Capital and most populous city of Paraguay
About Asunción
Asunción is the capital and the largest city of Paraguay. The city lies on the eastern bank of the Paraguay River, immediately north northeast of the confluence where it is joined by the Pilcomayo River. The Paraguay River separates Asunción from the Occidental Region of Paraguay to the northwest, and from Argentina to the southwest. The eastern part of the city is surrounded by the Central Department.
Etymology
The official name of the city is "Nuestra Señora de la Asunción" (Our Lady of the Assumption), according to the founding document of the Cabildo, dated 16 September 1541. The fort that preceded it was established with the same name on 15 August 1537, by Juan de Salazar de Espinosa, the day on which the Catholic Church commemorates the Assumption of Mary. Asunción comes from the Latin noun, of ecclesiastical use, assumptīō, defined as: "the Virgin Mary being elevated body and soul to heaven" and must be distinguished from the Ascension of Jesus. Although the dogma was not proclaimed until 1950, the festival dates back to the 9th century and was especially celebrated in Spain and America. Its name in Guarani is Paraguay: Paraguái in Guarani. The name was later used to refer to the whole nation.
History
The Spanish conquistador Juan de Ayolas (died c. 1537) may have first visited the site of the future city on his way north, up the Paraguay River, looking for a passage to the mines of Upper Peru (present-day Bolivia). Later, Juan de Salazar y Espinosa and Gonzalo de Mendoza, a relative of Pedro de Mendoza, were sent in search of Ayolas, but failed to find him. On his way up and then down the river, de Salazar stopped briefly at a bay in the left bank to resupply his ships. He found the natives friendly, and decided to found a fort there in August 1537. He named it Nuestra Señora Santa María de la Asunción (Our Lady Saint Mary of the Assumption – the Roman Catholic Church celebrates the Feast of the Assumption on 15 August). The relations between the Spanish settlers and the Guaraní shaped the city's early character. …
Geography
Being at the Argentina–Paraguay border, Asunción is located between the parallels 25° 15' and 25° 20' of south latitude and between the meridians 57° 40' and 57° 30' of west longitude. The city sits on the left bank of the Paraguay River, almost at the confluence of this river with the River Pilcomayo. The Paraguay River and the Bay of Asunción in the northwest separate the city from the Occidental Region of Paraguay and Argentina in the south part of the city. The rest of the city is surrounded by the Central Department. The Paraguay River is the most important hydrographic body of the city since river commerce develops through it, and it is also a tourist attraction. …
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