Guairá Department
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Guairá () is a department in
Paraguay Paraguay (; ), officially the Republic of Paraguay ( es, República del Paraguay, links=no; gn, Tavakuairetã Paraguái, links=si), is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to th ...
. The capital is the city of Villarrica. It covers a surface of , with a population of 178,130 inhabitants (2002). One can arrive there by taking the Number 8 Blas Garay Road. It was founded on May 14, 1570, by Ruiz Diaz de Melgarejo.


History

Until circa the 19th century, the departmenti was called ''La Guayra'' or ''Guairá'', or also ''La Pineria'' (meaning "the Cury forests"); the region was under the jurisdiction of Cabildo de
Asunción Asunción (, , , Guarani: Paraguay) is the capital and the largest city of Paraguay. The city stands on the eastern bank of the Paraguay River, almost at the confluence of this river with the Pilcomayo River. The Paraguay River and the Bay of ...
on the east of the Paraguay River until the line of the
Tratado de Tordesillas The Treaty of Tordesillas, ; pt, Tratado de Tordesilhas . signed in Tordesillas, Spain on 7 June 1494, and authenticated in Setúbal, Portugal, divided the newly discovered lands outside Europe between the Portuguese Empire and the Spanish Emp ...
. This place was also site of the first great Jesuit mission of Guayra, having the borders around the northern limits, the Paranapanema River, or according to other versions, the Tiete River, and the Iguazu River on the south. It used to be called Guayra o Guaira, a large territory that currently corresponds to the state of Parana. From the 16th to 18th centuries, the Spanish founded cities (Ontiveros, Ciudad Real del Guayra, Villa Rica del Espiritu Santo), and the Jesuits founded some reservations, also under the Spanish jurisdiction, such as San Ignacio Guazu, Santa Maria del Iguazu (which is today
Foz do Iguacu Foz () is a town and municipality in the A Mariña Central comarca in the Galician province of Lugo. It has been historically linked to the Ancient Province of Mondoñedo and also linked to the arrival of Briton immigrants during the Dark Age ...
) Pirapo, Loreto, etc. Such cities were devastated by the bandeirantes, and they had to migrate a great part of the population to the west of the Parana River (where Villa Rica was re founded-the current-day Villarica) or to the south of the Iguazu River (where San Ignacio was re founded-with the name of San Ignacio Mini and Loreto among others). The Guayra Waterfall (or Salto Canendiyu), called Salto das Sete Quedas by the Brazilians, on the Paraná River, almost to the crossing with the parallel 24ªS, was the natural navigation limit of the river. The current-day Paraguayan city called Salto del Guaira, and the Brazilian Guaira, indicate the approximate place where the beautiful and famous waterfalls are, covered by the waters of the
Itaipu Dam The Itaipu Dam ( pt, Barragem de Itaipu , es, Represa de Itaipú ) is a hydroelectric dam on the Paraná River located on the border between Brazil and Paraguay. The construction of the dam was first contested by Argentina, but the negotiations ...
since the 1980s. The Brazilian occupation of the Guairá region was decided in 1870, at the end of the
Paraguayan War The Paraguayan War, also known as the War of the Triple Alliance, was a South American war that lasted from 1864 to 1870. It was fought between Paraguay and the Triple Alliance of Argentina, the Empire of Brazil, and Uruguay. It was the deadlies ...
, being later baptized with the name of Guaira, to the small department located in the center of the Eastern Region, in a territory which was not included in the original Guayra.


Location

The departament is in the central area of the Eastern Region, whose name comes from ''guai'': boys and '' ra:'' place, and is one of the richest and most fertile departments of the country. Its border to the north is the department of Caaguazu, to the east Caaguazu and Caazapa, to the south Caazapa and to the west is the department of Paraguari. A branch of the Caaguazú hills enter into the department, going from East to West, receiving the name Monte Rosario. On the far west forms the Villarica or Ybytyruzu hills. The department has 17 districts. The last one, Doctor Bottrell, was created in 1983.


Districts

The department is divided in the following 18 districts: # Borja # Mauricio José Troche # Independencia # Coronel Martínez # Dr. Botrell # Félix Pérez Cardozo #
General Eugenio A. Garay General Eugenio Alejandrino Garay, colloquially known as Garay, is a district in the Guairá Department of Paraguay. It is located approximately from Asunción, the capital of Paraguay. It originally belonged to the Caazapá Department but was t ...
#
Itapé Itapé is a town in the Guairá Department of Paraguay. Sources World Gazeteer: Paraguay
– World-Gazetteer.com Populated places in the Guairá Department Populated places established in 1672 1672 establishments in the Spanish Empir ...
# Iturbe # José Fassardi #
Mbocayaty Mbocayaty ''(Paraguayan Guaraní, Guaraní: Mbokajaty)'' is a town in the Guairá Department of Paraguay. Sources World Gazeteer: Paraguay
{cbignore, bot=medic – World-Gazetteer.com Populated places in the Guairá Department ...
#
Natalicio Talavera Natalicio Talavera is a town in the Guairá Department of Paraguay Paraguay (; ), officially the Republic of Paraguay ( es, República del Paraguay, links=no; gn, Tavakuairetã Paraguái, links=si), is a landlocked country in South America ...
#
Ñumí Ñumí (Guaraní: ''Ñumi'') is a district of the Guairá Department, Paraguay. Is located to the south of the city of Villarrica, the capital of the department, and to the east of the San Salvador district. Is connected to both by wide road ...
# Paso Yobai #
San Salvador San Salvador (; ) is the capital and the largest city of El Salvador and its eponymous department. It is the country's political, cultural, educational and financial center. The Metropolitan Area of San Salvador, which comprises the capital i ...
# Villarrica # Yataity # Tebicuary


Geography

In the department there are three natural zones that are very well differentiated. The first zone, near the Villarica or Ybyturuzu, hills, there are high lands and forests that are woody with steep slopes. The second zone, the central west, has fertile lands. In the southwest part one can find the third zone, the most fertile and populated area. Its large plains are good for raising cattle. Besides the Ybyturuzu hills, we can also find the hills of Pelado, Polilla, Itape, Leon, Cerrito and Tres Kandú, with 848 m, the highest peak in the country. The Guaira is surrounded by the Tebicuary River and its tributaries, like the Tebicuari-mi with many streams such as the Yhaca Guazu, Yhaca-mi, Aguapety, Guazu, and Tacuaras. Also, the Pirapo-guazu River and the Pirapo-mi stream are found in the area. In other zones of the department, we can find the Bobo, Orory, Mitaì, Caundy, Doña Juana and Paso Pindo streams.


Weather

The department has mild and good weather, with an average temperature of 21 degrees Celsius. In the summer, the maximum temperature is 38 degrees, and in the winter, the temperature goes down to 1 degree. It rains a lot during October and November. During the year, there is a total of 1,537 millimetres of rain.


Demography

Out of a total of 161,991 inhabitants, 47,300 lived in the areas, and 114,691 in rural areas.


History

The history of the department is intimately linked to the foundation and history of its main city, Villarrica. The city of Villarrica del Espiritu Santo was founded by
Ruy Diaz de Melgarejo Ruy may refer to: Arts and Entertainment *Ruy, the Little Cid, Spanish animated television series *Ruy Blas, a character in the eponymous tragic drama by Victor Hugo People *another form of Rui (given name), Rui, a Portuguese male given name *anot ...
on May 14, 1570, in ancient Guaira, which today is in Brazilian territory. After being persecuted and the attacked by the Bandeirantes, the city suffered a migratory process which took people to seven different sites before finally being established in 1682 near the Ybyturuzu River, where it is currently located. The
Franciscan The Franciscans are a group of related Mendicant orders, mendicant Christianity, Christian Catholic religious order, religious orders within the Catholic Church. Founded in 1209 by Italian Catholic friar Francis of Assisi, these orders include t ...
missionaries helped with the process of consolidation, and in 1686 they founded a Guarani reservation in the Itape zone. In 1906, the fifth department was created, composed of Villarrica in addition to Itape, Hiaty, Mbocayaty and Yataity. During the 20th century, there was great exploitation of the forest as well as the
Yerba mate Yerba mate or yerba-maté (''Ilex paraguariensis''; from Spanish ; pt, erva-mate, or ; gn, ka'a, ) is a plant species of the holly genus ''Ilex'' native to South America. It was named by the French botanist Augustin Saint-Hilaire. The leave ...
in the zone, which is closely linked to the rich region of the
Caaguazú Department Caaguazú () is a department in Paraguay. The capital is the city of Coronel Oviedo. History In the 16th and 17th centuries, European settlers in the present-day department of Caaguazú were threatened by the Portuguese Bandeirant and Gua ...
. Villarrica became a very important urban center, as the train crossed from East to West through a great part of the department's territory, which contributed as a means of communication in the department's development.


Flag

The flag is divided in two horizontal zones of similar dimensions. The upper zone, a light blue, is related to the water and the sky; the lower zone, a red, symbolizes the grapes. The colors also reconfirm the range and category of the
Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
's supreme hierarchies.


Shield

The shield is divided into four parts, where there is a typical colonial-style house, and the zone's landscape, which includes the Ybyturuzu mountains, grapes and the sugar cane plant. There is also a book, with the Roman numerals corresponding to the department of Guaira. Also, one can see shapes referring to nature. In the center of the shield there is a butterfly, which is a reference to panambi. The bottom of the shield says "Tradition Culture".


Economy

Guairá is a predominantly agricultural department. It is the country's most important
sugar cane Sugarcane or sugar cane is a species of (often hybrid) tall, perennial grass (in the genus '' Saccharum'', tribe Andropogoneae) that is used for sugar production. The plants are 2–6 m (6–20 ft) tall with stout, jointed, fibrous stalk ...
producer, with 41% of the national output; it is also the main producer of
Paraguayan wine Paraguay is one of the countries of South America that produces wine. However, Paraguay does not have active wine exports as of 2022 and its wine is little known outside its country of origin. History Paraguayan wine history falls into three disti ...
. Other crops include cotton, soybean, maize, vegetables and fruits. The indiscriminate felling of the forests has reduced the forest activity; nevertheless, the department possesses sawmills and factories for cabinet-making etc. The industrial activity is marked by
vintners A winemaker or vintner is a person engaged in winemaking. They are generally employed by wineries or wine companies, where their work includes: *Cooperating with viticulturists *Monitoring the maturity of grapes to ensure their quality and to deter ...
, herbal mills, alcohol distilleries, footwear industries, scale factories, dairy industries and tanneries.


Communication ways

The Departament contains the Number 8 Blas Garay Road, which starts in
Coronel Oviedo Coronel Oviedo (), locally simply known as Oviedo, is a city in east-central Paraguay. It is the capital of the Caaguazú Department, about 150 kilometers east of Asunción, and was founded in 1758. The city has a population of about 52,400 ( ...
from the Number 2 and 7 Roads, and is paved until Caazapa. From the Ñumi district there is another paved part that connects to San Juan Nepomuceno. It also has other paved roads: Villarica–Paraguari, through Felix Perez Cardozo and
Coronel Martinez Coronel may refer to: * Archaic and Spanish variant of colonel * Coronel, Chile, a port city in Chile * Battle of Coronel off the Chilean coast during World War I * The World War II German auxiliary cruiser HSK ''Coronel'', see German night fighte ...
, Mbocayati- Independencia, with an extension of 50 km, and another way that connects the Number 7 Road through
Natalicio Talavera Natalicio Talavera is a town in the Guairá Department of Paraguay Paraguay (; ), officially the Republic of Paraguay ( es, República del Paraguay, links=no; gn, Tavakuairetã Paraguái, links=si), is a landlocked country in South America ...
, Troche and Colonia Blas Garay. Guaira also has aerial communication, telephones and telegraphs. There are many roads that cross the territory in all directions.


Education

From the founding of the city of Villarrica del Espíritu Santo, work on education began and hasn't stopped since. Starting in 1585, the Franciscans opened a convent in the city of Santa Barbara, and elementary and secondary schools were attached. In the 17th century, the
Paraguay Paraguay (; ), officially the Republic of Paraguay ( es, República del Paraguay, links=no; gn, Tavakuairetã Paraguái, links=si), is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to th ...
province had free courses in grammar,
Philosophy Philosophy (from , ) is the systematized study of general and fundamental questions, such as those about existence, reason, knowledge, values, mind, and language. Such questions are often posed as problems to be studied or resolved. Some ...
and Sanctity in
Asunción Asunción (, , , Guarani: Paraguay) is the capital and the largest city of Paraguay. The city stands on the eastern bank of the Paraguay River, almost at the confluence of this river with the Pilcomayo River. The Paraguay River and the Bay of ...
and Villarica, under the direction of the
Franciscan The Franciscans are a group of related Mendicant orders, mendicant Christianity, Christian Catholic religious order, religious orders within the Catholic Church. Founded in 1209 by Italian Catholic friar Francis of Assisi, these orders include t ...
, Dominican,
Merced Merced (; Spanish for "Mercy") is a city in, and the county seat of, Merced County, California, United States, in the San Joaquin Valley. As of the 2020 Census, the city had a population of 86,333, up from 78,958 in 2010. Incorporated on April 1 ...
, and
Jesuit , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders ...
priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particu ...
s. The first teaching center, sustained by the state of Villarica, dates back to 1859, and was named Escuela Patria. Nowadays, the superior education in the department is represented by Universidad Católica "Nuestra Señora de la Asunción," and
Universidad Nacional de Asunción The Universidad Nacional de Asunción or Mbo'ehaovusu Tetãgua Paraguaygua, abbreviated UNA, anglicized as, The National University of Asuncion, is a public university founded in San Lorenzo, Paraguay. Founded in 1889, it is the oldest and most t ...
in the north. In Guairá, there are many schools and institutes, private as well as public, such as Colegio Nacional, Colegio Ortiz Guerrero, Colegio Tecnico Vocacional, Seminario Diocesano, Escuela Regional de Agricultura, Instituto Professional Femenino, Escuela de Artes and Oficios Pio XII. There are also various pre-school centers and Humanistic high schools, as well as Technical ones. Another educational entity is the Institute of Guaraní Linguistics, Idelguap, which teaches the Guarani language, literature, and folklore. There is also, with similar goals, the Ateneo of Guaraní Language and Culture and Guaraní Roga.


Art and culture

The main guaireña city, Villarrica, is considered the largest city in the department. Among the social, cultural and sports entities, there are "The Porvenir Guaireño," " El Centro Español," "El Club de Leones," " Instituto de Cultura Hispánica," "Teatro Municipal," "Orquesta de Cámara," "Escuela Municipal de Danzas, Declamación, Oratoria,
Guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected stri ...
," "Asociación de Productores de Caña de Azúcar," "Liga Guaireña de
Fútbol Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...
" y " Liga Guaireña de Basquetbol." In 1970, the Socioeconomical Development Center of Guaira was created, formed by public and private entities, which supports the department's economic, social and cultural development. The Ybyturuzu Foundation, an environmental organization, attempts to spread consciousness throughout Guairá's population to keep, protect and defend the important ecosystem of the area. In the city there are a few radio stations, closed circuit television, cable TV and channel 8. In terms of their intangible culture, the guireños keep a repertoire of different popular myths and legends, such as pora, pombero, jasy jatere, kurupi, urutau, karau, and jakare, among others. Among the European traditions, they have the patronal parties, day of the cross, corridas de toros, horse races, and riñas de gallos.


Tourism

Guairá has one of the most emblematic and representative cities of the Paraguayan culture: Villarica. In Villarica, nature is a friend and trusts the human beings who live there, or the ones who are attracted by its fame for being a paradise and who decide to wander about its geography, to know its history and to drink from its culture. One of the most widely visited places in the city is the Manuel Ortiz Guerrero Park, which before 1936 was known as Ycua Pyta. Here you can feel the soul of Villarica like no other place in the city. The calm nature of the place helps one to forget the activities of daily life. It is an ideal place for the soul and the body. The Manuel Oritz Guerrero Park is located in the northeast area of the city, between the Ybaroty and San Miguel neighborhoods. At the beginning of the 1960s a sculpture was made by Javier Baez Rolon to commemorate a Villariquean poet. On May 8, 1983, for the 50th anniversary of the poet's death, his ashes were moved to the park, fulfilling the citizens' dream. From that day on, under the shadow of a tree, the poet rests in peace in the land of his soul. His poetry still vibrates under the look of his beloved Ybytyruzu. Other cultural centers that one must visit are the Maestro Fermin Lopez Museum and the Library, where one can find the personal belongings of Natalicio Talavera, Fermin Lopez, and Manuel Ortiz, as well as weapons from the
Chaco War The Chaco War ( es, link=no, Guerra del Chaco, gn, Cháko ÑorairõMbocayaty Mbocayaty ''(Paraguayan Guaraní, Guaraní: Mbokajaty)'' is a town in the Guairá Department of Paraguay. Sources World Gazeteer: Paraguay
{cbignore, bot=medic – World-Gazetteer.com Populated places in the Guairá Department ...
and Yataity districts.


Notable people

* Ruy Díaz de Guzmán (1554–1629) Bold conqueror. Son of the province of Guaira. Founder of towns. Considered the first national historian. Grandson of Don
Domingo Martínez de Irala Domingo Martínez de Irala (; c. 1509 Bergara, Gipuzkoa – c. 1556 Asunción, Paraguay) was a Spanish Basque people, Basque conquistador. He headed for America in 1535 enrolled in the expedition of Pedro de Mendoza and participated in the foundi ...
, first governor of Paraguay. Representative of the joining of two civilizations; the Spanish and the Guarani. *
Manuel Ortiz Guerrero Manuel Ortiz Guerrero (16 July 1894 – 8 May 1933) was a Paraguayan poet and musician. Biography Guerrero was born in Ybaroty, a neighbourhood in the city of Villarrica del Espíritu Santo, Paraguay. He was the son of Vicente Ortiz and Susana ...
(1899–1933) The biggest and most widely known of the guaireños poets. He was born, lived, and died as a poet. He made the poetry the reason for his life. His poetry has entered to the depths of the national soul. The guaireñan land gave him its aroma and charm, and he gave back his poetry, transformed into light. His life was an example of dignity, struggle and correction. * Natalicio de María Talavera (1839–1867) Initial figure of the Paraguayan parnassus. He was a representative of the true intellectuals in moments when the poetry in Paraguay was just beginning. His work is presented under the form of scattered fragments. The
Paraguayan War The Paraguayan War, also known as the War of the Triple Alliance, was a South American war that lasted from 1864 to 1870. It was fought between Paraguay and the Triple Alliance of Argentina, the Empire of Brazil, and Uruguay. It was the deadlies ...
ate up a great part of it. Talavera was not a poet with an easy and simple life. He lived the tragedy of the nation, and sang to it with a great feeling and depth. *
Ramón Indalecio Cardozo Ramón or Ramon may refer to: People Given name *Ramon (footballer, born 1998), Brazilian footballer *Ramón (footballer, born 1990), Brazilian footballer *Ramón (singer), Spanish singer who represented Spain in the 2004 Eurovision Song Contest * ...
(1877–1943) Teacher and supporter of a new educational system, where the children developed in an honest environment. He was also a supporter of the New School Era. Between 1921 and1934, and as a recognition of his sacrifice and work towards the teaching in his native town Villarica, he finally occupied the Presidency of the National Council of Education and the General Direction of Schools. *
Efraím Cardozo Efraím Cardozo (1906–1973) was a Paraguayan politician and historian. Childhood and studies Born in Villarrica, Paraguay, he was a son of a teacher and bureaucrat guaireño Ramon Indalecio Cardozo and Juana Sosa. His father was involved in t ...
(1909–1973) He was known as the richest and most systematic Paraguayan historian. He was a journalist, writer, professor and politician. He represented Paraguay in key moments of its history, such as the signing of the treaty of Peace and Borders with Bolivia. He published many books on Paraguayan history. * Félix Pérez Cardozo (1908–1953) He was born in the town of Yhaty, today known as Felix Perez Cardozo, as a homage to the important Harp player. He learned to play the harp from anonymous older harpists from his region. His special quality of playing an instrument, together with his strong personality, gave him the chance to visit cultural centers in different countries: Argentina,
Uruguay Uruguay (; ), officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay ( es, República Oriental del Uruguay), is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast; while bordering ...
,
Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...
. He was considered the richest composer in Paraguay. He created 87 musical compositions, among them polcas, guaranias, songs, galopas, milongas, zambas, cuecas, boleros, tangos and chacareras. *
Nadia Ferreira Nadia Tamara Ferreira (born 10 May 1999) is a Paraguayan fashion model and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss Universe Paraguay 2021. As Miss Universe Paraguay, Ferreira represented Paraguay at Miss Universe 2021, where she placed ...
(born May 10, 1999) She won Miss Paraguay Universe 2021 and placed as first runner-up at the international beauty contest,
Miss Universe 2021 Miss Universe 2021 was the 70th Miss Universe pageant, held at the Universe Dome in Eilat, Israel on December 13, 2021. At the end of the event, Andrea Meza of Mexico crowned Harnaaz Sandhu of India as Miss Universe 2021. It is India's fi ...
.


Bibliography

* ''Geografía Ilustrada del Paraguay''. Tercera Edición. Distribuidora Quevedo de Ediciones. Buenos Aires.1998. * ''Atlas y Geografía de Paraguay y el Mundo''. Ediciones India Guapa. Asunción. 1997. * ''Atlas Paraguay. Cartografía Didáctica''. Fausto Cultural Ediciones. Enero 2000. * Franco Preda, Artemio. ''El Guairá y su aporte a la cultura paraguaya''. Editora Litocolor S.R.L. Villarrica,2003


References


External links


Secretaria Nacional de Turismo
{{DEFAULTSORT:Guaira Department