeditions departed to found other cities, including the second
foundation of Buenos
Aires
and of other important cities such as Villarrica
, Corrientes, Santa Fe and Santa Cruz de
la Sierra
.
The site of the city may have been first visited by Spanish
conquistador
Juan de Ayolas, on his
way north, up the
Paraguay River,
looking for a passage to the mines of
Alto
Perú (present-day Bolivia). Later,
Juan de Salazar y Espinosa and
Gonzalo de Mendoza, relative of
Pedro de Mendoza, were sent in
search of Ayolas, but were unable to find him. On his way up and
then down the river, de Salazar stopped briefly at a bay in the
left bank to resupply his ships. He found the natives friendly, and
decided to found a fort there, in August,
1537.
As customary, he named it according to the religious feast of that
day: for August 15,
Nuestra Señora de la Asunción (Our
Lady of the Assumption), honoring the feast day of the Assumption.
This fort became a city with the establishment of the
Cabildo (civilian administration) on 16 September
1541.
In 1541, natives destroyed Buenos Aires, and the Spaniards fled to
Asunción. Thus, the city became the center of a large Spanish
colonial province comprising part of Brazil, present-day Paraguay
and northeastern Argentina: the Giant Province of the Indies. In
1603 Asunción was the seat of the
First Synod of Asunción, which
set guidelines for the
evangelization of
the natives in their
lingua franca,
Guaraní.
Asunción.
The stamp is Scott no. 711
In 1731,
an uprising under José
de Antequera y Castro was one of the first rebellions against
Spanish
colonial rule. The uprising failed, but it
was the first sign of the independent spirit that was growing among
the
criollos,
mestizos and
natives of Paraguay. The event influenced
the independence of Paraguay, which then materialised in 1811. The
secret reunions between the independence leaders to plan an ambush
against the Spanish Governor in Paraguay
Bernardo de Velasco were held at the
home of
Juana María de
Lara, in downtown Asunción. On the night of May 14 and May 15
the rebels succeeded and were able to force governor Velasco to
surrender. Today, Lara's home is known as
Casa de la Independencia
(House of the Independence) and serves as a museum and historical
building.
After Paraguay became independent, there was significant change in
Asunción. Under the presidency of
Gaspar Rodríguez de
Francia roads were built throughout the city and the streets
were named. However, it was during the presidency of
Carlos Antonio López
that Asunción (and Paraguay) progressed, as the new president
implemented new economic policies. More than 400 schools,
metallurgic factories and the first railroad service in
South America were built during the López
presidency. After López died, his son
Francisco Solano
López became the new president and led the country through the
disastrous
War of the Triple
Alliance that lasted for five years.
After the War of the Triple Alliance
(1865-70), Asunción was occupied by Brazilian
troops until 1876.Many historians have
claimed that this war provoked a steady downfall of the city and
country, since it massacred two thirds of the country's population.
Progress slowed down greatly afterwards, and the economy remained
stagnated.
After the War of the Triple Alliance, Asunción began a slow
recovery attempt. Towards the end of the 19th Century and during
the early years of the 20th Century, a flow of immigrants from
Europe and the Ottoman Empire came to the city. This led to a
change in the appearance of the city as many new buildings were
built and Asunción went through an era more prosperous than any
since the war.
Demographics
Population is approximately 520,000 people in the city proper.
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.
Asunción at night
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:
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 after the
Triple Alliance War in 1877), Colegio Presidente Franco and Colegio
Nacional Asunción Escalada. The best-known private schools are
Colegio Cristo Rey (a Jesuit
private school), Colegio Internacional (an American missionary
school), Colegio San José (Catholic school),
American School of Asunción,
Colegio Dante
Alighieri (Italian private school), Colegio Santa Clara
(Franciscan School),
Colegio Goethe
(German school), Pan American International School
(American-credited and awarded by the American Board of
Acreditation.)
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 located in the nearby Luque.
Tourist attractions
Traditional buildings in Calle Palma
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 Catedral 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.
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
strip full of
nightclubs and bars.
Municipal Theater "Ignacio A.
Asunción is also host for 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
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