Asuncion (English spelling)

Japanese: アスンシオン（英語表記）Asunción

The capital of Paraguay. It is a river port city located on the eastern bank of the lower reaches of the Paraguay River, a member of the Rio de la Plata River system, near the inflow of the Pilcomayo River. It occupies a low hill on the western edge of the Brazilian plateau, with an elevation of 53m. Its climate is subtropical, with a lot of rain in the summer and temperatures sometimes exceeding 40°C, but the winters are cool and relatively rainless, making them bearable. It was founded by the Spanish in 1537, and during the early colonial period it developed as the center of Spanish colonial activities in eastern South America. The city was used as a base for the construction of present-day Buenos Aires and Santa Fe in Argentina. After 1588, it also became the center of missionary work by the Jesuits for the indigenous Indians, mainly the Guarani people, but it gradually declined after being separated from the Buenos Aires region in 1617 and losing its access to the Atlantic Ocean. In the early 19th century, Buenos Aires, which was seeking independence from Spain, tried to control the Paraguay region, but Paraguay rejected this and declared independence from both Spain and Buenos Aires in 1811, and the city became its capital. Because of its strategic location as a river port connecting Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay, it was occupied by Brazil in 1868 during the Paraguayan War (1864-70) and remained under its control until 1876. It is also the political, economic, and cultural center of Paraguay, and distributes cotton, sugarcane, corn, tobacco, fruit, and cattle produced in the fertile agricultural and pastoral areas around it, and manufactures textiles, vegetable oil, shoes, flour, beverages, small boats, and tobacco. The city is home to two educational institutions, the National University of Asuncion (1890) and Nuestra Senora (Virgin Mary) University (1960), as well as museums. It is a beautiful town with many large parks, trees, and flowers. The center of the city is modern, but along the river there are many one-story colonial-style buildings with courtyards. It is also a transportation hub, and the river port lined with docks and warehouses is a bustling major trading port in the country. It is also the starting point of a main railway line that connects to Argentina's railway network, and is also connected by road to Buenos Aires. There is an international airport in the northeastern suburbs. Administratively, it is a special administrative region that does not belong to a prefecture. Population: 518,792 (2008).

Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia About Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia Information

Japanese:

パラグアイの首都。ラプラタ川水系パラグアイ川の下流部東岸に位置する河港都市で，ピルコマヨ川の流入点に近い。ブラジル高原の西縁にあたる低い丘を占め，標高 53m。気候は亜熱帯性で，夏は雨が多く気温が 40℃をこえることもあるが，冬は涼しく雨も比較的少なく，しのぎやすい。 1537年スペイン人によって建設され，植民地時代初期には南アメリカ東部におけるスペインの植民活動の中心地として発展。市を基地として現在のアルゼンチンのブエノスアイレス，サンタフェなどが建設された。 1588年以降はグアラニ族を中心とする先住民のインディオに対するイエズス会の布教中心地ともなったが，1617年ブエノスアイレス地方から分離され，大西洋への出口を失ってからしだいに衰退。 19世紀初めスペインからの独立を目指したブエノスアイレスがパラグアイ地方も支配下に置こうとしたが，パラグアイはこれを退け，1811年スペイン，ブエノスアイレスの両者からの独立を宣言，市がその首都となった。河港としてアルゼンチン，ブラジル，ウルグアイを結ぶ戦略的な要地を占めていたため，パラグアイ戦争 (1864～70) 中，1868年にブラジルに占領され，1876年までその支配下に置かれた。パラグアイの政治，経済，文化の中心地でもあり，周辺の肥沃な農牧地帯に産する綿花，サトウキビ，トウモロコシ，タバコ，果実，ウシなどを集散し，繊維，植物油，靴，粉，飲料，小型船舶，たばこなどを製造する。市内には国立アスンシオン大学 (1890) ，ヌエストラ・セニョーラ (聖母マリア) 大学 (1960) の2大学を中心とする教育機関，博物館などがある。大きな公園や樹木，花などが多い美しい町で，中心部には近代的な市街が広がるが，川沿いには中庭がある1階建ての植民地様式の建物が多い。交通の中心地でもあり，ドックや倉庫が立ち並ぶ河港が同国の主要貿易港としてにぎわうほか，アルゼンチンの鉄道網と連絡する幹線鉄道の起点でもあり，ブエノスアイレスとは道路でも結ばれる。北東郊には国際空港がある。行政的には県に属さない特別行政区。人口 51万8792（2008）。

出典　ブリタニカ国際大百科事典小項目事典ブリタニカ国際大百科事典小項目事典について　情報

<<: Sweat - Sweat

>>: Aswan High Dam