San José de los Campos Limpios de Tapúa, more commonly referred to simply as Limpio (, is a

district A district is a type of administrative division that in some countries is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or county, counties, several municipality, municip ...

and city located in the

Central Department Central () is a Departments of Paraguay, department in Paraguay. The capital is Areguá. With 1,883,927 inhabitants, it is the most populated of the 17 departments of Paraguay. It is also the smallest department, with a total area of . Geogra ...

Paraguay Paraguay, officially the Republic of Paraguay, is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the Argentina–Paraguay border, south and southwest, Brazil to the Brazil–Paraguay border, east and northeast, and Boli ...

, from

Asunción Asunción (, ) 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 of Asunción in the north ...

. The city is bordered by three rivers: The

Paraguay River The Paraguay River (''Ysyry Paraguái'' in Guarani language, Guarani, ''Rio Paraguai'' in Portuguese language, Portuguese, ''Río Paraguay'' in Spanish language, Spanish) is a major river in south-central South America, running through Brazil, Bol ...

, the Salado River, and the San Francisco River. Its

patron saint A patron saint, patroness saint, patron hallow or heavenly protector is a saint who in Catholicism, Anglicanism, Eastern Orthodoxy or Oriental Orthodoxy is regarded as the heavenly advocate of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, fa ...

Saint Joseph According to the canonical Gospels, Joseph (; ) was a 1st-century Jewish man of Nazareth who was married to Mary, the mother of Jesus, and was the legal father of Jesus. Joseph is venerated as Saint Joseph in the Catholic Church, Eastern O ...

History

The first Europeans to arrive at the site Spanish ''

conquistadores Conquistadors (, ) or conquistadores (; ; ) were Spanish Empire, Spanish and Portuguese Empire, Portuguese colonizers who explored, traded with and colonized parts of the Americas, Africa, Oceania and Asia during the Age of Discovery. Sailing ...

'' of the expedition of

Juan Ortiz de Zárate Juan Ortiz de Zárate (c. 1521 Orduña, Biscay, Spain – 1575 Asunción, Paraguay) was a Spanish Basque explorer and conquistador. He journeyed to the Americas as a teenager, where he took part in the conquest of Peru under Diego de Almagro. ...

in 1575.

Franciscan The Franciscans are a group of related organizations in the Catholic Church, founded or inspired by the Italian saint Francis of Assisi. They include three independent Religious institute, religious orders for men (the Order of Friars Minor bei ...

friars

Alonso de San Buenaventura Alonso de San Buenaventura (died 1594, in Belmonte, Cuenca) was a Spanish Franciscan friar and missionary evangelist. He entered the Franciscan order at the convent of Our Lady of Loreto in Espartinas, Seville. After being ordained priest, he ...

and

Luis de Bolaños Luis de Bolaños (1549? – 11 October 1629) was a Spanish Franciscan friar and missionary evangelist, initiator of the system of reductions (indigenous towns) in Paraguay and northeastern Argentina. Early life Bolaños was born in Marchena, ...

were part of the expeditionary force, who went on to found

reductions Reductions (, also called ; ) were settlements established by Spanish rulers and Roman Catholic missionaries in Spanish America and the Spanish East Indies (the Philippines). In Portuguese-speaking Latin America, such reductions were also ...

among the

Guaraní Guarani, Guaraní or Guarany may refer to Ethnography * Guaraní people, an indigenous people from South America's interior (Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Bolivia) * Guarani language, or Paraguayan Guarani, an official language of Paraguay * G ...

tribes that were already occupying the site. The city was officially founded on February 1, 1785 by Pedro Melo de Portugal.

Geography

With an approximate area of , Limpio is divided into 20 urban and suburban neighborhoods. The city has a port over the Paraguay River named "Piquete Cué" that enables commercial activities.

Neighborhoods

The district of Limpio consists of 18 neighborhoods.

Climate

Limpio's climate is classified as warm and temperate. The rainfall in Limpio is significant, with precipitation even during the driest month. The Köppen-Geiger climate classification identifies this particular weather pattern as belonging to the category of Cfa. The average annual temperature in Limpio is 23.1 °C , 73.6 °F. Precipitation here is about 1649 mm , 64.9 inch per year. Data: 1991 - 2021 Min. Temperature °C (°F), Max. Temperature °C (°F), Precipitation / Rainfall mm (in), Humidity, Rainy days. Data: 1999 - 2019: avg. Sun hours The variation in the precipitation between the driest and wettest months is 125 mm , 5 inch. The variation in annual temperature is around 10.7 °C , 19.3 °F. The month that sees the most relative humidity is June (63.17 %). The month with the lowest amount of relative humidity is September (63.17 %). The wettest month is January (12.90 days), whilst the driest is August (6.53).

Demographics

According to the 2022 Paraguayan census, Limpio has a population of 139,652. 73% of its population is urban and 27% rural. Its population growth rate is 8.24% annually over the last ten years. This high population growth rate is a result of the paving of Route 3 and the development of urban social programs.

Economy

The artisan hats of karanday, made in Limpio, are the main activity that the people in Limpio are known for. They also make bags, wide painted hats and other articles out of karanday (palm leaves). Agricultural and cattle production is developed in farms, with cultivation of green vegetables and fruits and also production of milk and its derivative products.

Tourism

Among the places that could be visited in Limpio are: the picturesque El Peñón in the Paraguay river, the San Francisco Isle, the old San José Church, the few colonial houses still standing and the famous Piquete Cué port, once one of the most important ports and where the initial trace of the Trans-Chaco Route used to pass. The elders say that the church in Limpio is over 400 years old, including the altarpieces that amaze with their colorful and exquisite design. Its facade is likely from the time of

Carlos Antonio López Carlos Antonio López Ynsfrán (November 4, 1792 – September 10, 1862) was leader of Paraguay from 1841 to 1862. Under his presidency, he undertook a process of economic and political modernization for Paraguay, and ended the isolationist poli ...

, who frequented that zone when the Surubi'y stanza (the first of the De la Plata River) was property of his daughter, Inocencia López. Nowadays, the yard of the church displays beautiful vegetation and in the middle of it can be seen the grandiose first ecological sanctuary of the country. Also, the San Francisco Isle, with 15 kilometers long by 6 kilometers wide is considered as an ecological reserve.

Culture

The craftsmanship of Limpio is based on the basketmaking and hats made of karanday. It also has the ballets "Karanday Poty" and "Ballet Mainumby". The celebrations honoring Saint Joseph, the saint patron of the city, form a part of the city's culture. Limpio also boasts the fountain of the first ecological sanctuary of the country. Many people gather in this place to refresh themselves with these waters which, according to the popular beliefs, are sacred.

Notable people

* Benigno Ferreira, former President of Paraguay (1906–1908) * Fernando de la Mora, important personage of the Paraguayan independence.

References

External links

MidamosSENATURWorld Gazeteer: Paraguay
– World-Gazetteer.com {{Authority control Populated places in the Central Department Populated places established in 1785