Asunción

Asunción
/ah'soohn syawn", -thyawn"/, n.
a city in and the capital of Paraguay, in the S part. 400,000.

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in full Nuestra Señora de la Asunción

City (pop., 2002 prelim.: 513,339), capital of Paraguay.

It lies on the Paraguay River near its confluence with the Pilcomayo River. Founded in 1537 by Spanish conquistadores, it replaced Buenos Aires as the headquarters of Spanish colonial activities in eastern South America during the period of the latter's depopulation (1541–80). In 1731 Asunción was the site of one of the first major rebellions against Spanish rule. The city declared independence from both Spain and Argentina in 1811. Today it dominates social, cultural, and economic trends in Paraguay.

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 city and capital of Paraguay, occupying a promontory and descending to the Paraguay River near its confluence with the Pilcomayo (Pilcomayo River). The city lies 175 feet (53 metres) above sea level.

      The city was so named when a stockade was completed there on the Feast of the Assumption (August 15) in 1537. When Buenos Aires was evacuated in 1541 after an attack by the Pampa Indians, the inhabitants fled to Asunción. It was the headquarters of Spanish colonial activities in eastern South America for nearly half a century before Buenos Aires was refounded. In 1588 Jesuits established mission settlements on the Paraná River to convert the Guaraní population. Intermarriage of Indians and Spaniards contributed to the largely mestizo character of the present Paraguayans. After official separation from Buenos Aires in 1617, Asunción declined in importance. Partly because of its remoteness from Spain, nationalist and separatist movements began early in Paraguay: the Jesuits were expelled in 1767, and independence from Spain was declared in Asunción at midnight on May 14/15, 1811. The city's strategic position at the head of a great river system linking Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay, its three enemies in the War of the Triple Alliance (Triple Alliance, War of the) (1864/65–1870), led to Asunción's capture in 1868, and Brazil occupied and administered it until 1876.

      Asunción has many beautiful flowering trees and several large parks. Adjacent to the river, suburban buildings are still colonial in style—one story with a patio—but the centre of town consists of modern high-rise buildings. The cathedral, presidential palace, and Pantheon of Heroes (a smaller replica of the Invalides in Paris), all built in the 19th century, and the Hotel Guaraní, designed by the Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer, are among the notable buildings. As the seat of the national government and of the archbishop of Paraguay, Asunción dominates social, cultural, and economic trends in Paraguay. Several institutions of higher education, including the Universidad Nacional de Asunción (1890), the Universidad Católica “Nuestra Señora de la Asunción” (1960), and numerous private universities, are located in Asunción.

      Asunción is the principal distributing centre of the most densely populated region of Paraguay. Cotton, sugarcane, corn (maize), tobacco, fruit, and cattle products from the rich agricultural and pastoral hinterland are processed in and around the capital. Industrial plants produce textiles, vegetable oils, footwear, flour, small river craft, and tobacco products. A piped water system was inaugurated in 1955. River steamers, mostly of foreign ownership, are the principal means of transporting freight. The Remanso Bridge connects Asunción with Buenos Aires via trunk road. Asunción also has an international airport. Pop. (2002) urban area, 512,112; (2005 est.) urban agglom., 1,858,000.

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Universalium. 2010.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Asuncion — Asunción Pour les articles homonymes, voir Assomption (homonymie). Asunción …   Wikipédia en Français

  • asunción — sustantivo femenino 1. (no contable) Uso/registro: elevado. Acción y resultado de asumir: Nunca rechazó la asunción de los más penosos deberes. Sinónimo: aceptación. 2. Área: religión En la religió …   Diccionario Salamanca de la Lengua Española

  • Asunción — Asunción, 1) (Nuestra Señora de la A., Assumção) Hauptstadt von Paraguay, am Fluß Paraguay, unter 25°16´ südl. Br., 1536 gegründet, Ausgangspunkt der Eisenbahn nach Villa Rica, ist Sitz eines Bischofs und eines deutschen Berufskonsuls, mit… …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

  • Asunción — also Nuestra Señora de La Asunción a city in southern Paraguay, the country s capital, largest city, and main port, on the River Paraguay …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • asunción — (Del lat. assumptĭo, ōnis). 1. f. Acción y efecto de asumir. 2. por antonom. En el catolicismo, hecho de ser elevada al cielo la Virgen María en cuerpo y alma. ORTOGR. Escr. con may. inicial. 3. Fiesta con que la Iglesia católica celebra este… …   Diccionario de la lengua española

  • Asuncion — Asuncion, Stadt, so v.w. Assomption 6) …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • Asuncion — (Assongong), eine der deutschen Marianeninseln mit einem noch tätigen, 870 m hohen Vulkan …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

  • Asuncion — Asunciōn, Hauptstadt von Paraguay, l. am Paraguay, (1900) 51.719 E …   Kleines Konversations-Lexikon

  • Asunción — f Spanish: another of the many female names bestowed in honour of the Virgin Mary. This one commemorates her assumption into heaven, the festival of which has been celebrated on 15 August since at least the 7th century, although this has been a… …   First names dictionary

  • Asunción — (en franç. Assomption) cap. du Paraguay, sur le Paraguay; 477 100 hab. Port fluvial import …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Asunción — [ä soon syō̂n′] capital of Paraguay: port on the Paraguay River: pop. 502,000 (met. area, 638,000) …   English World dictionary

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