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 district 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, 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 220,000 according to a 2020 estimate. Encarnación is the third-largest city of

Paraguay Paraguay (; ), officially the Republic of Paraguay ( es, República del Paraguay, links=no; gn, Tavakuairetã Paraguái, links=si), is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to th ...

. 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 The San Roque González de Santa Cruz Bridge is a long cable-stayed bridge that crosses the Paraná River between the cities of Posadas, capital of Misiones Province, Argentina and Encarnación, capital of Itapúa, Paraguay. The main bridge is ...

and the International Train. The city is located on Route 1, some 370 km (225 miles) from

Asunción Asunción (, , , Guarani: Paraguay) 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 o ...

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

Ciudad del Este Ciudad del Este (, Spanish for Eastern City; often shortered 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 from Asunción, the capital, and is ...

. 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 Teniente Ramon A. Ayub Gonzalez Airport ( es, link=no, Aeropuerto Teniente Ramon A. Ayub González) is an international airport serving Encarnación, capital of the Itapúa Department of Paraguay. It is located around 14 km from the center ...

(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 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 The Indigenous peoples of the Americas are the inhabitants of the Americas before the arrival of the European settlers in the 15th century, and the ethnic groups who now identify themselves with those peoples. Many Indigenous peoples of the A ...

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

Germans , native_name_lang = de , region1 = , pop1 = 72,650,269 , region2 = , pop2 = 534,000 , region3 = , pop3 = 157,000 3,322,405 , region4 = , pop4 = ...

Ukrainians Ukrainians ( uk, Українці, Ukraintsi, ) are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Ukraine. They are the seventh-largest nation in Europe. The native language of the Ukrainians is Ukrainian. The majority of Ukrainians are Eastern Ort ...

and

Poles Poles,, ; singular masculine: ''Polak'', singular feminine: ''Polka'' or Polish people, are a West Slavic nation and ethnic group, who share a common history, culture, the Polish language and are identified with the country of Poland in C ...

. The city has the largest settlement of

Ukrainians in Paraguay Ukrainians in Paraguay are an ethnic minority in Paraguay. In the mid-1990s, 5,000 to 8,000 Ukrainians lived in Paraguay, clustered in small communities near the southeastern city of Encarnacion, which borders the Argentine province of Misiones ...

History

The mission called ''Anunciación de Itapua'' was founded by the Paraguayan Jesuit

San Roque González de Santa Cruz San Roque González de Santa Cruz is a '' distrito'' in the Paraguarí Department of Paraguay, it is located 97 km from Asunción Asunción (, , , Guarani: Paraguay) is the capital and the largest city of Paraguay. The city stands on th ...

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 Obdulio Barthe ( Encarnación; September 5, 1903 – Buenos Aires; 1981) was a Paraguayan Communist and syndicalist politician. In 1931, he was one of the leaders in the Encarnación Commune Encarnación means ''incarnation'' in Spanish. Encar ...

took the city of Encarnación and declared it a "revolutionary commune",

Encarnación Commune Encarnación means ''incarnation'' in Spanish. Encarnación may also refer to: People * Angelo Encarnación (born 1969), Major League Baseball catcher * Edwin Encarnación (born 1983), Major League Baseball first baseman * Jerar Encarnación (bo ...

, under the leadership of

popular assemblies A popular assembly (or people's assembly) is a gathering called to address issues of importance to participants. Assemblies tend to be freely open to participation and operate by direct democracy. Some assemblies are of people from a location ...

. In 1957, the city was made the seat of the

Roman Catholic Diocese of Encarnación The Roman Catholic Diocese of Encarnación ( la, Dioecesis Sanctissimae Incarnationis) is a diocese located in the city of Encarnación in the Ecclesiastical province of Asunción in Paraguay. History * On January 21, 1957, the Territorial Pre ...

. 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 army officer and politician who served as President of Paraguay from 15 August 1954 to 3 February 1989. Stroessner led a coup d'état on 4 May 1954 with t ...

, 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 A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

s by

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

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, Paraná and Paraguay, being one of the largest natural borders in the world. ...

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

and

Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...

. 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 reported that tourism in Encarnación moved at least

USD The United States dollar (symbol: $; code: USD; also abbreviated US$ or U.S. Dollar, to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies; referred to as the dollar, U.S. dollar, American dollar, or colloquially buck) is the official ...

$10 million in the month, more than the

$5 million to

$6 million of the anterior 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 a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quickly ...

, 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.

Climate

Encarnación has a humid subtropical climate (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 20.4 °C (68.7 °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, dew, or fog to be present. Humidity dep ...

is 73%.

Religion

Places of Worship

Among the

places of worship A place of worship is a specially designed structure or space where individuals or a group of people such as a congregation come to perform acts of devotion, veneration, or religious study. A building constructed or used for this purpose is somet ...

, they are predominantly Christian 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 (; from ar, مَسْجِد, masjid, ; literally "place of ritual prostration"), also called masjid, is a place of prayer for Muslims. Mosques are usually covered buildings, but can be any place where prayers ( sujud) are performed, ...

in Encarnación. (Centro Benéfico Cultural Islámico de Encarnación). Paraguay File:San_Jorge_20120427_874.jpg, The

Ukrainian Orthodox The history of Christianity in Ukraine dates back to the earliest centuries of the history of Christianity, to the Apostolic Age, with mission trips along the Black Sea and a legend of Saint Andrew even ascending the hills of Kyiv. The first C ...

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 Corrientes (; Guaraní: Taragüí, literally: "Currents") is the capital city of the province of Corrientes, Argentina, located on the eastern shore of the Paraná River, about from Buenos Aires and from Posadas, on National Route 12. It ha ...

, Argentina *

Paysandú Paysandú () is the capital of Paysandú Department in western Uruguay. Location The city is located on the banks of the Uruguay River, which forms the Argentina–Uruguay border, border with Argentina. It lies northwest of Montevideo via Rout ...

, Uruguay * Posadas, Argentina *

Punta Cana Punta Cana is a resort town in the easternmost region of the Dominican Republic. It is part of the Veron–Punta Cana municipal district, in the Higüey municipality of La Altagracia Province. According to the 2010 census, this district had a ...

, 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