Cordillera Department
Encyclopedia
History
During the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries this area of the country was going through a serious crisis due to population bellicosity of the Indians from Chaco. The villagers from Tobatí located north of the river Pirapo then called, had to migrate south for the continue attacks by Mbaye-guaicurúes. The residents of AltosAltos
Altos is a district and locality of the Cordillera Department, Paraguay.-Etymology:It is also called “Altos de Ybypytaré”, which in Guaraní means “path of the wind”, previously called “San Lorenzo de la Cordillera de los Altos”, one of the oldest cities of Paraguay...
and Atyrá
Atyrá
Atyra is an old city of Paraguay, 61 kilometers from the country's capital, Asunción. Located in the Altos Cordillera, it is part of the Cordillera Department.-Original name and founding:...
created their current settlements in the territory of this department.
There were also some settler farmers who were scattered in existing territories Arroyos y Esteros
Arroyos y Esteros
Arroyos y Esteros is a district of the Cordillera Department, Paraguay.-Etymology:Its name describes exactly the real aspect of this place, which is surrounded by swamps and streams...
, 1 de Marzo
Primero de Marzo
Primero de Marzo is a small town and district in the marshy lowlands of the Cordillera Department in Paraguay. The area is located near the shallow meandering river Yhaguy which locals utilize primarily for fishing and recreation...
, Caraguatay and Piribebuy
Piribebuy
Piribebuy is a district in the Cordillera Department of Paraguay. It is of spontaneous origin, though some attribute its founding to Martin Ledesma de Valderrama in 1636. Since its founding documents were burned during the War of the Triple Alliance, 8 March, 1636, was later appointed as its Day of...
.
Towards the end of the eighteenth century these small towns were expanding, consolidating the villages located north of the department as Arroyos y Esteros
Arroyos y Esteros
Arroyos y Esteros is a district of the Cordillera Department, Paraguay.-Etymology:Its name describes exactly the real aspect of this place, which is surrounded by swamps and streams...
Eusebio Ayala
Eusebio Ayala District
Eusebio Ayala is a district of the Cordillera Department, Paraguay. It is named after Eusebio Ayala, a former President of Paraguay. It is located approximately 72 km of the city of Asuncion, capital of the Republic of Paraguay....
(then called town of San Roque).
Once the War of the Triple Alliance
War of the Triple Alliance
The Paraguayan War , also known as War of the Triple Alliance , was a military conflict in South America fought from 1864 to 1870 between Paraguay and the Triple Alliance of Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay...
, began a process of founding of major towns and settlements driven by German immigrants during the government of Bernardino Caballero
Bernardino Caballero
Bernardino Caballero Melgarejo was the President of Paraguay from 1881 until 1886 and founder of the Colorado Party....
. Thus, in 1881 saw the founding of San Bernardino
San Bernardino, Paraguay
San Bernardino is a town and distrito in Paraguay, located on the shores of Ypacarai Lake in the Cordillera Department...
, a major tourist resort of Paraguay today
Already in the early twentieth century, in 1906, was organized legally the country dividing the territory into departments. Thus was created the department of Caraguatay, initial name of the department of Cordillera.
In the year 1945, by a decree Law No. 9484, the department received its present name: Cordillera. Finally in 1973, by Law No. 426 took place in a new territorial reorganization and country, at which consolidates the structure of the department with its current boundaries and districts.
Location
Limits
- To the north is bordered by San Pedro Department
- To the south with Paraguarí DepartmentParaguarí DepartmentParaguarí is a departamento in Paraguay. At the 2002 census it had a population of 221,932. The capital is the city of Paraguarí.- History :...
and Central DepartmentCentral DepartmentCentral is a department in Paraguay. The capital is Areguá. With its 1,929,834 inhabitants it is the most populated of the 17 departments of Paraguay.-Boundaries:*North: the departments of Cordillera and Presidente Hayes....
- To the east is bordered by Caaguazú DepartmentCaaguazú DepartmentCaaguazú is a department in Paraguay. The capital is the city of Coronel Oviedo.- History :The area that today is known as Caaguazú, was threatened during the 16th and 17th centuries by the Portuguese Bandeirantes and Guaicurú Indians, desolating the land for many years.In the 18th century,...
- To the west it is divided by Paraguay RiverParaguay RiverThe Paraguay River is a major river in south central South America, running through Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, and Argentina...
from President Hayes, located in the western region of the country.
Districts
The department is divided in 20 districts:Capital
Its capital is the city of Caacupé.The capital was founded on April 4, 1770 by Carlos Murphy. Its area is 150 km² with a population of 35,324 inhabitants. It is 54 km distant from Asunción
Asunción
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...
and is considered the "spiritual capital" of Paraguay, where La Virgen de los Milagros of Caacupé is venerated at the Basilica (the special place for the Holy Mother), where people walk on pilgrimage every year more than 1.5 million faithful, 7 and December 8.
It is in the top of the Cordillera de Los Altos, obligatory stop for tourists.
Demography
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
.
Orography
The districts of Paraguarí, Altos and Emboscada are crisscrossed by the Cordillera de Los Altos, whose height reaches 200 metres. This ridge also crosses the districts of Piribebuy and Eusebio Ayala.Its elevations are the most attractive hills Caacupé and Tobatí.
Hydrography
The Paraguay RiverParaguay River
The Paraguay River is a major river in south central South America, running through Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, and Argentina...
runs 33 km of this department. Many areas water tributaries, such as Manduvirá River which crosses the peoples of Piribebuy and Valenzuela. The main tributary of the river Manduvirá is Tobatiry, called in its nascent: Yhaguy River.
Other major rivers are the Piribebuy, which is born in Pirayú and empties into the Paraguay River, and Salado born in Ypacaraí. These waters flowing through a rich vegetation and is forming along the way as the beautiful jumps of Piribebuy, Piraretá, Chololó and others.
In this department is the emblematic Lake Ypacaraí
Ypacaraí Lake
Ypacaraí Lake is a major waterbody located in Paraguay about 25 km east of Asunción. The lake lies in the western part of the Asunción-Sapucai-Villarrica graben, a tectonic depression of Mesozoic age, and drains to the northwest trough Salado River into Paraguay River...
which is formed by the waters of many streams that flow into it. It is approximately 22 miles (35.4 km) long, between 5 and 6 km wide, 300 meters deep and 90 km surface.
Climate
It is mild and dry. The average annual temperature is 22 °C. The maximum is reached 39 °C and the minimum drops to 3 °C. Rainfall totaling 1536 mm annually, with an average of 153 mm monthly, except June and August, that only reaches 80 mm.Ways and media
Concepción Department (Paraguay)
Concepción is a department of Paraguay. The capital is the city of Concepción.- History :Throughout history, this department has suffered a great amount of poblational instability, especially in the times of the colony, due to the advance of the Brazilian “bandeirantes” through the east and the...
. The Paraguay River is navigable in this area. The districts have airfields. It has radio stations in various locations such as private issuers AM Z.P. 28 Radio the Voice of the Cordillera, three FM stations, Radio Sol, Radio Serrania and Radio Caacupé.
In Caacupé operate several institutions, such as the Governorate of the Cordillera, City Hall, Comptroller General of the Republic, Court of First Instance, Banco Nacional de Fomento, COPACO SA, ANDE, Mail, Regional Hospital, oversight of primary and secondary schools, National University Three private universities, secondary schools, primary and secondary schools, several high schools, private institutes, Paraguayan Red Cross, Lions Club, and several more institutions.
Economy
The department Cordillera is primarily agricultural. It produces cotton, pineapple (pineapple), rice, sour orange, corn, sugarcane, banana, coffee, pepper, and strawberry, tangerine, peas, lemon and kaa he`e. There is also a producer of tomato, carrot, grapefruit, lemon, peanuts and manioc.It also stresses the poultry production nationally and on a smaller scale, are breeding cattle, pigs, sheep, horses and goats.
Education
The department has institutions providing education to students from the initial level, school education and basic education Media.Tourism
Paraguay
Paraguay , officially the Republic of Paraguay , is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the east and northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest. Paraguay lies on both banks of the Paraguay River, which runs through the center of the...
, especially its many mountain streams and make this area the delight for recreation in the summer.
Lake Ypacaraí
Ypacaraí Lake
Ypacaraí Lake is a major waterbody located in Paraguay about 25 km east of Asunción. The lake lies in the western part of the Asunción-Sapucai-Villarrica graben, a tectonic depression of Mesozoic age, and drains to the northwest trough Salado River into Paraguay River...
attracts numerous tourists in the city of San Bernardino, the main centre of the country in summer. In Caacupé and Piribebuy
Piribebuy
Piribebuy is a district in the Cordillera Department of Paraguay. It is of spontaneous origin, though some attribute its founding to Martin Ledesma de Valderrama in 1636. Since its founding documents were burned during the War of the Triple Alliance, 8 March, 1636, was later appointed as its Day of...
, streams Ytú and Yhaguy Guazú, jumps Amambay, Piraretá and Siete Caídas have great natural beauty.
Other attractions include the Museum Hassler in San Bernardino, the site where the battle was fought in Acosta Ñu in Eusebio Ayala; the Basilica and the churches of Caacupé , Altos, Piribebuy, Valenzuela
Valenzuela District
Valenzuela is a town and district of the Cordillera Department, Paraguay, located some 107 km from Asunción. The town, as of 2002, had a population of 713, while the district's one amounted to 5,581....
and Atyrá that still retains its original Franciscan altarpiece.
The chain of hills of Altos presents ideal places to climb, the hill Caacupé, the Cristo Rey(Ecological Reserve declared educational) and the hill Cavajhu and Atyrá.
In Tobatí, the hill Tobatí is a geological formation dating from 400 to 500 million years ago. It has strange ways of rocks that have received names like Leon semi dormido (lion that almost asleep), Yvytu Silla, Gigantesco Batracio and others.
It also can be accessed at Caraguatay, the place called Vapor Cué, site where the boats were abandoned by Paraguayans to avoid falling into the hands of the enemy during the War of the Triple Alliance
War of the Triple Alliance
The Paraguayan War , also known as War of the Triple Alliance , was a military conflict in South America fought from 1864 to 1870 between Paraguay and the Triple Alliance of Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay...
.
The area produces a variety of handicraft products such as encaje ju (beautiful embroider made by hand), ponchos sesenta listas (typical cloth worn in winter), embossing leather, wood and other work.