Geography & environment — Paraguay
Location, land area, terrain, climate, and natural resources.
Profile updated 2026-06-02
⚡ Geography & environment at a glance
Location, land area, terrain, climate, and natural resources. Key figure for Paraguay: South America
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Location & size
- Geographic Location
South America
- Geographic Coordinates
23 00 S, 58 00 W
- Total Area
157,047 Square Miles 406,752 Square Kilometers
- Land Area
153,398 Square Miles 397,302 Square Kilometers
- Water Area
3,649 Square Miles 9,450 Square Kilometers
- Land Boundaries
2,482 Miles 3,995 Kilometers
- Border Countries
Argentina 1,880 km, Bolivia 750 km, Brazil 1,290 km
Physical geography
- 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
- Highest Point
842 Meters
- Highest Point Location
Cerro Pero (Cerro Tres Kandu) 842 m
- Lowest Point
46 Meters
- Lowest Point Location
junction of Rio Paraguay and Rio Parana 46 m
- Natural Resources
hydropower, timber, iron ore, manganese, limestone
- Irrigated Land
259 Square Miles 670 Square Kilometers
Climate & time
- Time Zone
UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
- Daylight saving time
+1hr, begins first Sunday in October; ends last Sunday in March
Climate
- Climate
Paraguay's climate is seasonal and subject to abrupt changes. It is subtropical, with summer and winter seasons opposite those in the United States. Winds are generally moderate, but high winds accompanied by thunder and electrical storms are common, especially in summer. The long, hot summer lasts from October through March, with January average maximum temperature 91ºF and mean temperature 81øF. Severe hot spells with very high humidity are common. Temperatures often exceed 100ºF during the day from December to February (the official record high temperature is 109ºF), with little relief at night. Winter extends from June through August. Cold snaps of 4 or 5 days with temperatures in the low 40s and high 30s are interspersed with several days in the upper 70s and low 80s. Frosts occur rarely. The official record low in Asuncion is 32ºF, although the damp air make it seem much colder. With frequent and abrupt changes, from winter to summer-like weather and back again (temperature changes of 20ºF-50ºF are common), Relative humidity ranges between 67% and 78% (monthly averages) year round and is particularly high in summer. Asuncion's average 59-inch annual rainfall is well distributed seasonally. Slightly greater amounts fall in hotter months. Torrential rains cause annual floods in riverside communities. The Chaco, which receives little rainfall, becomes semiarid in its westernmost reaches. During rainy periods, however, water covers large areas due to the impermeable clay subsoil.
- 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
- Location
Central South America, northeast of Argentina, southwest of Brazil
- Total Area
157,047 Square Miles 406,752 Square Kilometers
- Border Countries
Argentina 1,880 km, Bolivia 750 km, Brazil 1,290 km
Environment
- 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