Villa Elisa (Villa Elisa)
Villa Elisa is a city in the Central Department of Paraguay on the outskirts of Asuncion. It was the only colony that was inhabited by Swedish people in Paraguay and today is one of the most important and active cities that are part of the Metropolitan Area of the capital. Villa Elisa is an urban city and borders with Asuncion, in the Defensores del Chaco Ave some 16 km away from Asuncion's city centre. It was founded on March 22, 1938.
After the Paraguayan War, Paraguay with its population devastated and poor, was receiving European immigrants, who were given land for the agricultural production and cattle breeding. Around 1890, Belgium immigrants founded the Belgium Colony of Mbocayaty, later added by French and Italian people around 1880 and 1890.
As time went by the inhabitants of the colony began to work in agricultural, specially in the production of fruit. Later the Belgium people migrated to the properties of a Danish person Emilio Johansen, and later on around 1896, the city became Colonia Elisa, as a homage to his wife, Ms Elisa Von Poleski, of an aristocratic German origin (later a street in the city will also have her name).
The first Administrative Board of Villa Elisa was created on June 21, 1899, under the direction of Mr. Emilio Johansen. To the Colonia Elisa new inhabitants arrived later: Scandinavian, Swedish, Danish and German people. With the arrival of more foreigners in the years of 1900 and 1940,the population grew and so the need of a new organization of the institutions, since Paraguay was now going through a lot of internal conflicts and the war with Bolivia, called the Chaco War (1932–1935).
Petroleum refinery operated by Petróleos Paraguayos (Petropar), an institution created by law N 1182, issued on December 23, 1985, is located in Villa Elisa. This refinery was later transformed in an autarquic company, beginning its operations on January 9, 1986.
After the Paraguayan War, Paraguay with its population devastated and poor, was receiving European immigrants, who were given land for the agricultural production and cattle breeding. Around 1890, Belgium immigrants founded the Belgium Colony of Mbocayaty, later added by French and Italian people around 1880 and 1890.
As time went by the inhabitants of the colony began to work in agricultural, specially in the production of fruit. Later the Belgium people migrated to the properties of a Danish person Emilio Johansen, and later on around 1896, the city became Colonia Elisa, as a homage to his wife, Ms Elisa Von Poleski, of an aristocratic German origin (later a street in the city will also have her name).
The first Administrative Board of Villa Elisa was created on June 21, 1899, under the direction of Mr. Emilio Johansen. To the Colonia Elisa new inhabitants arrived later: Scandinavian, Swedish, Danish and German people. With the arrival of more foreigners in the years of 1900 and 1940,the population grew and so the need of a new organization of the institutions, since Paraguay was now going through a lot of internal conflicts and the war with Bolivia, called the Chaco War (1932–1935).
Petroleum refinery operated by Petróleos Paraguayos (Petropar), an institution created by law N 1182, issued on December 23, 1985, is located in Villa Elisa. This refinery was later transformed in an autarquic company, beginning its operations on January 9, 1986.
Map - Villa Elisa (Villa Elisa)
Map
Country - Paraguay
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| Flag of Paraguay | |
Spanish conquistadores arrived in 1524, and in 1537 established the city of Asunción, the first capital of the Governorate of the Río de la Plata. During the 17th century, Paraguay was the center of Jesuit missions, where the native Guaraní people were converted to Christianity and introduced to European culture. After the expulsion of the Jesuits from Spanish territories in 1767, Paraguay increasingly became a peripheral colony, with few urban centers and settlers. Following independence from Spain in the early 19th century, Paraguay was ruled by a series of authoritarian governments characterized by nationalist, isolationist and protectionist policies. This period ended with the disastrous Paraguayan War (1864–70), during which the country lost half its prewar population and around 25–33% of its territory to the Triple Alliance of Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay. In the 20th century, Paraguay faced another major international conflict—the Chaco War (1932–35) against Bolivia—in which it prevailed. Afterwards, the country came under a succession of military dictators, culminating in the 35-year regime of Alfredo Stroessner, which lasted until his overthrow in 1989 by an internal military coup. This marked the beginning of Paraguay's democratic era, which continues to this day.
Currency / Language
| ISO | Currency | Symbol | Significant figures |
|---|---|---|---|
| PYG | Paraguayan guaranà | ₲ | 0 |
| ISO | Language |
|---|---|
| GN | Guarani language |
| ES | Spanish language |