San José de los Arroyos facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
San José de los Arroyos
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 San José de los Arroyos
Location in Paraguay
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| Country | Paraguay |
| Department | Caaguazú |
| Population
(2008)
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| • Total | 5,544 |
San José de los Arroyos is a town in the Caaguazú Department of Paraguay. It is a vibrant community with a rich history. The town is known for its farming and cattle raising.
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About San José de los Arroyos
This town is located about 100 kilometers (62 miles) east of Asuncion. Asuncion is the capital city of Paraguay. San José de los Arroyos sits on a part of the Pan-American Highway, called "Ruta #2".
The main town area has about 8,000 people living there. There are also about twelve smaller villages nearby. These villages are called "colonias". When you add these villages, the total population of the area is around 20,000 people.
History of the Town
There are different ideas about when San José de los Arroyos was founded. The official story says it was started on March 19, 1780. This was during the time when Spain ruled Paraguay. Don Pedro Melo de Portugal, a former governor, founded the town. Later, in 1884, it became an official municipality. This means it gained its own local government.
For many years, the town kept its old colonial style buildings. However, by the early 1980s, many of these old buildings were torn down. There were no laws to protect them. Modern buildings replaced them.
Land and Farming
San José de los Arroyos covers an area of 887 square kilometers. The land here has two main types. The areas to the west of the town have gentle slopes. The soil there is very fertile. This land is great for growing many crops. Farmers grow things like cotton, cassava (also known as yuca), tobacco, soybean, and sugarcane. They also grow some grains. These western areas are usually more successful for farming.
The eastern parts of the town are mostly flat plains. There are only a few small elevated areas good for farming. This region is mainly used for raising cattle. However, people have recently found that these plains are also perfect for growing sugarcane. Sugarcane is used to make biofuel.
Cattle Industry Growth
In recent years, Paraguay has become very important in the international meat market. Since 2005, Paraguay has been able to sell its meat to demanding markets. These include the European Union, Taiwan, Russia, and Chile. This success has greatly helped the eastern part of San José de los Arroyos. This is because the villages there focus on raising cattle.
This growth in the cattle industry has also had other effects. For example, the value of land in the area has gone up a lot. San José de los Arroyos is a typical Paraguayan town. It has a bright future because of the growing biofuel industry and the strong cattle business. If managed well, these industries can really improve the town's future.
See also
In Spanish: San José de los Arroyos para niños
