Geographic coordinates: 23 00 S, 58 00 W

Map references: South America

Area: total: 406,750 sq km water: 9,450 sq km land: 397,300 sq km

Area - comparative: slightly smaller than California

Land boundaries: total: 3,920 km border countries: Argentina 1,880 km,
Bolivia 750 km, Brazil 1,290 km

Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims: none (landlocked)

Climate: subtropical to temperate; substantial rainfall in the eastern portions, becoming semiarid in the far west

Terrain: grassy plains and wooded hills east of Rio Paraguay; Gran Chaco region west of Rio Paraguay mostly low, marshy plain near the river, and dry forest and thorny scrub elsewhere

Elevation extremes: junction of Rio Paraguay and Rio Parana 46 m highest point: Natural resources: hydropower, timber, iron ore, manganese, limestone