Ciudad del Este - Population, Economy, Miscellaneous

25°32S 54°34W, pop (2000e) 144 000. Capital of Alto Paraná department, N Paraguay, on the R Paraná; centre for the construction of the Itaipú dam, the largest hydroelectric project in the world; a bridge links the city with Brazil and the town of Foz do Iguaçu; earlier named after the former President of Paraguay, and renamed after his death.

It is linked to the Brazilian city of Foz do Iguaçu by the Friendship Bridge;

Population

It is the second largest city in the country, with a population estimated at 240,000 in the city centre or 375,000 including the suburbs (Hernandarias, Presidente Franco, Minga Guazú (where the Guaraní International Airport is located).

Impressive immigrant population

The city has a large Asian-born population, specifically Taiwanese, Arabs and Iranians, evident in the city's mosque 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.

Economy

Ciudad del Este generates about 60% of Paraguay's GDP. 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.

Miscellaneous

The city has a reputation in Paraguay as being a dangerous city with high crime rates and it is not uncommon to see private guards outside many buildings. Other rumours had members of Hezbollah using the city as a base to launch bomb attacks on Argentine Jews.