Paraguay

(pah-rah-gwi',) a republic of S. America, situate bet. S. Lat. 17°-27°, and W. Lon. 54°-58°, and b. N. by Brazil and Bolivia, E. by Brazil, S. by the Argentine Confederation, and W. by the latter and Bolivia. It is nearly oblong in form, has a length, N. to S., of abt. 460 m., and an area estim. at from 73,000 to 85,000 sq. m. Its E. and N.E. parts are intersected by mountain-ranges, the chief being the Sierra Amambohy, and the Maraca you Mts. The remaining portions constitute a generally level surface, interspersed with marshes, and occasionally lakes, as those of Ypao and Napurus. These tracts are in many cases densely wooded; and in others form admirable pasture-lands. Nearly one-half of the country consists, in fact, of one or the other; both being national property. P. is intersected through its centre, from N. to S., by the river of same name, the pp. affluent of which is the Pilcomayo; on the S.W. the Rio Vermejo forms the Argentine frontier. The natural products are very varied, but do not include the precious metals and other minerals common to the S. Amer. Continent. There are but few manu fs.; sugar, rum, cotton, coarse woollen cloths, and leather being almost its only industrial products. P. is divided into 25 depts. C. As unci on. No official or other statistical returns are at present available. This country,discovered by Cabot in 1526, was ruled as an indep. state for nearly two centuries by the Jesuit mi ionaries. In 1768 they were expelled, and the natives relapsed into their normal state of barbarism. In 1811, they freed themselves from Spanish control, and in 1817 made Francia dictator. He ruled P. with a hand of iron till 1841, when Gen. Lopez a umed the presidency. In 1862, the latter was s. by his son, Francis Solano Lopez (q. v.), who governed it till his death in 1870. (See ARGENTINE CONFEDERATION and BRAZIL.) Population, 1876, 293,844. A great river of S. America, flowing into the Parana near Corrientes. It rises in Matto-Gro o, Brazil, in S. Lat. 13° 30′, W. Lon. 55° 51′, and takes a general S. course of 1,800 m. Its waters, navigable for steamers to the mouth of its affluent the Cuyaba, were opened to foreign commerce in 1852. Parahyba, (pah-rah-e'bah,) in Brazil, a river rising in the Sierrade Bobarema, and emptying into the Atlantic in S. Lat. 7° 8', W. Lon. 34° 45', after an E. by N. course of 270 m. - A town, C. of a p. of same name, 65 m. from Pernambuco. Pop. 14,000. [s. 683]