Asuncion

Asunción 

a city and the capital of Paraguay, situated on the left bank of the Paraguay River at its confluence with the Pilcomayo River. It has a population of 305,000 (1962), which is more than one-sixth of the entire population of Paraguay. Asunción is the country’s chief inland and foreign-trade port, handling 75 percent of all exports and 90 percent of all imports. There are a railroad station, enterprises for processing wood and agricultural products (including food, textiles, and leather), and a shipyard. A national university is located in the city.

The city’s planning and architecture retain features of the Spanish colonial period. Asunción was founded by the Spanish conquistadors on Aug. 15, 1537, Ascension Day (hence the city’s name, Spanish for Ascension). It was a base for the Spanish conquistadors on their way to Peru and served as the center of the Spanish colonies in the area of La Plata until the beginning of the 17th century. In May 1811 the independence of Paraguay was proclaimed in Asunción. In January 1869, during the Paraguayan War of 1864–70, Asuncion was occupied by Brazilian troops, and as a result, about two-thirds of the city’s inhabitants perished. In the early 20th century, Asunción began to turn into the center of the country’s workers’ movement. The largest demonstrations took place in 1941, 1944, and 1959.