Photos

This true-color satellite image of lower South America shows the Andes along the left-hand side, starting out wide up top and narrowing as they move south. The white spine-like strip along the lower Andes is snow. Mount Aconcagua, the tallest mountain in the Western Hemisphere, is located in this section of the Andes. To the east, the muddy green featureless areas in the image are the vast wetlands of Paraguay (further north) and Argentina (in the south). The largest lake in this region is Lake Mar Chiquita, which sits on the western edge of these wetlands. The two whitish tan patches between the lake and the Andes are the much smaller, snow-covered Sierra de Cordoba mountains. Photo courtesy of NASA.

Ciudad del Este (Eastern City), formerly Puerto Presidente Stroessner, is a city in eastern Paraguay, on the bank of the Paraná River bordering Brazil. Ciudad del Este’s economy is fostered by its commercial connection with Brazil, symbolized by the 500-m (1,600-ft) Puente de la Amistad (Friendship Bridge) opened in 1965. The city’s tax-free status attracts many Brazilian and Argentine shoppers. Ciudad del Este has a humid subtropical climate.

Parrots are found in tropical and subtropical regions; 24 species have been recorded in Paraguay. Parrots have a characteristic curved beak and many are vividly colored and some are multi-colored. Parrots are among the most intelligent birds and some species may imitate human speech.

The caiman is a species of crocodile endemic to Paraguay. Males may grow to 3 m (9.8 ft) and females to 1.4 m (4.6 ft). Typical habitats include lakes, rivers, and wetlands and its diet is primarily aquatic animals. Mating occurs in the rainy season and eggs hatch in March, with young fending for themselves as soon as they hatch.