La Colmena, Paraguay facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
La Colmena
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| La Colmena | |
 La Colmena
Location in Paraguay
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| Country | Paraguay |
| Department | Paraguarí |
| Founded | May 15, 1936 |
| Founded by | Kunito Miyasaka |
| Area | |
| • Total | 111 km2 (43 sq mi) |
| Population
(2002)
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| • Total | 5,234 |
| • Density | 47.15/km2 (122.1/sq mi) |
| Area code(s) | (595)(537) |
La Colmena is a town and district located in the Paraguarí Department of Paraguay. It is famous for being the very first Japanese colony established in Paraguay.
Contents
History of La Colmena
Japanese people started moving to Paraguay more often after Brazil made it harder for people from the Far East to immigrate in 1934. Looking for new places, the Japanese decided to come to Paraguay.
In 1936, about 100 Japanese families created a new community in La Colmena. They chose this 24,000-acre area after experts checked the land.
Climate and Weather
The weather in La Colmena can change a lot, especially with rain. This is common in all of Paraguay. However, La Colmena usually gets more rain than Asunción, the capital city, which is nearby.
The area has subtropical forests with trees that lose some leaves. These forests grow well on the land that drains water easily. Sometimes, heavy rainfall can make it hard to harvest cotton crops. Between 1941 and 1947, there were three times when the area had very little rain, known as droughts.
Soil and Land Quality
The soil in La Colmena is a deep, red, and crumbly type of sandy loam. This kind of soil is usually good for farming, similar to other well-drained forest soils.
However, farmers noticed that their crops didn't grow as well after they cleared the land. In some cases, the amount of crops they harvested dropped by half in just a few years. Scientists wondered if the sandy nature of the soil affected how productive it was over time.
Plants and Trees (Flora)
The forests in La Colmena can be very thick. The tops of the trees, called the canopy, can reach 50 to 70 feet high.
By 1967, about half of the original forest was gone. This happened because land was cleared to grow crops. At that time, plants like holly and bamboo, which are common in other parts of Paraguay, were not found in La Colmena. You might find wild bitter orange trees and other types of plants that grow on trees here.
Location and How to Get There
La Colmena is in the western part of the Paraguarí department. It is about 81 miles southeast of Asunción, the capital of Paraguay. Even though it started as a Japanese colony, many native Paraguayans live there now.
The town is located at the northern base of Cerro Apitagua. This is a 25-mile long ridge that formed from volcanic activity. Some parts of the ridge are very steep and reach 2,000 feet above sea level. La Colmena itself is on gentler slopes, between 100 and 400 feet above sea level.
To visit La Colmena, you can take national route number 1 to Carapegua. From there, you take a turn towards Acahay, and then another turn in Acahay will lead you to La Colmena.
Geography of the District
The district of La Colmena is in the western area of the Paraguarí department. The land here has many hills, small rivers (streams), and wet, swampy areas.
Here are the borders of the district:
- To the North, it borders the Ybytimí district.
- To the South, it borders the Ybycuí district.
- To the East, it borders the Ybytimí, Tebicuary-mí, and Borja districts.
- To the West, it borders the Ybytimí district.
See also
In Spanish: La Colmena (Paraguay) para niños
