Asunción is the nation's center for manufacturing, wholesale and retail trade, and commerce. Major industries include food processing and production of consumer products for local consumption. Other manufacturing, principally in small factories and workshops, specializes in wood products, shoes, leather goods, and cotton textiles, some of which are exported to markets in Brazil and Argentina. Much of Paraguay's agricultural production, the mainstay of its economy, is shipped through Asunción. Cotton, soybeans, oilseeds, timber, and meat products are exported to Brazil, Argentina, Germany, the United States, and The Netherlands.
A range of transportation systems provides passenger and cargo access to Asunción. The city is served by a modern international airport, Aeropuerto Pettirossi, which was completed in the early 1990s and is situated 15 km (9 mi) to the northeast of the city center. A number of regional and international air carriers, including North American and European airlines, fly into the country. Most cargo is shipped to and from Asunción along the Paraguay River through two modern ports: Asunción proper, which receives the bulk of the imports, and the port at Villeta, 25 km (15 mi) south of the capital, which was built in the 1980s and handles agricultural and industrial exports.
Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2001
http://encarta.msn.com © 1997-2001 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Asuncion Information info
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