Founded February 3, 1957 Postal code 7000 Local time Monday 3:44 AM | Department Alto Paraná Time zone AST (UTC-04) Area code(s) (595) (61) | |
Weather 23°C, Wind E at 8 km/h, 96% Humidity Colleges and Universities Universidad Nacional del Este, Universidad Privada Santa Catalina Points of interest Video Bingo Brasil, Casino American, Casino Imperador, Amazonas Aquatic Park, Casino Puerto Madeiro | ||
Ciudad del Este ([sjuˈðað ðel ˈeste], Spanish for City of the East) initialed CDE is the second largest city in Paraguay and capital of the Alto Paraná Department, situated on the Paraná River. As of 2008 its population was of 320,782. The city consists of a large population of Lebanese immigrants, as well as Taiwanese. Guaraní International Airport, located in neighboring city Minga Guazú, serves Ciudad del Este. The city annually attracts thousands of tourists for Black Friday. On a daily basis, many tourists from Brazil cross the border to enter Ciudad del Este and the city also attracts thousands of worldwide tourists. The city is home to Club Atlético 3 de Febrero, counting with the Estadio Antonio Oddone Sarubbi which was used for the 1999 Copa América and is Paraguay's third biggest football stadium.
Contents
- Map of Ciudad del Este Paraguay
- Ciudad del este city tour incl pictures paraguay tour
- History
- Geography
- Population
- Economy
- Transportation
- MigrationDiplomatics
- In media
- References
Map of Ciudad del Este, Paraguay
Ciudad del este city tour incl pictures paraguay tour
History
Founded in 1957, it was originally called Puerto Flor de Lis, then until 1989 Puerto Presidente Stroessner, after Alfredo Stroessner. The city is the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Ciudad del Este.
Geography
The city, coextensive with the homonymous district, is located in south-eastern Paraguay. Part of a "triangle" known as the Triple Frontier, Ciudad del Este lies in front of the Brazilian city of Foz do Iguaçu (state of Paraná). Separated from it by Paraná River, it is linked by the Friendship Bridge. The Argentine border is located between the neighbouring town of Presidente Franco and Puerto Iguazú (Misiones Province). Ciudad del Este, along with the towns and districts of Hernandarias, Minga Guazú and Presidente Franco, forms a metropolitan area named Gran Ciudad del Este (i.e. Greater Ciudad del Este).
Population
Ciudad del Este is a multicultural and diverse city. It is home to a large Asian-born population, specifically of Taiwanese, Korean, Lebanese, and Iranian origin, evident in the city's mosques and pagodas. The Taiwanese government paid for the construction of the city's town hall in exchange for Paraguayan support in the United Nations, hence the Taiwanese flag that flies on the building. From the 1970s, Sunni Muslim Arabs moved to the city. This changed in the 1980s to Shia Muslim Arabs from South Lebanon.
Economy
CDE was, according to Forbes, the third largest commercial city in the world between 1990 and 2002. The city is the headquarters of the company that operates the nearby Itaipu Dam. The city's economy (and Paraguay's economy as well) relies heavily on the mood of the Brazilian economy, as 95% of Paraguay's share of the energy generated by the Itaipu Dam is sold to Brazil (for US$300 million), and that every day many Brazilians cross the border to buy less expensive products (US$1.2 billion, mostly electronics). Smuggling is a major occupation in the city, with some estimates putting the value of this black market at five times the national economy. Some military and intelligence agencies state that there are terrorist organizations in the area, no evidence of this has been found.
Transportation
Guarani International Airport, located in the suburb city of Minga Guazú, connects the city with other South American destinations.
Migration–Diplomatics
Ciudad del Este counts with the following consulates or consulate generals for diplomatic services:
The city also counts with several departments for legal, identification and migration matters: