Asunci�n, Paraguay (original) (raw)

Asunci�n, population 500,938 (1992), is the capital of Paraguay. It is the principal port and chief industrial and cultural center of the country. Manufactures include footwear, textiles, and tobacco products.

Asunci�n is one of the oldest cities in South America. The site of the city may have been first visited by Juan de Ayolas, but the town, called Nuestra Se�ora de la Asunci�n (Our Lady of the Assumption), was founded in August 15, 1537, by Juan de Salazar and Gonzalo de Mendoza. In 1731 an uprising under Jos� de Antequera y Castro was one of the first rebellions against Spanish colonial rule. After the War of the Triple Alliance (1865-70), Asunci�n was occupied by Brazilian troops until 1876.

The city is home to the Godoi Museum, the Church of La Encarnaci�n, and the Pante�n Nacional, a smaller version of Les Invalides in Paris, where many of the nation's heroes are entombed.\n