Location: | Central South America, northeast of Argentina |
| Geographic coordinates: | 23 00 S, 58 00 W |
| Map references: | South America |
| Area: | total: 406,750 sq km
water: 9,450 sq km
land: 397,300 sq km |
| Area - comparative: | slightly smaller than California |
| Land boundaries: | total: 3,920 km
border countries: Argentina 1,880 km, Bolivia 750 km, Brazil 1,290 km |
| Coastline: | 0 km (landlocked) |
| Maritime claims: | none (landlocked) |
| Climate: | subtropical to temperate; substantial rainfall in the eastern portions, becoming semiarid in the far west |
| Terrain: | grassy plains and wooded hills east of Rio Paraguay; Gran Chaco region west of Rio Paraguay mostly low, marshy plain near the river, and dry forest and thorny scrub elsewhere |
| Elevation extremes: | lowest point: junction of Rio Paraguay and Rio Parana 46 m
highest point: Cerro Pero (Cerro Tres Kandu) 842 m |
| Natural resources: | hydropower, timber, iron ore, manganese, limestone |
| Land use: | arable land: 7.6%
permanent crops: 0.23%
other: 92.17% (2001) |
| Irrigated land: | 670 sq km (1998 est.) |
| Natural hazards: | local flooding in southeast (early September to June); poorly drained plains may become boggy (early October to June) |
| Environment - current issues: | deforestation; water pollution; inadequate means for waste disposal present health risks for many urban residents; loss of wetlands |
| Environment - international agreements: | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
| Geography - note: | landlocked; lies between Argentina, Bolivia, and Brazil; population concentrated in southern part of country
Source: CIA World Factbook
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