Nueva Germania facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Nueva Germania
Nueva Germania Location in Paraguay
Country	Paraguay
Department	San Pedro
Founded	23 August 1887 by Bernhard Förster
Area
• City	657 km2 (254 sq mi)
Elevation	132 m (433 ft)
Population  (2022)
• Urban	1,124
• Rural	4,566
• Total	5,690
Time zone	-4 GMT
Postal code	8470
Area code(s)	(595) (44)

Nueva Germania (which means New Germany) is a district in the San Pedro Department of Paraguay. It was started by a German named Bernhard Förster on August 23, 1887. He wanted to create a special community in South America that showed off German culture.

Geography and Climate

Nueva Germania is located about 297 kilometers (185 miles) from Asunción, which is the capital city of Paraguay. It shares borders with several other districts.

• To the north, it borders the Tacuatí district.
• To the south, it borders the Lima district. The Aguaray Guazú River separates them.
• To the east, it borders the Amambay Department and the Santa Rosa del Aguaray district.
• To the west, it borders the San Pedro de Ycuamandyyú district and the Tacuati district.

The district has water from the Aguaray Guazú and Aguaray mí rivers. It also has smaller streams called Tutytí and Empalado.

Local Climate

The climate in Nueva Germania is tropical. This means it gets a lot of rain. The temperature can reach about 35°C (95°F). The lowest temperature is around 10°C (50°F). On average, it's about 23°C (73°F). The air is usually very humid, about 80%. It rains more than 1300 millimeters (51 inches) each year, especially during the summer.

History of Nueva Germania

Nueva Germania was founded in 1886 along the Aguaray-Guazú River. It was about 250 kilometers (155 miles) from Asunción. Five families, mostly poor, came from Germany to start the settlement. Later, more families joined them.

The group was led by Bernhard Förster and his wife, Elisabeth Förster-Nietzsche. Elisabeth was the sister of the famous German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. The German settlers moved to the Paraguayan rainforest with big ideas. They wanted to create a perfect community.

Life in the colony was very hard. The environment was tough, and they didn't have enough supplies. Many settlers got sick or didn't have enough food. Diseases like malaria were common. Many people who survived these challenges decided to leave Nueva Germania. Those who stayed often married each other.

Bernhard Förster, who had arranged for the land, left the settlers. He died just three years later in 1889 in the city of San Bernardino. His wife, Elisabeth Förster-Nietzsche, went back to Germany in 1893.

21st Century Life

Today, Nueva Germania is a quiet community in San Pedro. Most people work in agriculture. They are known for growing yerba mate.

Starting in 2004, an American conductor named David Woodard visited the settlement many times. Even in 2013, some German traditions and culture remained. Most people in the area still speak a mix of German and Guaraní.

Economy and Products

A Cassava plant, also known as manioc

One of the most important crops grown in Nueva Germania is yerba mate. Other important products include:

• Sugarcane
• Cotton
• Manioc (also called cassava)
• Tobacco
• Sunflower
• Soy
• Wheat
• Banana
• Sweet oranges and sour oranges
• Paraguayan lemon verbena
• Sesame

Transportation

Route 11 is a paved road that provides the main way to get to Nueva Germania. This road connects the town to other places in the department through Route 8. It also links to Asunción using Route 3.

Route 11 also gives direct access to the Amambay Department. A nearby road, Route 22, allows people to travel north to Concepción. Route 11 also connects Nueva Germania to San Pedro de Ycuamandyyú, which is the capital of the department.

Language Spoken

About 80% of the people in Nueva Germania speak the Guaraní language. The remaining people speak a mix of German and Spanish.

Population Details

Nueva Germania town (1891)

Here are some facts about the population of Nueva Germania:

• In 1992, the district had 17,148 people. Most of them lived in the town of Santa Rosa del Aguaray.
• In 2002, Santa Rosa del Aguaray became its own separate town. Because of this, the Nueva Germania district lost most of its people and land. However, it still includes the Rio Verde Mennonite colony to the north.
• Most of the people live in rural areas and work in farming.
• In 2002, there were about 4,335 people living there. This included 2,323 men and 2,012 women.
• Around 10% of the people in Nueva Germania in 2002 were mainly of German background.

See also

In Spanish: Nueva Germania para niños