Editing Alto Paraná (section)

== Geography ==

=== Location ===

This department is located in the Oriental Region of Paraguay, between parallels 24° 30′ and 26° 15′ of latitude south and between the meridians 54° 20′ and 55° 20′ of longitude west.

It is located in the Center East of Oriental Region. It is bordered by:

* To the North: with [[Canindeyú Department]]
* To the South: with [[Itapúa Department]]
* To the East: with [[Brazil]] and [[Argentina]]
* To the West: with [[Caaguazú Department|Caaguazú]] and [[Caazapá Department|Caazapá]] departments

The capital is Ciudad del Este, originally named Puerto Flor de Lis, and later Puerto Presidente Stroessner until it was renamed once more following the end of the dictatorial government of General [[Alfredo Stroessner]]. It is within the limits of the Brazilian city, [[Foz do Iguaçu]].

=== Districts ===

The department is divided into 22 districts:<ref>{{Cite web |title=Alto Paraná (Department, Paraguay) - Population Statistics, Charts, Map and Location |url=https://www.citypopulation.de/en/paraguay/admin/10__alto_paran%C3%A1/ |access-date=2024-10-10 |website=www.citypopulation.de}}</ref>

{{div col}}
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Districts
! Population (2022)
|-
| '''1''' [[Ciudad del Este District|Ciudad del Este]]
| 325,819
|-
| '''2''' [[Doctor Juan León Mallorquín]]
| 16,144
|-
| '''3''' [[Domingo Martínez de Irala, Paraguay|Domingo Martínez de Irala]]
| 5,035
|-
| '''4''' [[Hernandarias District|Hernandarias]]
| 83,285
|-
| '''5''' [[Iruña, Paraguay|Iruña]]
| 3,943
|-
| '''6''' [[Itakyry]]
| 27,340
|-
| '''7''' [[Juan Emilio O'Leary]]
| 16,092
|-
| '''8''' [[Los Cedrales]]
| 7,258
|-
| '''9''' [[Mbaracayú]]
| 6,406
|-
| '''10''' [[Minga Guazú]]
| 81,072
|-
| '''11''' [[Minga Porá]]
| 11,959
|-
| '''12''' [[Naranjal District, Paraguay|Naranjal]]
| 6,608
|-
| '''13''' [[Ñacunday]]
| 6,468
|-
| '''14''' [[Presidente Franco District|Presidente Franco]]
| 88,744
|-
| '''15''' [[San Alberto District|San Alberto]]
| 11,162
|-
| '''16''' [[San Cristóbal District, Paraguay|San Cristóbal]]
| 8,563
|-
| '''17''' [[Santa Fe del Paraná]]
| 3,981
|-
| '''18''' [[Santa Rita District, Paraguay|Santa Rita]]
| 27,249
|-
| '''19''' [[Santa Rosa del Monday]]
| 5,923
|-
| '''20''' [[Yguazú District|Yguazú]]
| 8,131
|-
| [[Doctor Raúl Peña]]<sup>*</sup>
| 5,617
|-
| [[Tavapy]]<sup>*</sup>
| 6,903
|}
[[File:Organización Política de Alto Paraná.PNG|340px]]
{{div col end}}

<sup>*</sup> The districts of [[Doctor Raúl Peña]] and [[Tavapy]] were created after the 2002 Census, and therefore not displayed on the map.

Alto Paraná has a combination of valleys and streams that come from the [[Paraná River]]. It also has mountainous areas of high elevation that can reach 300 meters above sea level.

The lands near the banks of the Paraná River have forests, which are threatened in the present by indiscriminate [[deforestation]]. There are local efforts to combat this through the introduction of reforestation programs, with managed planting of different species of [[pine]].

=== Hydrography ===

The Paraná River is the most important supply of water for the department. The following are branches of this river:

* Itambey
* Ñacunday
* Limoy
* Itabo Guazú
* Pira Pyta
* Ycua Guazú
* Acaray
* Monday
* Yacuy

In this area, there are also several streams that help make the land fertile for [[agriculture]].

These streams and rivers part due to the presence of large rocks that give origin to local waterfalls. Among these are the ones formed by the Monday and Ñacunday Rivers.

The flow of the rivers Paraná and Acaray has been used in favor of constructing the hydroelectric power stations in Itaipú and Acaray.

=== Climate ===

Alto Paraná presents an absolute maximum temperature in summer of {{convert|38|°C|°F|1|disp=or}}. The absolute minimum in winter is {{convert|0|°C|°F|disp=or}}. The annual average is {{convert|21|°C|°F|1|disp=or}}.

The department receives abundant precipitation during the entire year, registered as {{convert|1725|mm|in|0|disp=or}} annually. This total is the highest anywhere in Paraguay. Consequently, this area has a lot of humidity in the environment, which is good for agriculture.

Fog and light rains are the norm in wintertime.