Encarnación () is a district and the capital city of

Itapúa Department Itapúa () is a department in the southern region of Paraguay. The capital is the city of Encarnación. It is divided into 30 districts, more than any other department in the country. History This department was created after the breakup of the ...

in Paraguay, located at the south-east of the department, on the right-hand (western) shore of the

Paraná River The Paraná River ( ; ; ) is a river in south-central South America, running through Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina for some ."Parana River". Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 2012. Web. ...

, opposite Posadas, Argentina. The city has an area of 274 km² and a population of 93,497 (2002 Census), and the Greater Encarnacion area has a population of over 225,000 according to a 2020 estimate. Encarnación is the third-largest city of

Paraguay Paraguay, officially the Republic of Paraguay, is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the Argentina–Paraguay border, south and southwest, Brazil to the Brazil–Paraguay border, east and northeast, and Boli ...

. The city was originally named ''Nuestra Señora de la Anunciación de Itapúa'', and is considered the capital of summer by most of its inhabitants. Encarnación is connected to the Argentine city of Posadas by the San Roque González de Santa Cruz Bridge and the International Train. The city is located on Route 1, some 370 km (225 miles) from

Asunción Asunción (, ) 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 Asunción in the north ...

, and located on Route 6, some 280 km (175 miles) from

Ciudad del Este Ciudad del Este (, Spanish for Eastern City; often shortened as CDE) is the second-largest city in Paraguay and capital of the Alto Paraná Department, situated on the Paraná River. It is located 327 km east of Asunción, the capital, and i ...

. Due to its proximity, many Argentines travel to the city. The city is an important financing centre of Paraguay and maintains a commercial relationship with Argentine Posadas. The Teniente Amin Ayub Gonzalez Airport (IATA: ENO, ICAO: SGEN), at coordinates 27°13′23″S 55°50′03″W, is 12 kilometres from the city, is the third most important airport of the country. Encarnación was a host city for the 2003 Futsal Men's World Cup.

Demography

Encarnación is the capital of the department of

Itapúa Itapúa () is a department in the southern region of Paraguay. The capital is the city of Encarnación. It is divided into 30 districts, more than any other department in the country. History This department was created after the breakup of the ...

and has a total population of 93,497 and an urban population of 67,173 according to the 2002 National Census.Atlas Censal del Paraguay – Itapúa
2002. Most of the inhabitants are of mixed Spanish and

Amerindian In the Americas, Indigenous peoples comprise the two continents' pre-Columbian inhabitants, as well as the ethnic groups that identify with them in the 15th century, as well as the ethnic groups that identify with the pre-Columbian population of ...

descent as in the rest of Paraguay but there are also minorities of

Germans Germans (, ) are the natives or inhabitants of Germany, or sometimes more broadly any people who are of German descent or native speakers of the German language. The Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany, constitution of Germany, imple ...

Ukrainians Ukrainians (, ) are an East Slavs, East Slavic ethnic group native to Ukraine. Their native tongue is Ukrainian language, Ukrainian, and the majority adhere to Eastern Orthodox Church, Eastern Orthodoxy, forming the List of contemporary eth ...

and

Poles Pole or poles may refer to: People *Poles (people), another term for Polish people, from the country of Poland * Pole (surname), including a list of people with the name * Pole (musician) (Stefan Betke, born 1967), German electronic music artist ...

. The city has the largest settlement of Ukrainians in Paraguay.

History

The mission called ''Anunciación de Itapua'' was founded by the Paraguayan Jesuit San Roque González de Santa Cruz on 25 March 1615, on the southern side of the Paraná river. That mission was relocated to the north side in the current location of the city in 1703 under the name ''Encarncación de Itapua''. It gained in importance after the coming of the railway in 1894. In 1926, the city suffered a destructive F4 tornado that killed around 300 and injured around 700. On February 20, 1931, a student-worker group led by Obdulio Barthe took the city of Encarnación and declared it a "revolutionary commune", Encarnación Commune, under the leadership of popular assemblies. In 1957, the city was made the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Encarnación. Because of its mild climate Encarnación is often called "The Pearl of the South". Encarnación was the birthplace of

Alfredo Stroessner Alfredo Stroessner Matiauda (; 3 November 1912 – 16 August 2006) was a Paraguayan politician, army general and Military dictatorship, military dictator who ruled as the 42nd president of Paraguay from 15 August 1954 until his overthrow in 19 ...

, general and head of state of Paraguay from 1954 to 1989. Lately, the city experienced a radical change, with the loss of the "Zona Baja" because the "Plan de Terminación Yacyretá" (Termination plan of Yacyretá) giving way to a renewed modern city with wide avenues and bridges. In 2015, Encarnación was Paraguay's third city with a growing economy and a multicultural and cosmopolitan population. Affordable contracts for work in certain business places, as bars, restaurants, discos and casinos, are easy to find in Encarnación.

Tourism

Lately Encarnación has become the tourism capital of the country, with its wide beaches and newly completed waterfront boardwalk. The city is located near the Jesús and Trinidad Jesuit Ruins, declared

World Heritage Site World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...

s by

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

in 1993, and the Beach in Carmen del Paraná. Due its location, at the

Argentina–Paraguay border The Argentina–Paraguay border is the line that limits the territories of Argentina and Paraguay. This boundary is solely defined by three major rivers: the Pilcomayo River, Pilcomayo, Paraná River, Paraná and Paraguay River, Paraguay, being on ...

, the area is characterized by a high commercial and tourist exchange between

and

Argentina Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...

. In 2010, Encarnación began its transformation to become the centre of summer tourism for nationals and regionals. In December 2011 the Costanera Avenue was inaugurated and with it three beaches were opened to the public. These three beaches were the Mbói Ka’e Beach, the Pacu Cuá Beach, and the San José Beach. From the three beaches the San José Beach is the most visited by tourists and has several restaurants at the tourists disposal. In January 2013,

ABC Color ''ABC Color'' is a Paraguayan daily newspaper that is part of Editorial Azeta S.A., a subsidiary of Grupo Azeta. It was established in 1967 by Aldo Zuccolillo. Founded in August 1967, it is often regarded as Paraguay's newspaper of record. Histor ...

reported that tourism in Encarnación moved at least

USD The United States dollar (symbol: $; currency code: USD) is the official currency of the United States and several other countries. The Coinage Act of 1792 introduced the U.S. dollar at par with the Spanish silver dollar, divided it int ...

$10 million in the month, more than the

$5 million to

$6 million of the previous year. Prior to this, the city converted into a destination for thousands of tourists from all parts of the country, including tourists from other countries of the region. In 2015 Encarnación reached a new peak in tourists that visited the city. With more than 30 000 people going there for their vacation Jaime Fernandez, head of the Hotel Association of Encarnación, confirmed that there were no places available throughout the Encarnación and lodgings were improvised 50 km (31 miles) around the city. Encarnación's Carnival Party, taken place every January and February, attracts more than 100, 000 tourists. Different clubs will compete against each other on a parade in which they will be qualified by a group of judges under the following criteria: originality, design, charisma, dance, rhythm, beauty, and elegance. Despite the protocols caused by

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...

, there was a great quantity of tourists at Encarnación's beaches in January 2021. Given this, the city prepared its protocols for 9 months to be a safe destination for tourists.

Geography

The city is located at the south-east of the department, on the right-hand (western) shore of the

, opposite Posadas, Argentina.

Climate

Encarnación has a

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...

(Köppen Cfa). The summers are hot and humid, and winters are temperate and cool. Due to its geographical position in the extreme south of the country Encarnación is the coldest city in Paraguay. Encarnación registered snowfall in the winter of 1975, the first time in the history of Paraguay. The annual mean temperature is 21.4 °C (70.5 °F). The annual mean

relative humidity Humidity is the concentration of water vapor present in the air. Water vapor, the gaseous state of water, is generally invisible to the human eye. Humidity indicates the likelihood for precipitation (meteorology), precipitation, dew, or fog t ...

is 73%.

Consular representations

(Consulate),

Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...

(Vice-Consulate), and

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

(Consular Office) have consular representations in Encarnación.

Religion

Places of Worship

Among the places of worship, they are predominantly

Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...

churches, (Catholic and Orthodox). File:J30_993_Catedral_de_Nuestra_Señora_de_la_Encarnación.jpg, The Encarnación Cathedral, Paraguay File:J30_964_Moschee.jpg, A

Mosque A mosque ( ), also called a masjid ( ), is a place of worship for Muslims. The term usually refers to a covered building, but can be any place where Salah, Islamic prayers are performed; such as an outdoor courtyard. Originally, mosques were si ...

in Encarnación. (Centro Benéfico Cultural Islámico de Encarnación). Paraguay File:San_Jorge_20120427_874.jpg, The Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral of San Jorge, in Encarnación.

Gallery

File:Encarnacionbeach.jpg, San José Beach, Encarnación, Paraguay File:Encar01.jpg, San José Beach File:PY2005-samba1.jpg, Samba dancer from Encarnación File:Encarnación, Paraguay4.jpg, Costanera Avenue, Encarnación, Paraguay File:Encarnación skyline from Posadas.jpg, Encarnación,

File:Encarnación 20120427 837.jpg, Encarnación, Paraguay

Twin towns

Encarnación is twinned with: * Corrientes, Argentina *

Paysandú Paysandú () is the capital and most populous city of the Paysandú Department in western Uruguay. Located on the banks of the Uruguay River, it is the country's List of cities in Uruguay, fourth-largest city and a vital cultural and economic hu ...

, Uruguay * Posadas, Argentina *

Punta Cana Punta Cana is a resort town in the easternmost region of the Dominican Republic. It was politically incorporated as the "Verón–Punta Cana township" in 2006, and it is subject to the municipality of Higüey (La Altagracia Province). According ...

, Dominican Republic

References

External links

Carnival in Encarnacion Official siteWorld Gazeteer: Paraguay
– World-Gazetteer.com
multimedia in youtube
{{DEFAULTSORT:Encarnacion, Paraguay Districts of Itapúa Department Paraná River Populated places established in 1615 Argentina–Paraguay border crossings 1615 establishments in the Spanish Empire