Encarnación, Paraguay facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Encarnación
Nuestra Señora de la Encarnación de Itapúa
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District and City
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Encarnación, Paraguay
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 Encarnación, Paraguay
Location in Paraguay
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| Country | Paraguay | ||
| Department | Itapúa | ||
| Founded | March 25, 1615 | ||
| Area | |||
| • District and City | 274 km2 (106 sq mi) | ||
| Elevation | 91 m (299 ft) | ||
| Population
(2016)
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| • District and City | 127,527 | ||
| • Density | 435/km2 (1,130/sq mi) | ||
| • Metro | 226,492 | ||
| Time zone | UTC-04 (AST) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-03 (ADT) | ||
| Area code(s) | +595 71 | ||
| Climate | Cfa | ||
Encarnación is an important city in Paraguay. It is the capital of the Itapúa Department. You can find it in the southeast part of the department. The city sits on the western bank of the Paraná River. Right across the river is the city of Posadas, Argentina in Argentina.
Encarnación covers an area of 274 square kilometers. In 2002, about 93,497 people lived there. The larger Encarnación area has over 225,000 residents. This makes Encarnación the third-largest city in Paraguay. People often call it the "capital of summer" because it's a popular place for vacations.
The city is connected to Posadas, Argentina, by the San Roque González de Santa Cruz Bridge. There's also an International Train that links the two cities. Encarnación is on Route 1, about 370 kilometers from Asunción, Paraguay's capital. It's also on Route 6, about 280 kilometers from Ciudad del Este. Many people from Argentina visit Encarnación because it's so close. It's also a key financial center in Paraguay.
The Teniente Amin Ayub Gonzalez Airport is about 12 kilometers from the city. It's the third most important airport in Paraguay. Encarnación also hosted the 2003 Futsal Men's World Cup.
Contents
People and Population in Encarnación
Encarnación is the main city of the Itapúa department. In 2002, the city had a total population of 93,497 people. About 67,173 of these people lived in the city area itself.
Most people in Encarnación have a mixed background of Spanish and Amerindian (Native American) heritage. This is common in Paraguay. However, there are also smaller groups of people from Germany, Ukraine, and Poland living in the city.
Encarnación is home to the largest group of Ukrainians in Paraguay.
A Look Back: History of Encarnación
The city started as a mission called Anunciación de Itapua. It was founded by a Jesuit priest named San Roque González de Santa Cruz. This happened on March 25, 1615. The first mission was on the south side of the Paraná River.
In 1703, the mission moved to the north side of the river. This is where the city is today. Its new name became Encarnación de Itapua. The city grew more important after a railway arrived in 1894.
In 1926, a very strong tornado hit the city. It was an F4 tornado, which is very destructive. About 300 people lost their lives, and around 700 were hurt.
On February 20, 1931, a group of students and workers took control of Encarnación for a short time. They called it a "revolutionary commune." They wanted the city to be run by local groups.
In 1957, Encarnación became the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Encarnación. This means it became an important center for the Catholic Church in the region.
Encarnación was the birthplace of Alfredo Stroessner. He was a general who became the head of state of Paraguay from 1954 to 1989.
Recently, the city has changed a lot. An area called "Zona Baja" was transformed. This happened because of a big project called "Plan de Terminación Yacyretá." This project led to a modern city with wide roads and new bridges.
By 2015, Encarnación was Paraguay's third city with a growing economy. It has a diverse population with people from many cultures. It's also a place where it's easy to find jobs in places like restaurants, bars, and casinos.
Fun Things to Do: Tourism in Encarnación
Encarnación has become a top spot for tourism in Paraguay. It has wide beaches and a new waterfront area. The city is also close to the Jesús and Trinidad Jesuit Ruins. These ruins are ancient sites that UNESCO declared World Heritage Sites in 1993. Another nearby attraction is the beach in Carmen del Paraná.
Because Encarnación is right on the Argentina–Paraguay border, many people from both Paraguay and Argentina visit for shopping and holidays.
In 2010, Encarnación started to become a major summer vacation spot. In December 2011, a new road called Costanera Avenue opened. With it, three new beaches became open to the public. These were Mbói Ka’e Beach, Pacu Cuá Beach, and San José Beach. San José Beach is the most popular and has many restaurants for visitors.
In January 2013, a newspaper reported that tourism in Encarnación brought in at least $10 million USD that month. This was much more than the $5 million to $6 million USD from the year before. The city became a popular place for thousands of tourists from all over Paraguay and nearby countries.
In 2015, Encarnación saw a record number of tourists. More than 30,000 people visited for their holidays. Hotels were fully booked, and people even had to find places to stay up to 50 kilometers away!
Encarnación is also famous for its Carnival Party. This big event happens every January and February. It attracts over 100,000 tourists. Different clubs compete in a parade. Judges score them on things like how original their costumes are, their dance moves, and their overall beauty and style.
Even with the rules for COVID-19 in January 2021, many tourists still visited Encarnación's beaches. The city had spent nine months preparing safety rules to make sure it was a safe place for visitors.
Where is Encarnación? Geography and Climate
The city is located in the southeast part of the department. It sits on the western side of the Paraná River. Across the river is Posadas, Argentina.
Weather in Encarnación
Encarnación has a humid subtropical climate. This means it has hot and humid summers. The winters are mild and cool. Because it's in the very south of Paraguay, Encarnación is one of the coldest cities in the country.
In the winter of 1975, Encarnación even saw snowfall. This was the first time snow had ever been recorded in Paraguay's history!
The average temperature each year is 21.4 degrees Celsius (70.5 degrees Fahrenheit). The average humidity is 73%.
| Climate data for Encarnación (1991–2020, extremes 1931–present) | |||||||||||||
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| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 40.5 (104.9) |
40.8 (105.4) |
40.0 (104.0) |
37.5 (99.5) |
34.5 (94.1) |
32.5 (90.5) |
33.6 (92.5) |
36.8 (98.2) |
39.4 (102.9) |
40.4 (104.7) |
40.6 (105.1) |
42.0 (107.6) |
42.0 (107.6) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 32.8 (91.0) |
32.2 (90.0) |
31.0 (87.8) |
28.0 (82.4) |
24.0 (75.2) |
22.3 (72.1) |
22.2 (72.0) |
24.7 (76.5) |
26.1 (79.0) |
28.5 (83.3) |
30.3 (86.5) |
32.2 (90.0) |
27.9 (82.2) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 26.4 (79.5) |
25.7 (78.3) |
24.4 (75.9) |
21.6 (70.9) |
17.8 (64.0) |
16.4 (61.5) |
15.6 (60.1) |
17.6 (63.7) |
19.5 (67.1) |
22.1 (71.8) |
23.6 (74.5) |
25.7 (78.3) |
21.4 (70.5) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 21.2 (70.2) |
20.7 (69.3) |
19.3 (66.7) |
16.5 (61.7) |
12.9 (55.2) |
11.5 (52.7) |
10.2 (50.4) |
11.8 (53.2) |
13.9 (57.0) |
16.9 (62.4) |
17.8 (64.0) |
20.1 (68.2) |
16.1 (61.0) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 9.3 (48.7) |
7.0 (44.6) |
5.4 (41.7) |
2.4 (36.3) |
−1.7 (28.9) |
−6.0 (21.2) |
−4.0 (24.8) |
−2.8 (27.0) |
−0.6 (30.9) |
1.6 (34.9) |
4.8 (40.6) |
7.0 (44.6) |
−6.0 (21.2) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 165.2 (6.50) |
131.1 (5.16) |
148.9 (5.86) |
179.9 (7.08) |
137.0 (5.39) |
117.0 (4.61) |
94.4 (3.72) |
79.7 (3.14) |
130.1 (5.12) |
239.0 (9.41) |
179.8 (7.08) |
202.3 (7.96) |
1,804.3 (71.04) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.1 mm) | 9 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 98 |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 69 | 74 | 75 | 77 | 79 | 78 | 76 | 74 | 72 | 70 | 69 | 67 | 73 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 254.2 | 220.4 | 220.1 | 171.0 | 179.8 | 159.0 | 189.1 | 182.9 | 153.0 | 201.5 | 252.0 | 269.7 | 2,452.7 |
| Mean daily sunshine hours | 8.2 | 7.8 | 7.1 | 5.7 | 5.8 | 5.3 | 6.1 | 5.9 | 5.1 | 6.5 | 8.4 | 8.7 | 6.7 |
| Source 1: NOAA (precipitation days, humidity 1961-1990) | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: Deutscher Wetterdienst (sun, 1988–1996) | |||||||||||||
| Climate data for Encarnación | |||||||||||||
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| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean No. of days with Precipitation ≥ 10.0 mm (0.39 in) | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 5.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 47.0 |
| Mean number of days with thunder | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 29.0 |
| Mean number of days with haze/smoke | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 35.0 |
| Mean number of days with fog | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 18.0 |
Religion
Places of Worship
In Encarnación, you'll find many places of worship. Most of these are Christian churches, including Catholic and Orthodox churches.
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The Encarnación Cathedral, Paraguay
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A Mosque in Encarnación. (Centro Benéfico Cultural Islámico de Encarnación). Paraguay
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The Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral of San Jorge, in Encarnación.
Gallery
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San José Beach, Encarnación, Paraguay
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San José Beach
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Samba dancer from Encarnación
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Costanera Avenue, Encarnación, Paraguay
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Encarnación, Paraguay
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Encarnación, Paraguay
Cities We're Friends With: Twin Towns
Encarnación has special friendships with other cities around the world. These are called twin towns:
- Corrientes, Argentina
- Paysandú, Uruguay
- Posadas, Argentina
- Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
See also
In Spanish: Encarnación (Paraguay) para niños
