Alto Paraguay Department facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Alto Paraguay
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| Country |  Paraguay |
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| Capital | Fuerte Olimpo | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 82,349 km2 (31,795 sq mi) | |
| Population
(2002)
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| • Total | 15,008 | |
| • Density | 0.182249/km2 (0.472022/sq mi) | |
| Time zone | UTC-04 (AST) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-03 (ADT) | |
| ISO 3166 code | PY-16 | |
| Number of Districts | 2 | |
Alto Paraguay (which means Upper Paraguay) is a large area, or department, in the country of Paraguay. It has the fewest people living there compared to other departments. The main town, or capital, of Alto Paraguay is Fuerte Olimpo. In 1992, another area called the Chaco Department joined with Alto Paraguay.
Contents
Nature and National Parks in Alto Paraguay
Alto Paraguay is rich in natural beauty and is home to several important national parks. Each park has its own special features.
Defensores del Chaco National Park
This is the largest national park in Paraguay. It includes a hill called Cerro León, which is the highest point in northern Paraguay. The land here is dry, which is perfect for many different kinds of cactus plants to grow.
Río Negro National Park
Parque Nacional Río Negro is an area with many small lakes. You can find most of the department's wild animals, or fauna, living here.
Other Dry Region Parks
In the drier parts of Alto Paraguay, you will find Parque Nacional Coronel Cabrera and Parque Nacional Chovoreca.
Farming and Ranching in Alto Paraguay
Alto Paraguay has a lot of undeveloped land that is good for farming. It also has some of the lowest land prices in Paraguay. Because of this, farming and raising cattle have started to grow here.
Soil and Rainfall
The soil in the Chaco region is generally very good for growing things. However, in the far western parts, the soil is very sandy. In the eastern plains, there are some areas that get wet during certain seasons. The amount of rain changes across the department:
- The east gets about 1200mm of rain each year.
- The central area gets about 900mm.
- The west gets less, around 700mm.
One of the biggest challenges for farmers in this area is the lack of good roads and other necessary structures.
Deforestation Concerns
As farming grows, some of the native forests in Alto Paraguay are being cut down. Between 1990 and 2010, Paraguay had one of the highest rates of deforestation (cutting down forests) in the world. In 2008, it was estimated that over 200,000 hectares of forest were cut down in the Paraguayan Chaco.
Main Activities
The most important activity in Alto Paraguay is cattle ranching, which means raising cows. This happens on large open grasslands in the east and on planted fields in areas where forests have been cleared. Farmers have also recently started growing crops like sorghum and sugar cane. There are also plans to grow a plant called jatropha in the dry western areas.
Districts of Alto Paraguay
The department of Alto Paraguay is divided into five smaller areas called districts:
See Also
In Spanish: Departamento de Alto Paraguay para niños
- List of high schools in Alto Paraguay
