From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Ciudad del Este
View of Ciudad del Este skyline
Flag Seal
Location of Ciudad del Este in Paraguay
Coordinates: 25°25′12″S 54°37′48″W / 25.42°S 54.63°W / -25.42; -54.63
Country	Paraguay
Department	Alto Paraná
Founded	February 3, 1957
Government
- Intendente Municipal	Sandra Mac Leod de Zacarias
Area
- City	104 km2 (40.2 sq mi)
Population (2008)
- City	320,782
- Urban	320,782
Time zone	-4 GMT
Postal code	7000
Area code(s)	(595) (61)
Website	http://www.mcde.gov.py/

Ciudad del Este (Spanish for City of the East) is the capital of Alto Paraná department of Paraguay, located at the Rio Paraná at 25°25′S 54°38′W / 25.42°S 54.63°W / -25.42; -54.63.

Founded in 1957, it was originally called Puerto Flor de Lis (Port Fleurdelis), then until 1989 Puerto Presidente Stroessner (Port President Stroessner), after Alfredo Stroessner. It is part of a triangle known as the Triple Frontera (Triple border), or Tríplice Fronteira in Portuguese. It is linked to the Brazilian city of Foz do Iguaçu by the Friendship Bridge; Puente de la Amistad in Spanish, Ponte da Amizade in Portuguese. The city is the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Ciudad del Este.

Population

It is the second largest city in Paraguay, with a population estimated at 320,782 in 2008.^[1]

Sizeable Immigrant Population

The city has a large Asian-born population, specifically Taiwanese, Koreans, 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.

Catedral de Ciudad del Este

Economy

Ciudad del Este generates about 60% of Paraguay's GDP. It is the third largest free-tax commerce zone in the world, after Miami and Hong Kong, and — together with Foz do Iguaçu — it 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^[2] (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. Indeed, evidence indicates that some of the revenue generated by smuggling may support criminal organizations based outside the region, including terrorist organizations.^[3][4]

Downtown Ciudad del Este

Transportation

Guarani International Airport, located in the suburb city of Minga Guazú, connects the city with other South American destinations.

Skyline view and the Friendship Bridge

Miscellaneous

• There also existed rumours in Western media that Al-Qaida operatives were located here, but those claims were not proven, as these are recognised only "off the record". Other rumours had members of Hezbollah using the city as a base to launch bomb attacks on Argentine Jews. See AMIA Bombing. It is believed that the suicide bomber entered Argentina through the Triple Border.

• In 2005, it was a filming location for Miami Vice, a film directed by Michael Mann and based on his television series of the same name.

• In the Cyclops: Icons series, Cyclops travels to Ciudad del Este to fight Ulysses.

Rotonda

References

External links

• Current photos of the city in the Skyscrapercity Forum
• Ciudad del Este
• Municipalidad de Ciudad del Este
• Images of the city
• Ciudad del Este
• ABC Color
• SENATUR

From Wikitravel

Ciudad del Este is a city in Paraguay. It is mainly a shopping destination for Brazilians and Argentinians. Apart from that the city is not very attractive.

Get in

The bus terminal is located in the southern part of the city, a bit hidden behind the stadium.

• There are frequent buses from Asunción (5 h) and Encarnación (4 h) in the South.

• The most common way to arrive is through "Ponte da Amizade" (Friendship Bridge) which connects Ciudad del Este in Paraguay and Foz do Iguaçu in Brazil. There are frequent bus connections, also to and from Puerto Iguazu in Argentina. Taxis sometimes do the trans-border trip as well.
• A couple of kilometers south of Ciudad del Este, where Rio Paraná and Rio Iguaçu join, is a ferry crossing to Puerto Iguazu in Argentina without crossing Brazilin territory. The ferry runs hourly during daylight hours. There´s a bus passing close-by.

Border Scams

If you are transiting Paraguay (i.e. not coming back across the same border the same day), you will have to go to the Paraguayan customs office just past the bridge. Citizens of Mercosul are granted entry just with their ID, others need a passport. The stories of bribings and scams in the Paraguayan customs offices are frequent. Make sure you get everything you're supposed to get when they check your passport and/or ID. Those that handle them the ID should receive back, along with the ID, a formulary with the arrival stamp in it. If you're with the passport, you'll only receive the usual stamp on the page.

A common trick is not handing the stamped paper back with the ID; that way you cannot prove having legally entered the country. If so you'll certainly be asked for money for the exit to be granted.

Get around

If you arrive with your own car make sure you find a parking lot (usually the local touts will lead you to one. However, if you do not feel comfortable with the situation you still can research a parking lot in advance as some of them have websites on the Internet.

• Itapú Binacional Hydrodam, (The visitor centre is on the road to Hernandarias. Any bus to Hernandarias can drop you off there.), ☎ (061) 599-8040, [1]. Visits only on guided tours at 8 am, 9:30 am, 2 pm, 3 pm; Sundays morning tours only. On Friday and Saturday evening there's an audio-visual show (reservation required). Passports necessary for all visits. Free.  edit

• Museo de la Tierra Guaraní and Zoológico Regional, (About 2 km from the visitor centre on the way back to Ciudad del Este), ☎ (5561) 599-8040. Tuesdays to Saturday 8am to 12pm and 2:30pm to 5pm; Sundays morning only, Mondays afternoon only.. A small museum mainly on the Guarani culture and the local wildlife. Descriptions in English and Spanish. Free.   edit

Buy

Shopping is the main business of the visitors. The main shopping streets are Av. San Blas and Camilo Recalde, where you can buy about anything and everything. Many people come for electronics.

A WARNING: If you want to buy electronics such as cellphones or cameras, the procedure shall be as follows:

Ask to test the device, if it works DO NOT give it back to the shopkeeper/assistant as some of them exchange them with faulty versions or hand the box back filled with paper or other but certainly not with what you just bought.

• Caribe, on Emiliano R. Fernández between Cap. Miranda and Mongelos. A cheap place to stay and not far from the main shopping streets. from 17.5 US$ (aircon).  edit

• Hotel Munich, on Emiliano R. Fernández between Cap. Miranda and Mongelos. from 40 US$ for a double with aircon.  edit
• Hotel Austrai, Emiliano R. Fernández 165 (between Cap. Miranda and Mongelos). from 40 US$ for a double with aircon.  edit
• Hotel San Rafael, Av.adrian Jara y Avay (downtown Ciudad del Este), ☎ 595-61-500804. checkin: 3:00 pm.; checkout: 12:00 pm. Good hotel located in downtown. Room with tv-cable, air-conditioning,private bath and telephone with direct calls. 30 US$.  edit