A Reconnaissance of the Port of Asuncion, Paraguay
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Southern Illinois University Edwardsville SPARK Theses, Dissertations, and Culminating Projects Graduate School 1967 A reconnaissance of the port of Asuncion, Paraguay David James Owens Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Follow this and additional works at: https://spark.siue.edu/etd Recommended Citation Owens, David James, "A reconnaissance of the port of Asuncion, Paraguay" (1967). Theses, Dissertations, and Culminating Projects. 6. https://spark.siue.edu/etd/6 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at SPARK. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses, Dissertations, and Culminating Projects by an authorized administrator of SPARK. For more information, please contact [email protected],[email protected]. A RECONNAISSANCE OF THE PORT OF ASUNCION, PARAGUAY By DAVID JAMES OWENS A Thesis Submitted In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts Faculty of Earth Science In the Graduate School Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, Illinois August 1967 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The author it deeply indebted to many people who have offered suggestions or helped in other ways. The several agencies of the Paraguayan government with which he worked were very cooperative. The honorable Minister of Public Works, General Marcial Samaniego, a friend of long stand ing, provided the use of photocopy facilities and equipment of that agency. The Board of Directors of the National Administration of Navigation and Ports provided the use of an outboard motor and boat and an operator to carry the author on his river traverse and waterside picture taking survey. The Chief Engineer of the National Administration of Navigation and Ports, Juan B. Britez-Caballero, provided office space, a drawing board, and use of supplies and equipment. Mr. Carlos Elenio Gonzalez-Gomez, an accomplished drafts man in the Port Engineer's office, worked in his spare time, including all day on Paraguay's Labor Day, to complete tracing of the master copy of the land use map from the author's rough draft. The Chief Engineer of the Municipal Cadastral Office, Mr. Ramon B enitez-Cioti, provided city maps at several scales. Several members of the Paraguayan National Archives were very cooperative and helped research the oldest maps, plans, and history books to try to find the oldest existent street layout or drawing of the port or river-front area. ii The Paraguayan Military Geographic institute, under the direction of General Ruben Ortiz-P., another friend of long standing, provided valuable photos and laboratory services and the assistance of two very able technicians, Mr. Freddie Cardozoand Mr. Danielo Leiva. Two agencies of the United States government in Asuncion were very cooperative; the United States AID Mission and the Inter-American Geodedic Survey. Mr. Lyndal R. Ash craft, Mr. Carlos A. Merlo and Mr. Cabrera of the former agency provided excellent photo-mechanical and graphic assistance. Mr. Warren L. Ashworth, Mr. Henry E, Zabinski, Mr. Justin De Forge, and Mr. Dennis Beale of the Army Map Service and attached to the Inter-American Geodedic Survey Group offered the loan of needed equipment and exchanged information on the land- use in the author's area of interest. The latter agency was making a "City Plan" of Asuncion which would have made Hi is survey much simpler had it been com pleted and published prior to the advent of this study. The author will be eternally indebted to Miss Justa Romero-Barbosa, a very dear friend and the hostess in whose house he lived during this study, and to whom he brought many questions of location, history, translation, and interpretation. Her lifelong residence in Asuncion and her intimate knowledge of the city, its industry, its business, and its people provided a fountain of information to supplement other sources. The author's loving wife, Jemima Richmond Owens, has helped immeasureably In research, translation, typing and in shouldering all parental responsibilities during the field survey and during the write-up of the results. Hi Dr. Harry B. Kircher, chairman of the Thesis Advisory Committee, had provided invaluable advice and guidance throughout Hie planning and writing phases of this study. He has helped immensely in the organization for presentation of material, and deserves much o f the credit for completion of the study. , To all these people and many others go the sincerest expression of gratitude for making the job much easier. iv TABLE O F CONTENTS Acknowledgements List of Tables List of Illustrations Chapter I Introduction II Port of Asuncion III Historical and Political Evolution IV Land Use Evaluation in Port of Asuncion V Summary and Conclusions Appendixes A Trade Volumes B Map of Paraguayan Rainfall Bibliography LIST OF TABLES Table Page 1 Export-Import Volume 45 2 Passenger Traffic 63 3 Cargo Traffic 65 4 Analysis of Code Land Use Listings 90 5 Number of Establishments 91 6 Land Use Area 96 v LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Page 1 Patio 10 2 Repair Shop 10 3 Air Photo Asuncion 18 4 Map of Paraguay River 23 5 Stone Wall and Piling 25 6 General Cargo, Main Dock 27 7 General Cargo, Behind Warehouse 27 8 Crane on Tracks 56 9 Crane on Pneumatic Tire* 56 10 Air Cargo Truck 58 11 Truck Scales 58 12 Passenger Debarkation 60 13 Rail Spur Lines & Truck Park 60 14 Cafe on Dock 62 15 Montevideo Beach, Cargo Boats 64 16 Montevideo Beach, Passenger Boats 64 17 Yerba Factory 68 18 Single-family Residence 72 19 Pension - Cafe 72 20 Private Shipyard 78 vi LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS (Cont'd) Figure Page 21 APAL Alcohol Dehydration Plant 78 22 Puerto Sa{onia Navy Shipyard 79 23 Portable Floating Dry Dock 79 24 Flour Mill & Dock 80 "'25 Flour Mill Docks 80 26 Vegetable Oil Storage and Shipping 82 27 Lime Kiln 82 28 Electric Power Generation Plant 84 PLATE I Surface Transportation Routes 16 II Asuncion - 1787 22 III Asuncion - 1884 24 IV Land Uses - 1967 49 V Rainfall Map of Paraguay 107 vii CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION Purpose of the Study / The purpose of this study is to analyze the character and functional relationships of the geographic features, physical and cultural, of the river port of Asuncion, Paraguay, as an aspect of urban land use. Statement of Problem The principal problem of this study is the compilation, mapping, and interpretation of the land use in the port of Asuncion, Paraguay through a reconnaissance of the major land use features of the port. An associated prob lem is th e gathering and interpretation of sufficient data on the movement of people and cargoes in and out of the port to reveal its commercial functioning and prospects. Motivation for Study The author's interest in the importance of this river port to Paraguay's economic development was ki ndled while living in .Asuncion for almost three years in the early 1950's and associated with air transportation. Interest was rekindled in 1965 by a shorter stay associated with communications and air transportation. Further stimulus was prov ided when research produced nothing written by geographers on the port of Asuncion. This study evolved from other 1 2 research projects on river transportation and economic development of Paraguay accomplished under the encouragement and direction of Professor Harry B. Kircher during course work in Economic Geography Seminars and Independent Geographic Studies. Thus, the author was able to use in formation that he had gathered over the years on river transportation and economic development in / Paraguay. Much of the information that had been obtained was included in reports, studies, and surveys by the Paraguayan government, United States government agencies, the Inter-American Development Bank, Pan American Union, and the United Nations. Scope of the Study "Geographical studies of ports are usually concerned with either the movement of goods between hinterlands and other parts of the world reached by water routes, or with the port facilities as an aspect of urban land use."^ This statement made in American Geography Inventory and Prospect, by Edward L. Ullman and Harold M. Mayer, specialists on transportation geo graphy, indicates that there are at least two approaches to the study of the geography of ports. The first approach was too broad for complete coverage In the time available so it was decided at the outset to limit this study almost exclusively to the aspect of urban land use in the immediate vicinity of the ^ James, Preston E. and Jones, Clarence P., et. a!., eds., American Geoaraphy Inventory and Prospect, (Syracuse, New York: Syracuse University Press, 1954), p. 315. 3 river front of the port. This parameter would provide a meaningful functional area that could be covered in the time available to complete the field survey. A resume of the historical and political evolution of the nation is i ncluded to show insigh t into Asuncion's unusual socio-economic and political situation caused by its remote spatial location from its markets. Methodology The Initial step I n this study was the research of the general periodical indexes, library card catalogue and indexes of geographical periodicals for pertinent articles or books on Paraguay, Asuncion, River Ports, Inland Shipping Points, Geography of Ports, Manufacturing in Ports, Grain Trade, World Ports, Harbors, Regional Influences of Ports, History of Ports, Inland Lake Ports, and Land Use In Ports. In all, twenty five articles were found and notes made from them concerning items of passible relevance to this project. Nothing specifi cally on the Port of Asuncion or on land use in ports was found. The next step was review of previously obtained data. Tentative Thesis Outline A tentative outline for the study was d eveloped and reviewed by the thesis advisor and presented to staff, faculty, and graduate students of the Southern Illinois University Earth Science Department.