Caapucú ''( Guaraní: Ka'apuku)'' is a town in

Caapucú District Caapucú District is one of the districts of Paraguarí Department, Paraguay. Geography Caapucú District is located in the West region of the Paraguarí Department. The topography of the district is characterized by hills, streams and swamps. ...

in the

Paraguarí Department Paraguarí (; Guaraní: Paraguari) is a ''departamento'' in Paraguay. At the 2002 census it had a population of 221,932.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 ...

, At the 2002 census it had a population of 7,249,Dirección General de Estadísticas, Encuestas y Censos : ''Censos 2002 : Listas de Áreas de Variables de Personas : Distritos''
Retrieved 8 March 2010 and is located 141 km from

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 o ...

, the capital of the country. The Route No. I crosses through this city. It was founded in 1787 by Pedro de Melo de Portugal, and was previously known as Capilla Tuvá. Caapucú is the biggest district of the department, located in the south region of the latter; it is separated from the

Misiones Department Misiones () is a department located in the southern region of Paraguay. Its capital is San Juan Bautista. The eighth of Paraguay's 17 departments, it was created in 1906, then known as the ''San Ignacio Department'', and was not given its pr ...

by the

Tebicuary River The Tebicuary River (Spanish: Río Tebicuary), a tributary of Paraguay River is a river in Paraguay. Located in the southwestern part of that country, it flows eastwards discharging to Paraguay River about 45 km south of Formosa and 30 k ...

. In the city are many housings from colonial times, most of them built in the time around the Paraguayan Independence. One of them, the Stevant house, resembling a castle, has been turned into a museum that exhibits artifacts from that time.

Economy

The area that borders the Tebicuary River is a land that is victim of flooding, and is a good area for

fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment, but may also be caught from stocked bodies of water such as ponds, canals, park wetlands and reservoirs. Fishing techniques ...

. Caapucú is an area mostly dedicated to cattle rising of cows, sheep, pigs and horses. The

agriculture Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled peop ...

activity is orientated mostly to the production for interne consumption of the population; they cultivate

sweet cane ''Acorus calamus'' (also called sweet flag, sway or muskrat root, among many common names) is a species of flowering plant with psychoactive chemicals. It is a tall wetland monocot of the family Acoraceae, in the genus '' Acorus.'' Although ...

grapes A grape is a fruit, botanically a berry, of the deciduous woody vines of the flowering plant genus ''Vitis''. Grapes are a non- climacteric type of fruit, generally occurring in clusters. The cultivation of grapes began perhaps 8,000 years ago, ...

cotton Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus '' Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure cellulose, and can contain minor p ...

and

manioc ''Manihot esculenta'', commonly called cassava (), manioc, or yuca (among numerous regional names), is a woody shrub of the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae, native to South America. Although a perennial plant, cassava is extensively cultivated ...

. Among the main economical activities of the district are the shoe industry, the shops and workshop of craftsmanship, like wood carvings, confection of wardrove in “aó po’I”, “encaje jú” and crafts on leather.

Municipality

Caapucú was founded by Pedro de Melo de Portugal, on August 15, 1787, more to the north of its current location. The city moved around 1816, during the government of

José Gaspar Rodríguez de Francia José Gaspar Rodríguez de Francia y Velasco () (6 January 1766 – 20 September 1840) was a Paraguayan lawyer and politician, and the first dictator (1814–1840) of Paraguay following its 1811 independence from the Spanish Viceroyalty of ...

, due to the shortage of water in the original location. The current Mayor of the District is Lourdes Sanabria Brítez Ugarte, member of the

Liberal Party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. __TOC__ Active liberal parties This is a l ...

, and she'll be in office for the period of 2006-2010. The city has seven health care facilities, four sport clubs, four clean-up councils and municipal slaughterhouse.

Tourism

Caapucú's touristic spots include the Municipal Square “Punta Arenas” located in the banks of the Tebicuary River, the touristic state “Santa Clara”, located 8 kilometers away from the city and several streams, as well as the area's squares and historical museums. From Caapucú it's possible to go to other recreational places like Laguna Verá, also called Ypoa-Guazú, where people can go fishing and boating. The place also has a resort near the stream Paso Ybycuí, with installations for camping and sports. A tour for the hills Charorá, Virgen, Yaguarete-cuá, Tarumá, Mariño, Villalba, Arayhú and Mbocayá allow the visitors to view the natural landscape and lakes. The main attraction of Caapucú are its beaches of white sand by the Tebicuary River, located in the city of Villa Florida. The foundation of the city is remembered in the month of August with a party, parades and sport competitions. The folkloric festival “Che Rendá Alazán” is organized every year in the month of February, and the National Festivity of the “Arriero” in October.

References

External links

Secretaria Nacional de TurismoWorld Gazeteer: Paraguay
– World-Gazetteer.com {{DEFAULTSORT:Caapucu Caapucú District