town, southern Paraguay. It lies in the lowlands near the Tebicuary River. The town is the commercial and manufacturing centre for the agricultural and pastoral hinterland, which is utilized primarily for cotton growing and cattle ranching. There are schools of commerce and agriculture and a branch of the Bank of Paraguay. The town is located just off the main highway linking Asunción and Encarnación; a branch road leads through San Juan Bautista to Pilar. Pop. (2002) urban area, 9,822.